MATING

Mating usually takes place at night but occaisionally it will take place during the day. There are a few helpful signs to look for ie the male is very attentive to the female, often you will find loose fur in or under the cage or tufts of fur pulled on the female's back.You could also see white fluid under the cage this is also a sign that mating has taken place. The most obvious sign is a stopper (copulatory plug) the stopper is expelled by the female after mating has taken place although you may not always see one as the female sometimes eats it, They come in various shapes and sizes (see picture above) but are always the same consistency and colour if you find it the same day as the female drops it .I change the papers under the cages everyday so they are quite easy to see, but if you are unable to do this it is a good idea to look every day because as the stopper dries out it darkens in colour and is harder to see amongst the droppings. When you find a stopper or any other sign of mating make a note of it on the calendar and count 111days to find the date the litter is due

PREPARING FOR THE BIRTH

 As the due date draws nearer you will see the females tummy expanding and she will lay down on her side to rest more often.  Note if there is only one kit you may not be able to notice a change, I make a habit of tickling my animals on the tummy this way you should be able to feel if they are in kit.  During the summer months the litter is usually born in the early hours of the morning and you will often find the kits running around the cage, they are born fully furred with their eyes are open and they have teeth.  During the winter months you are more likely to see the kits being born as they often arrive a little later in the morning i.e. around 8am or even up to midday. Four or five days before the kits are due cover the cage floor with newspaper, leaving a few inches clear in one corner where the female can urinate, chinchillas are very clean animals and will be unhappy if left to sit on wet paper so be sure to change it regularly. I also use a heated pad which is left on all the time during the winter until the kits are ten days to two weeks old depending how well they seem to be doing. During the summer months on cooler nights I still use the heated pad but put it on a timer so that it comes on at 4am and goes off again at 10.30 am this helps guard against the female getting over heated. Most litters are born in the early hours of the morning but it is still wise to keep an eye on the female if birth is imminant as occaisionally some litters are born later in the day.Most males make very good fathers and will often look after the kits while the mother gets on with the delivery,but after the first eight or so hours unless you really want a breed back the male should be shut out (when useing the polygamous system the male will still be able to keep in contact with the female and the kits) I would only rarely attempt a breed back preferring the female to put all her energy into rearing her kits,she is then more likely to be fit and well after the kits are weaned at eight weeks old and after a short rest the pop hole shutter is removed and the male can go back in.

 Note If the male is taken completely away from the female it would be wise to reintroduce them because the female may not want to have anything to do with him after so long a time apart and fighting could occer  

THE BIRTH

 The female may go off her food for a day or two before the litter is due and the male is more attentive.  If you know the female is in labour do not give her a dust bath as the sand will harm the baby if it gets into the eyes and ears when it is first born, I do not give a dust bath until the fifth day after the birth this gives the female time to close up thus reducing the risk of infection.  When she is in labour you may hear her making little noises because of the discomfort or turn into the corner of the cage as the contractions get stronger you will see the females flanks contracting as she tries to expel the baby, some of my females stretch out across the cage floor and then lunge forward this seems to happen if the baby is large and the birth is more difficult, she will look to see if the baby has arrived and her face and paws will get wet,when the baby arrives she will pull it clear and nibble the membrane and lick the baby to stimulate it and help it to dry.  A healthy kit will soon try to feed and this will stimulate her into labour again if there are more kits to be born.You will often see the new mum pull her kits to her and push them under her to keep them warm

First biege baby dad is keeping watch 

Baby is nice and dry the afterbirth has been passed and she is starting with the next

She dosen't want me to see this one

Mum was very tired after the third baby was born so I had to lend a hand and dry it off for her

All three kits delivered and dry time for a rest

Note the cardboard rolls are not toilet roll middles as they are not strong enough, they are from a fabric shop and are wider and thicker,the kits can run inside them for safety when mum starts jumping around, a very good tip given to me by Eddie Crutchley.

 THE AFTERBIRTH

 You should keep an eye on the female to make sure she expels the after birth.  The female has two horns one on each side when all the kits are born from one side she will expel the afterbirth and after a rest will start in labour again if there are more kits to be born. There will be one placenta for each kit, you will see more blood at this time.  The afterbirth is dark red in colour and spongy to the touch she will probably eat it but not always if three or four kits are born I will only let the mother eat two and take the rest away as the spongy tissue and the stinginess of the sack the baby is born in may cause an intestinal blockage. I give my females three or four raisins after the birth and keep an eye on them to make sure droppings are passed and if necessary give one or two more raisins.Comfrey leaves may be fed two or three times a week,as the kits get older they will enjoy it too to prevent them from fighting over one leaf tear it up and give a piece to each kit.

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