Chinchilla pregnancy - duration of pregnancy and childbirth, care for the female before and after

Chinchillas can mate at any time of the year; there are no so-called mating periods. With a life expectancy in captivity of 15-20 years, a woman can give birth to children up to 13-15 years old.

Did you know that the chinchilla has a special skeletal structure that allows it to narrow vertically and penetrate even very narrow holes and crevices.

Chinchilla birth chart

To calculate the day of expected birth from the date of conception, there is a simple pregnancy and birth table for chinchillas, which includes the average gestation period of exotic rodents with an error of up to an error.

The table has an error of 1 to 4 days due to the lack of a clear pregnancy date for female chinchillas. The table consists of oblong columns with the top row corresponding to the calendar date of mating and the bottom row corresponding to the predicted day of the upcoming birth. For example, with a successful insemination on June 1, the breeder should expect furry offspring around September 19.

How to tell if a chinchilla is pregnant

In the early stages, pregnancy in these attractive animals is almost invisible. Mating occurs at night, and there may be no mating plugs at all for the young firstborn.

For successful mating, partners must be properly mated to avoid aggression and hostility between animals. A sure sign that a woman is pregnant is that she has not been warm for a month.

CAUTION: Despite the early onset of sexual maturity, mating is not recommended for animals under 12 months of age.

Early pregnancy leads to:

• Stopping the development of the female;
• fetal anomalies;
• difficult pregnancy;
• miscarriage;
• early death of calves;
• general weakness and health problems in women.

Characteristic signs of pregnancy in a chinchilla

From the 8th week of pregnancy, even a novice breeder will be able to determine whether a chinchilla is pregnant. First, you should pay attention to the animal’s nipples. In non-pregnant animals they are neither visible nor felt when the fur is stroked.

But from the fifth week of pregnancy, a pregnant woman's nipples begin to swell, turn red and become accentuated. In the last weeks before giving birth, white colostrum may be discharged from the nipples.

Changing the appearance of the nipples

During pregnancy, a woman's nipples protrude from under her hair, change color, and become more sensitive. As a rule, lactation occurs from only one pair of nipples. The whitish discharge in recent weeks is called colostrum and is not dangerous.

Animal weight gain

Naturally, the chinchilla's weight increases when the embryos appear. Weekly growth can be up to 15 grams. It is recommended to check your weight weekly to monitor the progress of your pregnancy and record your weight readings on paper or electronically.

It is not recommended to grab the animal by the tail for weighing. This can lead to premature birth or miscarriage. Weighing is no longer done at a later stage to avoid additional stress on the female.

Increased urination

A pregnant animal urinates much more than before pregnancy. This happens because the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the bladder and the urge to urinate increases.

After 90 days of pregnancy, you can feel the babies in your belly.

Changes in the behavior of a pregnant female

Suckling chinchillas become less active as the gestation period lengthens. However, they will be calmer and more affectionate towards their owner.

The animal often sleeps on its side, and in later stages the female is seen sitting on her back. Before giving birth, the female becomes restless, frightened by sudden sounds and aggressive towards the male.

Loop change

Before labor begins, a woman's external genitalia becomes red and enlarged. A man may perceive this as heat and try to deal with a mating chinchilla.

And sexual intercourse while the animal is pregnant can cause miscarriage or other problems during pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended to move the male to a separate cage several weeks before the expected due date.

If the owner notices purulent discharge from the litter, changes in the behavior or appetite and activity of the pregnant chinchilla, it is advisable to immediately take the animal to a qualified veterinarian who will determine whether the animal can remain pregnant or perform an emergency caesarean section. In this case, the life of the young is no longer a problem, the mother is saved.

Ultrasound diagnostics and radiography

Ultrasound examination in early pregnancy is necessary to confirm this and exclude obvious abnormalities. X-rays are taken late in pregnancy to quantify calves once their skeletons have ossified.

The presentation of the fetus is also examined at this stage. If you have questions or concerns, contact your veterinarian immediately. Do not give your pet medications without a prescription.

Abdominal enlargement

Rounding and enlargement of the abdominal cavity is clearly visible from the 8th week of pregnancy in chinchillas. As pregnancy progresses, fetal movements can be observed with the naked eye.

After 90 days, the young man feels himself in the mother's abdominal cavity. However, this is not recommended for owners of furry animals, so as not to provoke a miscarriage.

Increased rodent appetite

A pregnant female chinchilla, like any other animal, has an increased appetite. She drinks and eats much more often because developing puppies need food, protein and micronutrients. This is also one of the signs that the animal is pregnant.

Puberty

Sexual maturity in these rodents is observed at the age of 6-7 months in females and 9 months in males. Although some females can begin mating as early as 3-4 months of age.

Mating is recommended when females are one year old and weigh at least 0.5 kg, and males are 2-3 months old. By this time, the female body will be completely ready for childbirth. But getting pregnant too early won't do her any good. Firstly, she will not be able to give birth or the birth will be problematic, and secondly, she will become aggressive towards the male and his offspring.

Sexual desire in a woman lasts 28 days. During this period, she will stay warm for 3 days and produce vaginal discharge. It is at this moment that she will need to mate.

Early pregnancy and its consequences

Statistically, a chinchilla reaches sexual maturity at 7–8 months of age. Some individuals, especially females, may mature earlier. In veterinary medicine, it has been established that, hypothetically, a female can become pregnant at the age of 4–5.5 months. To prevent early pregnancy, chinchillas of different sexes are kept in different cages from 4 to 7.5 months.

Important! When a litter lives together for a long time, brothers and sisters can mate. Females successfully bear offspring and quite often give birth to visually healthy puppies. However, inbreeding is a destructive practice that leads to gene mutation.

According to generally accepted recommendations, females are not allowed to mate until 8–9 months of age. Professional breeders believe it is better to wait until the female is one year old. Until about this age, the chinchilla continues to grow, and pregnancy can lead to developmental disorders.

Early pregnancy is detrimental to the female body:

• The average lifespan of chinchillas is 17 years, but statistics show that females introduced early into breeding hardly survive to 10 years of age.
• During early pregnancy, the risk of resorption, intrauterine death and stillbirth increases.
• Pregnancy before the age of 7 months often ends in difficult childbirth, which is accompanied by bleeding and threatens the life of the female.

Note! Late pregnancy in chinchillas is no less dangerous than early pregnancy. Experts recommend removing animals older than 10 years from breeding.

How to care for a pregnant chinchilla

A pregnant chinchilla needs the following conditions for a successful birth:

• an enclosure without toys and shelves, so as not to injure newborns. Instead of an aviary, a low cage with a 10-mm gap between the bars is suitable (so that the young are not outside);
• Keep noise and harsh light away from the room and keep the room quiet;
• reducing the number of walks. It is not recommended to pick up the animal. If necessary, the owner can calm the female by stroking her belly. It is forbidden to lift chinchillas by the tail, as fear of this may lead to abortion;
• the male descends several weeks before giving birth;
• X-rays during the prenatal period (contraindicated for anxious people);
• daily cleaning and laying down wood or hay to insulate the floor;
• Avoid swimming three to four days before the event and for the next few weeks;
• cleaning the enclosure a few days after a successful outcome.

Pair formation

It is at this age that the reproductive system matures and animals can be distinguished by gender characteristics. In a male, there is a distance of several millimeters between the anus and the penis, but in a female, there is no gap between the vagina and the anus.

Chinchillas are polygamous animals and one male can cover three or four females. When forming pairs, the female is placed next to the male. Let's consider the difficult moment of forming a pair, because in severe cases rodents can seriously injure each other. What do we have to do:

• We place the pair in cages next door for a couple of days;
• Next, we place the animals in a small carrying cage for several hours;
• At this time, we prepare the cage for mutual living, change the filler and carry out general cleaning;
• We launch the first male to prepare and mark the territory;
• And last we launch the female.

This scheme will help avoid conflict situations.

What to feed a pregnant chinchilla

Women who carry their calves need high quality and fresh feed.

Food products should be added to the menu:

• Crushed plants (alfalfa, calendula and strawberries) plus feathers for good lactation;
• Barley or oat cabbage, due to the presence of vitamin E (its deficiency causes fetal malformations or miscarriages);
• apple slices 15-20 days before delivery;
• special food from a veterinary store with a high protein content, for better lactation and light juiciness.

Dietary supplement with herbs, milk powder and cereal mixture, rose hips. In addition, calcium gluconate is prescribed to support the skeletal system.

Thyme and mint have a negative effect on lactation and should be avoided. Also reduce roughage (corn cobs, straw and hay) by about a quarter and increase the amount of juicy fruits, vegetables and protein (cottage cheese, yogurt, meat and bone meal, etc.).

Signs and preparation for impending birth in a chinchilla

The chinchilla breeder, once the mating day has been established, must:

1. Use the table to calculate your delivery day.
2. Put the man down.
3. Cover the nest with dark fabric to create a comfortable atmosphere.
4. Prepare hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid and glucose solution, gamavit, etmzilate, oxytocin, dicycline, calcium gluconate injection, wipes and diapers, disposable syringes, milk replacer, saline solution and an electric fireplace for heating.
5. Change the water daily.
6. Make arrangements with your veterinarian about possible delivery.

Signs of imminent labor

• Anxiety in women. Stunning loud noises and stress that sometimes lead to premature birth and even damage to the newborn.
• The animal uses belly fluff and straw a few to three days before the event to build a nest. To avoid littering, the nest box is located on the floor with the opening facing upwards. The owner can also isolate the nest.
• Sedentary lifestyle: the animal prefers to lie on its back or on its side.
• Within 2-4 days, the female bends and seems to fall to the floor: this helps the fetus move towards the birth canal.
• A few hours before the due date, the abdominal cavity drops, the genital loop becomes pink and swollen, and the ribs retract.
• Body weight drops to 25 g, rectal temperature drops from one to one and a half degrees.

How is childbirth?

Chinchillas usually give birth very quickly. A female chinchilla usually gives birth to 1 to 4 young, and the entire birth period lasts from a few minutes to 2-2.5 hours. After giving birth, the chinchilla eats it.

If there are no deviations in the process, the animal does not need help. Any unnecessary touching, examination, or attempts to encourage the puppies to move through the birth canal can cause stress in the female, which blocks the release of oxytocin and stops contractions.

Maternal distress occurs in chinchillas that are too young or injured, as well as in individuals with abnormal presentation of one or more fetuses.

Often females that were previously used for breeding and are forced to produce offspring more than twice a year have difficulty giving birth to children. If you suspect any abnormality, contact your veterinarian.

If your chinchilla has already developed maternal diseases, it is necessary to arrange a home visit with your veterinarian in advance.

Signs of approaching labor

The fact that a woman is preparing for childbirth can be judged by her behavior. The chinchilla begins to build a nest: she chews the garbage to make it softer and puts it in the most closed corner.

Some animals pluck fluff on the belly and sides, and also line the nest. Preparing the birth site usually takes 2-4 days. The woman gradually becomes less active, lies on her back most of the day, stops eating and barely moves.

This behavior is normal and should not be a cause for concern. It is worth noting that the weight of a chinchilla can decrease by 15-25 grams when weighed immediately before the birth of the child.

A few days before giving birth, the female begins to stretch or become flabby. This encourages young people to move towards the birth canal.

Not only the behavior, but also the appearance of the woman changes. As the puppies move toward the pelvic outlet, the chinchilla's abdomen lowers, the sides droop, and the genitals become more pronounced and swollen. When measuring body temperature in the rectum, a decrease of 1-1.2°C is noted.

How to prepare for giving birth to a chinchilla?

After your chinchilla is mated, mark this date on your calendar and count 105-115 days from it to prepare in advance for the expected delivery date. In a notebook, write down your weight measurements, pregnancy behavior, and any important or worrying questions. If your pet is restless, not eating well, or is gaining weight, consult your veterinarian in advance. Make sure you have his number in your phone or write it down on your laptop to keep track of your pregnant woman.

For your birthday, it is recommended to have clean diapers, hydrogen peroxide, sterile syringes, saline solution and milk replacer ready. There should be a sufficient amount of clean water in the female's cage.

Have disposable diapers or soft wipes on hand during delivery. In case of multiple pregnancy, you can help the female by gently wiping the newborn calf with them.

How to help a chinchilla during childbirth?

Childbirth in chinchillas usually begins in the morning hours, around 5-7 am. In the normal course of the process, puppies are born within 9-10 hours. About 24 hours after birth, the female begins lactation.

Before this, the colostrum is released from the nipples. It is whitish in color and is nutritious enough to provide the juveniles with essential nutrients for the first 24 hours.

If abnormalities are suspected during childbirth, the chinchilla should be assisted. Due to loss of strength, the chinchilla is restless, creaks, or reacts sluggishly to external stimuli.

If a birth lasts more than 5-6 hours, there is heavy bleeding from the genital tract, or contractions stop, you should consult a doctor. In this case, surgical intervention is necessary, i.e. C-section.

If the birth is going well, there is no need to interfere with the process.

Caring for the mother and babies in the first days

After giving birth, the chinchilla must restore lost energy and moisture; for this, the cage must have clean, cool water and hay. In the first few days, you can feed the female with thick sugar syrup and a small piece of apple. In case of a lack of water, vitamins and microelements, the female may bite the young.

After the female leaves the nest, use clean hands to inspect the chicks and remove any dead newborns from the cage. The procedure should be carried out with clean hands, washed with laundry soap; the smell of toilet soap will frighten the female, and she can kill the young man.

If some of the young chinchillas remain on the floor of the cage outside the nest, the owner must immediately resuscitate the newborn. They should be dried, warmed and fed artificial milk formula via a dropper. After these steps, the young are carefully placed in the nest under the mother.

A day after birth, the newborn puppy should be taken out with clean hands and weighed each time; the normal weight of the child should be 30-70 grams. Subsequent weighing should be carried out daily, preferably at the same time.

If there is sufficient production, puppies will receive at least one gram per day, otherwise additional infant nutrition is necessary.

If a chinchilla does not produce enough milk to feed its offspring, this manifests itself in the loss of mobility of the babies and lack of swelling in the mother's nipples. In this case, the owner should feed the newborn puppies with diluted condensed milk or cow's milk.

At 30 days of age, puppies are weaned into warm, spacious cages, forming mixed sex groups. Young puppies should be fed boiled cow's milk for up to 5-6 months.

Breast examination

The owner should examine the mammary glands of the caring chinchilla daily. Newborn puppies are born with teeth erupted and can damage the delicate skin of their teeth.

If wounds or cracks are found on the nipples, the damaged areas should be lubricated with Vaseline or lard. If the mammary glands are not efficient enough or the third pair of nipples are filled with milk, mastitis can occur. To avoid this, the remaining milk should be kept taut and a moist bandage applied to the hot, swollen glands.

If the female has hardened nipples, she will trample and open the young. The woman is taken out of the cage, her nipples are massaged, a small amount of milk is given, she is held in her arms, and the young are sucked.

Possible problems and complications

In most cases, childbirth in chinchillas occurs without complications, and young mothers themselves cope well with the birth of their babies. The average duration of the labor process is 2-3 hours. If the birth lasts up to 5 hours, the female needs help. Perhaps one of the puppies is stuck in the birth canal. To provide assistance you will need:

• give the woman in labor a few drops of sweet water or syrup - this will help restore the chinchilla’s strength and give it vigor;
• Gently massage the tummy - in this case you need to use soft, stroking movements and under no circumstances press;
• If one of the puppies is halfway out and does not move further, you need to lubricate its body with Vaseline and try to carefully remove it in time with the contractions, twisting it slightly clockwise.

If labor has completely stopped, or if bleeding occurs, it is necessary to urgently take the chinchilla to the veterinarian. If possible, it is better to call a specialist at home. In such a situation, a caesarean section will have to be performed to save the lives of the mother and babies.

What to feed a chinchilla after giving birth

The diet of a lactating female should contain increased amounts of protein and calcium necessary to produce the required amount of milk. The chinchilla must be fed with wheat, oat and barley sprouts, nettle grass, alfalfa, vetch, rose hips, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

The introduction of cottage cheese, skim or powdered milk, kefir, yogurt, sour milk, meat and bone meal, milk granules, vitamins, calcium gluconate and berries into the diet should be mandatory.

Milk production is accompanied by increased thirst of the woman, so the owner must be vigilant and take care of pouring the drink. The feeder and water bowl should be located as close to the nest as possible so that the chinchilla can easily reach the nest.

Selecting a mating pair, caring for a pregnant female and her future offspring, as well as assistance during childbirth is a serious and troublesome job, especially for novice chinchilla breeders. All efforts are compensated at first glance by tiny, touching chinchillas, which are born immediately with soft, delicate fur and open, curious eyes, unlike other mammals.

Symptoms and duration of pregnancy and childbirth in chinchillas4 (79.23%) 26 votes

Examination of the female

Puppies often injure their mother's nipples. In this case, the damaged areas should be lubricated with melted lard or Vaseline. To eliminate mastitis in a chinchilla, the remaining milk is expressed from the glands.

If the nipples have become stone, the mother will scatter the puppies around the cage. She needs to be calmed down with a massage, milked a little milk and the babies allowed to suck on the nipples.

For inexperienced chinchilla breeders, breeding rodents is hard work. However, the effort pays off when you first look at the furballs. After all, they are born with soft, velvety fur and wide open, curious eyes.

If you are the happy owner of a couple of chinchillas or are planning to breed these rodents, then you simply need to know everything about the female’s pregnancy. We will tell you how to find out if a chinchilla is pregnant, what care it needs, how to prepare for childbirth and what you should know about babies.

What to do if your chinchilla gives birth to puppies

If your furry pet has finally given birth to a wonderful baby or one baby, you need to take care of restoring your pet's postpartum health in order to create optimal, comfortable conditions for new family members to thrive:

• Some owners do not separate adult chinchillas after birth; this may result in another mating within 24 hours of birth. Gentle females may become aggressive towards males after birth and may chase males around the cage, causing injury to the delicate limbs of newborn pups;
• The cage with newborn puppies should have a minimum size between the bars, and all shelves where a tired chinchilla can hide from babies should be removed;
• The dog in the newborn crate should hang as low as possible so that the babies can easily reach it, fresh, dry hay with stems should be placed in the enclosure or cage daily, newborn puppies begin to eat hay from the 2nd or 3rd day of life;

• Chinchillas can bathe in the sand 10-14 days after giving birth, for this they are placed in a cage for a nursing female with babies.

Nursing offspring

The most difficult period in the life of sucklings is the first 14 days, when babies must adapt to new environmental conditions. A nursing female should not be exposed to stress, as this can reduce lactation. There is no need to take her out of the cage on her own, or with the kids, or transfer her to another. It is also good not to change the litter for at least 10 days after birth. The female has 6 nipples, 3 on each side, however, only two produce milk. The babies suckle their mother lying under her on their back.

Their rounded bellies and calm behavior during feeding indicate a sufficient amount of milk. If there is a shortage, the suckers fight among themselves for access to the nipples, maiming each other, and the irritated female runs away from them. Their tummies are then sunken. It may also happen that the mother, weakened by lambing or illness, dies. What to do then? It doesn’t matter whether in the event of a small amount of milk in the mother or in the event of her death, it is imperative to do piece feeding. The guardian then assumes the responsibilities of the mother.

Underfed or orphaned babies are given a mixture of powdered milk diluted with boiled water (as for babies) with the addition of a thick decoction of oatmeal in a 1:1 ratio. This mixture should have a temperature of about 37°C. You need to take the suckling in an upright position in your hand and very slowly let a few drops of milk into its muzzle using a pipette. During the first 5 days of life, feeding should be done after 2-3 hours, then after 4-7. After feeding, it is useful to lightly massage his abdomen. This replaces his mother's licking and improves digestion. A healthy chinchilla is happy, eats food well, wags its tail and is very active.

Chinchilla behavior during pregnancy

The behavior of chinchillas during pregnancy directly depends on their temperament and health. If a woman is young, then pregnancy proceeds normally, and her behavior changes only in the period before childbirth.

Sudden changes in behavior may indicate

• Hormonal changes are temporary and last no more than 3-4 days.
• Stress or discomfort - in this case, irritability, depression, and chronic fatigue are observed. The female is constantly trying to build a canopy or hides in the far corner of the cage.

Based on the experience of owners, the following common behavioral metamorphoses can be identified:

• The female not only begins to eat more, but also actively grazes, even if she was not previously inclined to such behavior.
• Friendly, outgoing women may become territorial and even begin marking.
• Independent women become more social and even obsessive.

Experts advise not to worry about changes in the behavior of pregnant chinchillas unless alarming symptoms are observed.

Try not to force communication and attention on expectant mothers, but be prepared to respond to her initiative.

During a normal pregnancy, a woman's weight gradually increases. Weight gain is due to the production of excess blood and fluids, the growth of embryos and the accumulation of a protective fat layer in the mother's peritoneal area.

Weight gain during pregnancy in chinchillas is 25-30 grams per month. Over the past month, this range could be 30-50 grams. Normal, gradual weight gain is a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

If a woman is healthy at the time of conception, then theoretically the pregnancy should proceed without complications. Temporary problems may arise if the female does not receive the necessary nutrition because the owner does not know that his pet is pregnant. Other possible complications may be related to the quality of care and the environment:

Miscarriage. Most often this is caused by circulatory problems or a so-called blood conflict. Spontaneous miscarriage can occur at any gestational age. Women who are undernourished are at particular risk. Severe or prolonged stress can also be a factor in causing miscarriage.

Injuries, fights, jumping and falling can lead to spontaneous miscarriage. If a woman has a miscarriage, she eats premature embryos and placenta. Quite often, traces of blood remain in the cell (dilution).

Calcium deficiency. If there is a lack of calcium, a woman will have poor quality hair, claws and may have problems with her teeth. The embryos are severely damaged. Puppies do not develop their skeleton and internal organs properly, which can lead to intrauterine death or the birth of offspring with physical disabilities.

Repeated pregnancy immediately after birth. Due to physiological characteristics, a female chinchilla can become sexually active within 36 hours immediately after giving birth. Repeated pregnancy while nursing newborns can lead to the death of the female and puppies.

Feeding rules

If babies fight often, then this is a sure sign that they do not have enough mother's milk. You can feed them with “Kitty Milk” dry milk formula for kittens or “Agusha” cream for children. Newborns are fed with a syringe, and after 18 - 20 days the drinking bowl is filled with milk; at this age, puppies also eat adult food. Rolled oats are added to their diet.

Fully bottle-fed chinchillas often have digestive problems; for such cases, you need to keep espumizan or bobotik on hand.

The anticipation and birth of chinchilla babies is a responsible time for the owner of the animal. The process will go without complications if you follow the necessary recommendations. Sometimes it is enough to rely on nature and let the animal produce offspring on its own, but at the same time have the phone number of a veterinarian at hand.

Is it possible to touch newborn chinchillas?

To examine babies after birth, wash your hands thoroughly with laundry soap to avoid infection. Any other agent will leave an odor that the mother perceives as foreign, and there is a risk that she will stop feeding or even bite the babies.

At first, try to handle the babies as little as possible, and don’t forget to wash them. It is best if only the owner does this to avoid odors and the possibility of infection or injury to the tiny animal. When the cubs are a month old, interaction with people will benefit them: in the future they will become social and affectionate.

Baby care

The weight of newborn chinchillas varies from 30 to 70 grams and depends on heredity, litter size and the mother's feeding during pregnancy. Premature puppies are born teethed, sighted, covered in fur, and able to move independently. A week after birth, the puppy tried to feed, but continued to eat milk until 1.5-2 months.

Chinchillas tend to lose weight while nursing, so they need very good nutrition. Milk can be included in the diet.

The first 2 weeks are critical for calves. The room temperature should be maintained at around 20°C.

Young chinchillas are weaned at the age of two months, weighing 200-250 grams. Healthy children are energetic, calm, and wag their tails. Weak children have no appetite and are lethargic.

The reason for this may be a lack of milk from the mother. In this case, the young are fed artificially. Unfortunately, there are also situations where puppies become orphans due to the death of the mother or lack of milk (this can be caused by stress or illness), and hungry puppies squeal a lot and become weak. If this happens, then the puppies need to be fed on their own - for this you need to prepare a mixture with a fat content, similar to chinchilla milk.

To do this, it is better to choose dry milk or powdered milk for kittens, which does not contain lactose. You can also feed your chinchillas boiled cow's milk or even the best goat's milk, adding a drop of butter. If your tummy is swollen, a light massage is recommended.

Feed chinchillas from a dropper or syringe without a needle; it is more convenient to use an insulin syringe. The mixture is calculated as follows: 10 ml per 50 grams of child’s weight. So, when feeding every two hours, a chinchilla weighing 50 grams should receive about 0.8-0.9 ml of the mixture at a time. If the formula is appropriate, babies will begin to gain weight and should not have diarrhea or constipation.

During the first week, puppies should be fed every two hours; in the second week, feeding intervals can be increased to three hours. If the puppies are orphaned, they will need extra warmth using a heating element or a hot water bottle.

Should the male be removed from the female after giving birth? Men are different from each other and can be aggressive towards children.

And even the most polite male can accidentally, simply be unlucky, jump, run over or injure a chinchilla. In addition, almost after giving birth, the male may recolor the female, and this is obviously not good for her at all. Allowing a woman to give birth multiple times is undesirable because frequent childbirth exhausts the body.

Of course, the female is capable of giving birth three times a year, but the young may be born weak and unable to live.

Rules for handling newborn puppies

It is worth providing comfortable conditions for the mother and puppies after birth. Also, the female needs, as before, adequate nutrition and water. After the chinchilla leaves the nest, you should examine the babies with clean hands and remove any dead ones, if any.

ATTENTION! Hands should be washed only with laundry soap. The smell of fragrances can frighten the female and provoke the destruction of the offspring. A sand bath can be installed two weeks after birth. It is better for the male to live separately for a few more months.

Puppies can eat hay and apples on the third day. After birth, puppies must be weighed. Normally, the weight of cubs varies from 30 to 70 grams. They are planted at one month of age.

Diseases in female chinchillas

Firstly, it is men who often infect women with sexually transmitted diseases because they are carriers of viruses.

Although breeders will tell you what to look for when purchasing a chinchilla, be sure to quarantine it and if you don't have a veterinarian's note, check with your doctor to see if it has any medical conditions.

The following diseases do not occur and cannot be detected in men except through laboratory tests: endometrial cystic gland hyperplasia, vaginitis, endometritis (including chronic), pyometra

After childbirth, women sometimes experience uterine prolapse. If this happens, call your veterinarian immediately.

How to breed chinchillas: timing of mating, maturation, estrus, pregnancy

• How to breed chinchillas? Chinchillas reach sexual maturity at the age of 6-9 months (women are usually 1-2 months earlier than men) and retain their reproductive abilities up to 8-10 years.
• At older ages, the use of females for breeding is not recommended, since older females often have difficult births, and the young are born weak.
• However, it is also dangerous to breed chinchillas that are too young - this can lead to fetal abnormalities and difficult births. Please note that some females may reach sexual maturity earlier, but there is no need to rush. The weight of the finished chinchilla is more than 500 g! Tip: Females must be mated from the second heat, before the age of one year the male must be 2 months older. After one year of life, on the contrary, it is advisable to be 2-3 months younger. A man is ready for copulation when nature calls.

• Estrus in a female queen occurs approximately once a month (on average 30-40 days, minimum 20, maximum 60) and lasts 3-7 days. Pink color and slight swelling of the female genital organs indicate its occurrence. White mucus can also be found near lice.
• According to animal behavior. Tip: If a woman loses interest in her partner, it means she is ovulating and pregnant. Ovulation itself occurs 12-24 hours after the onset of heat. - They begin to show active interest in each other, the woman raises her hind legs, and the man tries to hug the woman. At the same time, he becomes active, wagging his tail and cooing. However, observations are complicated by the fact that this usually occurs at night.
• If fertilization is successful, the female's pregnancy lasts about four months (110-115 days), but due to the female's rounded shape, it may be difficult to notice until the last minute. Regular weighing, which begins every day 2-3 weeks after planned mating, helps. A gradual increase in weight indicates that pregnancy has occurred.
• The appearance of white paraffin plugs in the vagina measuring about 2-3 cm may also indicate that white paraffin plugs have been installed in the vagina.

If your pet is 7 months old, weighs at least 500 grams, and the male is 6 months old, then mating is possible. In order to correctly and timely help a pregnant chinchilla, it is necessary to keep records of the mating date, heat and actual mating of the animals.

Animals' weight should also be monitored throughout the adoption and pregnancy period. This monitoring will help you better determine your stop date. Gestation in chinchillas usually lasts from 105 to 125 days.

Symptoms that can help determine if your chinchilla is in trouble are:

1. Changing nipples. If the chinchilla is not pregnant, then its nipples are white and almost invisible. In pregnant women, the nipples become enlarged and pink.
2. Weight change. During the initial period, weight gain may occur, but it is not rapid. After 2.5 months, the chinchilla quickly gains weight, approximately 12-35 grams per week. These changes are considered normal and indicate that the animal is pregnant. Weigh her once a week to track weight changes.
3. Fetal movements. 3 weeks before the birth you will be able to feel the baby's movements in the mother's belly, 2 weeks before the birth the movements will become noticeable.
4. Opening the hinges. From 2 to 14 days the loop opens.
5. Behavioral changes. A week and a half before giving birth, you may notice that the female begins to “nest.” The day before birth, the chinchilla sag and begins to stretch and flabby.

How long does pregnancy last

Depending on the individual characteristics of the female’s body and the number of puppies being carried, a chinchilla’s pregnancy can last from 105 to 120 days. In young females, gestation is longer. This is due to the fact that the fewer babies a chinchilla has, the longer it bears them. And in the first litter, as a rule, there are no more than 2 puppies. Then the chinchilla mother is pregnant for 115-120 days.

Older females can give birth to 5-6 babies at once. And their gestation period is only 100-105 days. It is worth noting that during multiple pregnancies, newborns are born with closed eyes and a small amount of fur. While chinchillas from a small litter, as a rule, are immediately sighted, stronger and covered with thick fur coats.