Breeding guinea pig & Chinchilla question?

Let me be honest and tell you what I have learned from my experience. Males should only be used with one female for one breeding prior to his first birthday. A female should be 1 year old before she is bred the first time.

Some normal grays that grow very large early in life could be bred a few months earlier (9 or 10 months). I would not breed a mutation color before a year, and any velvet should be later.... 16-18 months. However, the bigger question is IF you should breed the chinchillas you are discussing.

The only chins worth breeding are those that have at least 4-5 generations of pedigree that can be studied and proved accurate. Being a beginner, you do not want to breed any two chins that are related for at least 5 generations. There are so many defects that can occur due to poor breeding tactics or inbreeding (intentional or otherwise).

You sound like a responsible young person with a soul that wants to do the best for your pets and animals in general. Defects in chins can include, heart problems, tooth ailments, eye problems, fur/skin diseases, temperament problems (aggression/ fear and diabetes. Also, chins can live 20 or more years.

Not fair for them to have them live with health defects. Breeders work to improve traits and lines, those that just put two animals together to get more animals is simply a multiplier. I take it you are the one- that person who truly wants to be a breeder and CAN actually make it happen.

There is a international group that may suit your need to learn all you can, MCBA and another called ECBC. Ask your breeder what they know of this group, and what they would be to breed better chins. You can learn a lot by talking to lots of different people on this before you commit to the chins you will breed.

A young male and his potential female would have to live separate cages and introduced just prior to the first date you would want the to breed. Putting chins together can be easy and other times very hard. Some chins won't breed with certain other chins.

Some just take longer. Sometimes they decide they don't like their cage mate, and they get a little chinnie divorce! You must have another cage on hand for these times.

I am glad you have started you research and have a reserve acct for emergency. Is that $300 just for the chin, or a reserve for all pet emergencies? I can tell you this, most if not ALL of the $300 would be gone in just one major visit, and at least half that for something minor.

You need at least $1000 for reserves just for the chin. None of this is meant to pop your bubble.... Just the facts as I see it and lived it. Feel free to contact me with any more discussion.

I agree with the previous answerers as regards breeding. Your friends may like the idea of taking on a cute baby chinchilla, but do they really want to commit to 15-20 years of caring for these animals? I am 23 and feel that even that is a VERY young age to have such a demanding and expensive pet.

I am totally committed to my chin, but having him will undoubtedly make certain things in my life much more difficult. I have to be prepared to put him first, for instance, I would like to get a flat, but first must find one that allows animals. If I cannot do this I am fully prepared to stay with my parents (who do not mind) in order to keep him.

These kind of decisions are something that you really have to consider, and it's hard to look that far ahead - your friends may not fully appreciate the commitment involved. I also have a couple of things to add, at eight weeks your chin is too young to leave the breeder, he should be about twelve weeks. At eight weeks he will only just, or SHOULD only just have been separated from his mother (smaller kits are sometimes be left with their mother up to ten weeks of age).

Assuming you have the age correct, this makes me wonder how responsible the breeder is, and you definitely don't want to be breeding chins from an irresponsible breeder, they may have genetic health problems in their background. If you would like him to have a companion, you could consider getting another chin of the same sex. This will be easiest if you get two youngsters together, though it is possible to introduce chins later (it's a tricky process, though).

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.