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Feeding baby chinchillas


Love My Chinchilla — How to Care for Baby Chinchillas

Baby chinchillas are the cutest pets there are. But if you don’t care for chinchilla kits properly, they can become sick, get injured, or even pass away. What makes this worse is that they’re easy to care for if you know what you’re doing.

As a chinchilla owner, you have responsibility over your pets, so it’s up to you to follow the guide below.

Caring for baby chinchillas is easy because the mother and kits do most of the work for you. However, they will require your intervention in certain circumstances and at certain times. Here’s a table detailing what you’ll need to do and when:

This is broadly all you need to know to take care of chinchilla kits correctly. But there are lots more details to learn which will make your life easier, and your chinchillas happier. And before we carry on, here’s everything we’re going to recommend you get in your chinchilla kit kit so that you can follow our guide below:

Photo Title Price Buy Why?
Chinchilla Cage $319. 99 To keep the kits' father in.
Kitten Milk Replacer $12.44 ($1.13 / oz) For kits that won't suckle.
Eye Dropper $4.25 To feed milk replacer.
Kitchen Scales $27.57 To weigh the kits.

LoveMyChinchilla depends on readers like you. The modest commission we make from featured products makes it possible for us to stay online and write about chinchilla care.

What Are Baby Chinchillas Called?

Baby chinchillas are called ‘kits’. This term is a shortened version of the word ‘kittens’, although nobody uses the term ‘kittens’ anymore to refer to baby chinchillas. You can also refer to them using basic terms like babies, juveniles or young.

How Many Babies Do Chinchillas Have?
Baby chinchillas.

Chinchillas have smaller litters than other rodent species. The average size of a litter is only two, although numbers between 1-7 are seen. Litters of a solitary kit are common, while any number of kits higher than four is uncommon. This is fewer than the number of young that other rodent species have. The reason is likely that chinchillas are under less pressure to produce offspring quickly than other rodents, as they face fewer natural threats. This is both good and bad if you plan on breeding chinchillas. It’s good because there’s less stress on the mother, but it’s bad because they reproduce more slowly.

Do Chinchillas Eat Their Babies?

Chinchillas can eat their babies, although it is rarer than in other animals. While the idea is an unpleasant one, it is driven by several logical processes:

  • The mother, if it is starving and about to die, may eat one or more of its kits
  • The mother will eat one of its kits if the kit is severely ill
  • The mother will eat any kits that die, either from illness, accidents, or failure to thrive

When a chinchilla mother is starving, its milk production slows down and stops. If its young cannot yet eat ‘adult’ food, they begin to starve too. By killing and eating the weakest kit, the mother can continue to feed the rest. This results in the survival of some kits rather than of none. In cases where the kit is dying or dead, eating it prevents the spread of disease to other kits. It also stops the mother from ‘wasting’ any milk on a kit which is guaranteed not to survive to adulthood. This can be mostly prevented by good and attentive care. It is uncommon once the kits reach the age of three weeks. If it does occur, separate the mother from its kits and hand-rear them instead.

Will All Chinchilla Kits Survive?

Around seven out of ten chinchilla kits will survive to adulthood. This may seem like a low rate, but for rodents, it’s high. Before breeding chinchillas, you must be prepared for the eventuality that the kits will not survive. A good way of telling whether a kit is likely to survive is through looking at its tail. Newborn chinchillas’ tails are long and flat. Over the first day of life, they curl up like those of adults. In kits which are unlikely to thrive, the tail won’t curl up.

1. Separating Mother and Father Chinchillas

Separate the pair before the female gives birth.

Before the female gives birth, you must separate the male and the female. Unlike other species, chinchilla fathers make good parents, and can help the mother take care of young. The problem with keeping the father with the mother is that they will mate again as soon as the female finishes giving birth. In some cases, they may even mate before; it depends on when the female begins its period of being in heat. The point is to have another litter as soon as possible. This would be of inconvenience to you as an owner. It would also stress the mother considerably. So, separating the pair is the ideal solution. Doing so is simple enough. You take the father and place it in another cage. This cage should be outfitted with everything a chinchilla needs, e. g. a water bottle, a hide and platforms to jump from. Separate the pair a week before birth.

2. Where to Keep Chinchilla Kits

Cages with platforms are not suitable.

Once born, chinchilla kits are surprisingly independent. Unlike other animals’ young, they are born with a full coat of fur, and with opened eyes and open ears. This means that they can explore and interact with the world from their first moments. Chinchilla kits must live with their mothers. You do not need to separate them until much later on. But you may find that your regular chinchilla cage is not suitable for kits, so you’ll need to either buy a new one or adjust your existing one. You’ll have to keep the mother and its babies together in this new setup until the young are old enough to leave. You must buy this new cage or retrofit your old one before the kits are born to ensure their safety, which is why this is the second step. In the same way that expecting parents buy a crib, baby food and diapers before their newborn arrives, so too must you be prepared in advance.

Cage for Baby Chinchillas

The key issue is one of escape: the wire of certain cages is too widely spaced, meaning that an adult chinchilla cannot get through it, but that a kit can. As such, the wire spacing of the cage should be no wider than 1/2in. The floor of the cage must be solid so that the babies don’t injure their feet on it. Safety is another issue. You must ensure that the kits cannot accidentally hurt themselves, and that the mother cannot accidentally injure them either. You must therefore remove any platforms from your chinchilla’s cage to prevent jumping. That’s because:

  • Chinchilla kits are highly active from birth, and like to explore and jump. They can easily hurt themselves jumping from the platforms installed in your chinchilla’s cage, which are suitably spaced for adult pets, not juveniles. They begin to climb as soon as they are born.
  • The mother could accidentally land on one of its young when jumping. Removing the platforms prevents this issue.

While jumping is natural behavior, safety is paramount. The kits will learn how to jump quickly enough when in their own cage/s with platforms.

3. How Do Chinchillas Give Birth?

Because chinchillas are mammals, the processes of reproduction and birth are similar to those of other common pets, and to those of people. So, a chinchilla female becomes pregnant through mating with a male, matures the young in its womb, and gives birth to it as other animals do.

How Long Is Gestation in Chinchillas?

‘Gestation’ means the development of young in the uterus (womb). The length of gestation varies depending on species; so, for example, the gestation period lasts nine months in people.

In chinchillas, the gestation period is significantly shorter. It lasts around 110 days. Sometimes, the kits can be born early (prematurely) or late (overdue). According to the Royal Society, the chinchilla gestation period ranges from 105 to 115 days.

This is far longer than other rodent species. Guinea pigs take 59-72 days, while hamsters take only 15-16 days. Animals of a similar size to chinchillas, like rabbits, have shorter gestational periods too at only 29-35 days.

When the chinchilla gives birth, the first thing that will come out is the kit. The kit will be followed by its placenta. The chinchilla will eat the placenta; this is normal behavior and is not dangerous.

Do Chinchillas Have Miscarriages or Still Birth?

Miscarriages occur when there is a problem with pregnancy. Sometimes, there is a genetic issue with the developing kit which means it would not be viable. If this is the case, it may be miscarried. It can also occur because of stress, improper diet or illness.

Still birth is like a miscarriage, only the developing kit is delivered at full term. Still birth can occur because of a problem that occurred before or during birth. High frequency of miscarriages and still births, in the same litter or across multiple, may indicate a genetic abnormality either in the mother or father (if the same partner is bred each time).

Birth in chinchillas should not be bloody. The placenta will be slightly bloody, but there shouldn’t be open wounds and blood all around the cage. If there is, you must contact an emergency vet. You must also contact one in the event of miscarriage, as other kits from the litter may have died but not been birthed. These kits can mummify inside the mother and cause infection, so must be removed.

Because things can go wrong quickly, you should have the contact number of the emergency vet ready before birth begins.

4. Can You Handle Baby Chinchillas?

Handling your chinchilla kits is encouraged. The earlier you start doing so, the sooner they will be used to human contact, and the less aggressive/defensive they will be when fully grown.

The mother will initially be nervous if you try to take the kits away, and the kits will be nervous at first too, so only move at their pace: not yours. Bear in mind that chinchillas don’t naturally like handling, so while you find joy in the experience, your pets may be frightened. This reaction should be replaced with one of being comfortable around you over time.

How to Hold a Baby Chinchilla

When handling juvenile chinchillas, take special care. They are smaller and more vulnerable, but also more active, and surprisingly quick.

You should handle juveniles as you would handle adults. That means:

  • Pick them up from the bases of their tails. Avoid picking them up by or squeezing their middles.
  • Have your hands form a platform for the chinchilla to sit on.
  • Allow the chinchilla to move without overly restricting it, but simultaneously, prevent it from getting away from you completely.

If your chinchilla had multiple kits, be prepared for one to be happy with handling while the other isn’t. All chinchillas have their own personalities and enjoy handling to different extents. Try to get all the kits used to you handling them, in case you need to hand-feed them later on.

5. What Do You Feed Baby Chinchillas?

You do not need to feed baby chinchillas. All mammals begin life by feeding on nothing but milk. When they mature, they gradually ‘wean’, i.e. stop drinking milk. Humans are the only animals which continue to drink milk into adulthood.

One exception is if the chinchilla kits are orphaned. If so, you will have to hand-feed them. And in rare cases, the mother may neglect to feed its young or not produce milk. As such, you should be prepared to hand-feed the kits even if it’s unlikely you will need to.

Do Chinchillas Nurse?

Chinchillas are mammals, which means that the females produce milk for their young. Milk production is triggered by having young, and ends when the young are weaned, as in all animals. If the female has another litter, though, its milk production will continue.

Milk is produced from fat reserves and is specially formulated with whatever nutrients the young of the species need. It is therefore typically of more nutritional value than ‘formula’, i.e. milk replacement.

You should not need to encourage your female chinchilla to nurse its young. Nursing is instinctual both for the mother and its babies.

Feeding Orphaned Chinchilla Kits

You have two options for feeding orphaned chinchillas. The first is to hand feed them. To do so, you will need:

  1. A small eyedropper or plastic syringe (i.e. one without a needle)
  2. Formula milk for kittens, or goat’s milk
Hand rearing.

In addition, the kit must be comfortable with handling for long periods. To feed it, hold the kit in your hand. Have it sit upright so that it can more easily feed, and prevent choking.

Do not squirt the milk into its mouth. Doing so would choke it. Instead, place a small drop on its lower lip. When the kit drinks this small droplet, place another one.

They must be fed every two hours for the first two weeks of their lives, then every three to four weeks until weaning. This is roughly how often they would feed from their mothers.

The second option is to foster the kits. If you have another nursing female, or know of somebody who does, then you can foster the kits to her. She must have weaned within the past 1-2 days otherwise its milk production will have stopped.

6. Weighing Baby Chinchillas

Weighing the kits is how you monitor their progress. You want to first know whether the newborn kits are of a healthy weight; if they are not, they are unlikely to survive. You will also want to keep tabs on how much weight they gain, as this will tell you whether they are getting enough milk and developing properly.

How Much Should Newborn Chinchillas Weigh?

Newborn chinchillas weigh between 30 and 60g. 30g is slightly more than 1oz, while 60g is 2.1oz.* As a rule, the larger the kit at birth, the likelier it is to survive to adulthood.

Adult chinchillas’ weights vary depending on species and sex:

  • Long-tailed chinchillas weigh between 370 and 490g
  • Short-tailed chinchillas weigh between 1. 1kg and 1.4kg (one kg is 1000grams, so short-tailed chinchillas are heavier)
  • Females approach the heavier end of these scales, while males approach the lighter end

In addition, each chinchilla is individually different. So, one female in a litter may weigh more than another solely because of genetic luck.

Also, if you are planning on entering your chinchilla in shows, the average weight is much higher. An average long-tailed chinchilla is 450-500g, while a show-quality long-tailed chinchilla can be 700g. But whatever the case, you want to see each kit making progress towards these weights.

Chinchillas are typically fully grown by eight months. But some continue growing for as long as 18 months.

How to Weigh a Baby Chinchilla

Weighing a chinchilla is easy, and can be done with basic kitchen scales. Take a bowl and place it on the scales, before cancelling the weight. On digital scales, there should be a button which does this for you. This sets the weight down to 0g, so that you can accurately measure whatever you put in the bowl.

Then, place each individual kit in the bowl and weigh it. Keep track of the weights of your kits either by writing them down or noting them in a spreadsheet. If your chinchilla won’t stay in the bowl, place it in a small container with a lid. Poke holes in the lid so that the kit has air.

You must weigh your chinchilla kits regularly, e.g. twice a week. Doing so more frequently has no downside, and also has the added bonus of getting your chinchillas used to handling. But so long as you do so frequently enough to pick up on any issues as soon as they arise, there isn’t a problem.

Baby Chinchilla Not Gaining Weight

When the mother has more than one kit, one may be larger than the other. The smaller is known as the runt. In some cases, the smaller will not gain weight at all. There are several reasons why this might occur:

  • The larger kit stops the smaller one from taking its milk
  • The smaller kit’s genetics mean it isn’t so big
  • The smaller kit is ill
  • The mother is not producing much milk

Observe the mother and its kits to figure out what the issue is. If the kit is ill, contact a veterinarian to get the problem fixed.

If the larger kit is bullying the smaller one, the solution is to rotate them. This means giving each kit one-on-one time to feed. In the meantime, keep the other kit in a small enclosure of its own.

This issue can also arise if the mother has a large litter. She will struggle to produce enough milk for all of them, and consequently they may all be lighter than optimal. You can help by hand-feeding them.

Do Chinchilla Runts Stay Small?

As a rule, the runt of the litter will grow still be smaller when it grows up. It’s easy for a chinchilla to lag in development, but much more difficult for it to catch up, as it requires even more food than normal to do so.

There is nothing wrong with a chinchilla kit being slightly smaller than the others, provided it gets enough food and attention to survive. But you can step in and help the runt by hand-feeding it. If you feed it enough, it can catch up to its peers and become a normal sized adult.

7. Separating Baby Chinchillas from Mother

When the chinchillas are old enough, they can live on their own. In the wild, the young adult kits could join other herds; or, they could stay as part of the same herd, but spend less time with their parents.

However, in captivity, you control what the kits can and cannot do. This means that it’s up to you to ensure that the process goes well.

How Long Do Baby Chinchillas Have to Stay with Their Mother?

The kits should not be permanently separated from their mother until they are old enough. They should be ready at 10-12 weeks. If you separate them too early, the young will have both developmental and behavioral problems.

Weaning in chinchillas begins as early as eight weeks. It’s a gradual process.

The kits begin to eat food other than milk at 3-4 weeks. They will start by eating small amounts of hay. If you provide some, then they may also eat other foods you provide (like fresh vegetables).

Over time, the kit will drink less and less milk and eat more and more food. Between 8 and 12 weeks, the kit will wean entirely off milk and only eat ‘adult’ food.

The other factor to consider is behavioral. Chinchillas are social animals, and model their behavior on their parents. As such, separating kits from mothers too soon can lead to behavioral problems like aggression.

How to Separate Baby Chinchillas from Mother

The process of separating chinchilla kits from their parents is an easy one to understand. All you do is place them in a separate cage or cages. The cage should be outfitted with everything that a chinchilla needs.

If there are multiple kits, don’t put males and females together in the same cage. This can result in inbreeding. However, housing female offspring with their sisters or male offspring with their brothers is fine.

Don’t put the father with its offspring of the opposite sex. Chinchilla males will mate with any female, so this too can result in inbreeding.

Do Chinchillas Calm Down with Age?

When chinchillas are young, they are highly active. When they are fully grown at 8 months, chinchilla kits should have calmed down. This process continues when the chinchilla eventually reaches old age, at which point it will become even less active.

This can be a problem for owners, as restless chinchillas can make more noise, and also are more difficult to handle. Some of this energy can be directed into play, e.g. by providing your suitably-grown kits with platforms to jump from, or a pen to run around in.

Aside from these points, all good care guidelines apply, e.g. cage placement, temperature and humidity monitoring, gentle handling and so on. Treat your chinchilla kits well and they will reward you by developing into healthy adults.

*Note: Metric grams are used by the breeding community as they are more precise and easier to convert than ounces.

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The Big Chinchilla Quiz

Think you know everything there is to know about chinchillas. ..? Take our quiz and find out!

This quiz features questions on every topic of chinchilla care, from behavior to nutrition. The questions are multiple choice, and each answer is explained. Some of the answer explanations contain links for further reading, which you can click and open in a New Tab. And if you take it again, it will come up with new questions each time!

Get started below...

1 / 10

What's the point of putting platforms in a chinchilla's cage?

Chinchillas like ceilings. Platforms are like lots of extra ceilings for the chinchilla to enjoy...!

They let the chinchilla display its natural behavior of jumping from one point to another.

There's no point. Platforms are bad for chinchillas.

2 / 10

Can you use treats to make a chinchilla like you?

Yes.

No.

Chinchillas shouldn't eat treats.

3 / 10

Can you train a chinchilla to come to you when you call its name?

Yes.

No.

4 / 10

What's the difference between alfalfa hay and timothy hay?

There ain't no difference.

Alfalfa hay is bad for chinchillas, but timothy hay is fine.

Timothy hay was discovered by a scientist called John Timothy, and alfalfa was discovered by... Someone else.

Timothy hay has more calcium.

5 / 10

Can two chinchillas of the same sex hump each other?

Yes.

No.

6 / 10

Why has my chinchilla stopped eating and going to the toilet?

It has a condition called gastrointestinal stasis.

It's on a diet.

Sometimes it just happens, and it's nothing to worry about.

7 / 10

Should you feed your chinchilla supplements?

Yes, every morning along with their pellets.

Supplements aren't suitable for chinchillas.

Sometimes vets recommend supplements.

8 / 10

Do chinchillas ever throw their poop?

Yes.

No.

Only if they're in the mood.

9 / 10

Do chinchillas need water bottles, or can they get their water from food instead?

They do need them, as a chinchilla's food shouldn't contain any moisture.

They don't need them, because you can feed your chin lots of watery foods like fruits and vegetables.

10 / 10

Why do chinchillas squirm when held?

It indicates that the chinchilla doesn't like YOU.

Chinchillas aren't used to being picked up, and are naturally skittish anyway.

This means your chinchilla desperately needs to pee, but is mortified at the idea of peeing on you.

Your score is

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How To Care For Baby Chinchillas (And Where To Find Them)

Baby chinchillas are adorable!

Even more so than the adults.

So it only makes sense to want to adopt a baby and watch it grow up in front of your eyes.

But baby chinchillas are different from adults.

It is important you know how to care for baby chinchillas and are aware of their special needs and requirements.

Keep reading for all the answers and absolutely everything you need to know about taking care of a baby chinchilla.

Contents

  • 1 Baby Chinchillas: Vital Information
    • 1.1 Brief Baby Chinchilla Timeline
      • 1.1.1 7 Days Before Birth
      • 1.1.2 First 4 Weeks
      • 1.1.3 4 To 12 Weeks
      • 1.1.4 Week 12
    • 1.2 How Baby Chinchillas Are Born
    • 1.3 Baby Chinchilla Size And Weight
      • 1.3.1 Proper Weight Guidelines For Baby Chinchillas
      • 1.3.2 Baby Chinchilla Not Gaining Weight
  • 2 How To Take Care Of A Baby Chinchilla
    • 2.1 How To Get A Baby Chinchilla
    • 2.2 Baby Chinchilla Pricing And Ongoing Cost
    • 2.3 Best Cages For Baby Chinchillas
    • 2.4 Dust Baths And Baby Chinchillas
    • 2.5 Food Options For Baby Chinchillas
    • 2.6 Handling And Interacting With Baby Chinchillas
    • 2.7 Miscarriages With Chinchillas
  • 3 How To Care For Baby Chinchillas: Final Thoughts

 

Baby Chinchillas: Vital Information

No matter what age you adopt a chinchilla at, or if you end up breeding chinchillas, it is ultimately your responsibility to understand how to provide the best care for them.

Baby chinchillas included.

Chinchillas, while unique rodents and relatively exotic pets, are somewhat straightforward to care for, if you are willing to do a little bit of research in advance and be patient with the process.

It is part of the reason Planet Chinchilla exists. My goal is to help you understand the proper care techniques to implement for your chinchillas, baby chinchillas included.

With baby chinchillas, you are going to have it done for you (for the most part). Baby chinchillas remain with their mother in the initial stages after birth and are referred to as kits.

For a short summary of the female birthing process, you can refer to my guide here.

However, something that can occur with chinchillas after giving birth is known as a chinchilla becoming orphaned.

This simply means a chinchilla gets excluded from the group, or does not have the ability to feed and be nurtured by the mother chinchilla.

While this sounds awful to think about, it is not the end of the world, assuming you are prepared to provide the care for the baby chinchilla until it reaches a sufficient age, size, and health.

Here is a quick look at the initial weeks after the mother chinchilla gives birth to her kits.

 

Brief Baby Chinchilla Timeline

This brief timeline will give you some idea of the major steps involved in caring for a baby chinchilla. We’ll go into much more detail on everything further down in the article.

 

7 Days Before Birth

One week prior to the mother chinchilla giving birth to her kits, you need to separate the mother and father chinchilla from one another.

Ideally, this is best performed by having a separate cage that you can keep near the other cage, if you prefer. They simply should not be in the same cage at this stage of the gestation period or they will mate again.

When you separate the father from the mother, you should also shrink your cage for the mother, or switch cages altogether.

This is easy with some cages, like the Critter Nation 2 Dual Level Cage, which is the one I use. You can simply remove the top section of the cage.

Or you can use any other 1 level cage with minimal bar spacing and a solid floor.

I would recommend using fleece liners on the bottom of the 1 level cage to provide the most comfort for the mother chinchilla and make the cage cleaning process that much easier on yourself.

 

First 4 Weeks

During this time, the kits will feed exclusively on their mother’s milk. You main duty is to monitor them and make sure they are healthy. Weight the every few days to ensure they are getting enough milk.

Any kits that get orphaned and do not get any milk, or that don’t seem to be handling the after-birth process well, will need to be fed manually. We’ll discuss how to do that further below.

 

4 To 12 Weeks

The weaning phase starts at week 4. The exact timeframe may vary from kit litter to kit litter. But overall, you can expect the baby chinchillas to stop relying on the mother’s milk around the 4 week mark.

During this time, it is imperative to actively monitor the babies and ensure they remain in good health.

During this phase, you are also going to begin feeding the chinchillas that have successfully weaned from the mother.

Providing hay is the best approach.

While you’ll find information out there that recommends other fresh alternatives, hay is a much safer bet, assuming you can get your baby chinchillas to cooperate.

This leaves no room for error by choosing a vegetable that may not be suitable for a chinchilla. And there are a lot of those. These animals have very sensitive digestive systems.

But I am not a vet. If you prefer to go the other direction on this, I highly recommend checking with a vet first.

It could also help a lot to read a few of my other blog posts detailing safe alternatives to chinchilla hay and chinchilla pellets.

You can read my post about which vegetables you can safely feed to a chinchilla here.

You can also read my post about which fruits are safe for a chinchilla here.

However, just stick to hay if your baby chinchillas are receptive. Trust me, it is easier and safer.

 

Week 12

The end of week 12 marks the finish line. No, this does not mean that the individual care and attention end at this time for the baby chinchillas.

But it does mean that the most worrisome days are now behind you. The young chinchillas are typically free of the mother and no longer dependent on her. In other words, they are all grown up and ready to live on their own.

 

How Baby Chinchillas Are Born

Although chinchillas may seem like an exotic or mysterious pet, there is nothing fancy about how a chinchilla gives birth. A chinchilla gives birth in the same fashion as most mammals.

A male chinchilla impregnates a female chinchilla during her receptive times of the year, which typically fall between November and May.

Once the female chinchilla is pregnant, the gestation period is about 111 days on average.

The baby chinchillas mature to a certain stage inside of the mother’s womb. Once the kits are born, they continue to depend on the mother for nutrients for about 12 weeks.

 

Baby Chinchilla Size And Weight

Part of ensuring that your baby chinchillas are healthy and getting the nutrients they need is ensuring that they are growing properly.

When you have an adult chinchilla, using the eyeball technique is often enough to ensure weight gain or weight loss is not taking place. But with baby chinchillas, you need exact numbers.

Especially if you have never dealt with, raised, or cared for a baby chinchilla in the past.

If you are about to find yourself being a new baby chinchilla parent, I highly recommend you invest in a scale like this one:

Greater Goods Digital Pet Scale

$54.88 $49.88

View on Amazon

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As you can see, it is not overly expensive and it will make your life much easier. You need to be keeping tabs on your chinchilla’s growth throughout the process.

You should weight the babies at least twice a week. Use a scale like the one referenced above, which is basically just a digital kitchen scale. Put a plastic bowl on top, in which you can place your baby chinchilla.

This part of the process is imperative, so do not think you can just skip it. This is especially true during the first 12 weeks.

The weighting process is simple, though perhaps a bit intimidating, if you have not done it before. Simply pick up the baby chinchillas and place them on the scale.

We will cover how to handle a baby chinchilla properly a bit further down in this post, to ensure you are comfortable and prepared with this part of the process.

 

Proper Weight Guidelines For Baby Chinchillas

As a rule of thumb, baby chinchillas should weigh approximately 30 to 60 grams. Typically, you want to see some size and weight to a baby chinchilla, as this usually indicates strong health and a good chance of making it to adulthood.

As your chinchilla continues to grow, the weight guidelines will change. I have a dedicated post discussing how much a chinchilla in adulthood should weigh that you can see here.

Keep in mind that all chinchillas are different.

While most chinchillas will be considered full-grown between 7 to 9 months, the weights may vary a bit between two different chinchillas and between male and female chinchillas.

If you are ever at a point where your chinchilla’s weight is becoming a genuine concern, you should speak to a local vet that has experience working with chinchillas to get further guidance on the issue.

 

Baby Chinchilla Not Gaining Weight

A baby chinchilla not gaining weight can be worrisome and indicate a problem, if your kits are not getting the nutrients that they need to survive and grow properly.

Most of the time, weight gain issues are like the problem that dogs sometimes have when they are pushed further from the mother.

They simply cannot compete against their siblings to get the milk and nutrients that they need, or the mother chinchilla is simply not producing enough milk to feed all her kits.

In some situations, it can even be due to an ill chinchilla, although this is typically not the case.

When this begins to happen, you need to intervene and begin manually feeding the baby chinchilla that is struggling with weight gain, to ensure it is getting the appropriate amount of milk and nutrients.

 

How To Take Care Of A Baby Chinchilla

So far, we have a basic understanding of the birth process and what happens for the 12 weeks following the birth, in addition to your role in the process.

Now, let us transition a bit and begin talking about the general rules of providing the best care possible to baby chinchillas.

As discussed thus far, we know that baby chinchillas will need to remain with their mother for roughly 12 weeks.

This is also the 12 weeks where a good majority of the care and nutrients are being provided by the mother chinchilla, which reduces your involvement to intervention and active monitoring.

However, after this 12-week period has passed, you still have work to do and care to provide towards your baby chinchillas.

The care begins with the separation from the mother at the 12-week mark, or around that time when you deem it appropriate to do so.

To separate your chinchillas properly, you want to place the males together and the females together. The males and females should not be together in the same cage. This can result in inbreeding and more baby chinchillas.

Clearly, at this point, if we do the math, we are looking at a minimum of 4 cages needed.

  • One for the father chinchilla who cannot be around the mother chinchilla or the female baby chinchillas
  • One for the male babies
  • One for the female babies
  • And of course, one for the mother chinchilla.

Always remember to complete this separation of the opposite sexes. If you’re not sure what gender your new babies are, ready our article on how to tell the sex of a chinchilla.

Once you have done this, you are also going to want to monitor the interaction between the brothers and between the sisters.

Sometimes, chinchillas bond with other chinchillas flawlessly and thrive together, and sometimes they do not.

If any of the chinchillas are showing aggression towards a sibling of the same sex in the same cage, they will also need to be separated.

At this time, you can begin the transition into providing care for your baby chinchillas, much like you would provide the care for adult chinchillas, but with a bit more monitoring needed.

You will be able to begin offering chinchilla hay. You can also use specially formulated pellets now for your young chinchillas.

You also want to ensure you have plenty of water accessible for your chinchillas, which may require several water bottles to be attached to the cage.

Additionally, you are going to need all the other chinchilla accessories inside of the cage (more on this shortly).

I also want to refer you to my chinchilla care guide for adult chinchillas for more detailed information. You can find that here.

Also, you might want to check out my eBook, that provides a complete care guide, including critical mistakes you need to avoid during your chinchilla ownership.

You can learn more about the eBook offer here.

We will discuss the rest of the needed items for your chinchillas further into this post.

 

How To Get A Baby Chinchilla

To get a baby chinchilla, you obviously have the option of having a male and female chinchilla breed on your own.

If this is not the path you were desiring to take and were curious if you can just adopt a baby chinchilla, here is the deal.

To get a younger chinchilla than the average, the only other option you will likely have is working with a local chinchilla breeder.

PetSmart and Petco typically do not offer chinchillas at ages younger than 8 months.

This is not something to be discouraged over, but just makes it a bit more difficult to get a baby chinchilla. It basically leaves you with two options: breed the baby chinchillas on your own or adopt from a local breeder.

 

Baby Chinchilla Pricing And Ongoing Cost

When you purchase a baby chinchilla, the cost is going to vary based on the color or mutation of the chinchilla you desire.

Here is a quick look:

  • Standard grey: $150 to $200
  • TOV (touch of violet) ebony: $300 to $400
  • Beige: $300 to $400
  • Violet: $300 to $400
  • Black or pearl: $750 to $1000
  • Blue Diamond: $750
  • White: $500 to $600

After you have decided on the color of the baby chinchilla you are interested in, you will have other ongoing costs that will need to be considered as well.

These include common items such as:

  • Food
  • Accessory and toys
  • Bedding
  • Treats

Overall, if you ask my opinion, chinchillas are one of the most cost-friendly pets you can own.

I feel like I am not spending money often on my chinchilla, unless it is to test something new or because I simply want to spoil her.

 

Best Cages For Baby Chinchillas

Part of providing the best care possible for a chinchilla requires that you put together an excellent chinchilla cage for them.

I have plenty of recommendations as to which cages. I recommend. I rank the best cages here.

The number one recommendation in that article is the cage I use myself, which I already mentioned further up in this post.

It is important that you provide plenty of vertical space and load the cage with plenty of chew friendly and safe items for them to keep their teeth healthy.

 

Dust Baths And Baby Chinchillas

Avoid dust baths during the initial days after your baby chinchillas are born.

However, as your baby chinchillas progress and begin gaining weight at the correct pace, it will be okay to begin offering them a dust bath when they are around 10 days old in most circumstances.

For the best results, offer the dust bath to the mommy chinchilla at the same time, and allow them to enjoy themselves in the dust bath, getting clean and rolling around as a family.

 

Food Options For Baby Chinchillas

As you have probably figured out thus far into this post, the food that is ideal for a baby chinchilla comes straight from the mother in the form of milk.

After that 12-week period is over, you begin offering your chinchilla the basic timothy hay and pellets. You can also use other items such as hay cubes to offer your chinchilla.

Even though they drink their mother’s milk, once they are weened off it, you should not feed them any dairy products. Many people assume chinchillas can eat cheese because they are rodents, but that is not the case.

 

Handling And Interacting With Baby Chinchillas

Handling a baby chinchilla is much like handling an adult chinchilla. You need to be gentle due to how fragile a chinchilla’s body is. Especially when they are young.

The best way to do so is to pick up your chinchilla while supporting the butt and supporting it from underneath.

If it is too difficult to get a good handle on your baby chinchillas using this method, picking up your chinchilla by the base of the tail is perfectly fine.

Once you have a good handle of them, you can draw them close to your body for additional support and comfort for your chinchilla.

Avoid handling a baby chinchilla for too long, to ensure they do not get too hot, stressed, or scared.

You also need to understand that some chinchillas will simply not enjoy being handled while others will. It is part of the process, and all chinchillas are different in this respect.

You can also refer to my post here that is specifically meant to help you get your chinchilla to enjoy being held.

 

Miscarriages With Chinchillas

Chinchillas do have miscarriages. Miscarriages with chinchillas occur most frequently due to illness, improper diets, and genetic problems with a new kit. Stress is also a possible cause of miscarriages.

When a chinchilla gives birth, it should be relatively clean and not much blood outside of the placenta.

If, however, this is not what you experience and more blood than usual is appearing, it is best to get to a vet immediately.

Not treating issues with a pregnancy on a mother chinchilla can result in death for the mother and the kits.

 

How To Care For Baby Chinchillas: Final Thoughts

Chinchillas are adorable pets and are relatively easy to care for.

It is no wonder why so many individuals are interested in baby chinchillas and want to learn the ropes to provide the best care possible for them.

I am in the same boat and advocate for anyone considering adopting a chinchilla, to go ahead and do it. It will be an excellent experience and you will form a lasting bond.

Chili and I wish you the best of luck with your baby chinchillas and the journey ahead of you.

Share your thoughts.

Do you have any further information you can share with the Planet Chinchilla community to help us all provide better care for our baby chinchillas?

Any other advice about raising a baby chinchilla you believe to be relevant?

Be sure to share those thoughts, stories, and concerns by dropping a comment below.

As always, Chili and I wish you the best of luck and appreciate you stopping by and reading today.

What do domestic chinchillas eat: types of food, feeding rules

Exotic rodent chinchilla is a popular pet with good looks and excellent health. With proper nutrition and care, a chinchilla can live up to 20 years. It is very important to choose the right diet for your pet. Poor-quality feeding disrupts the reproductive and digestive systems and can cause premature death of the rodent.

In the article we will consider the nutrition of chinchillas at home, what can and cannot be given to an animal, the features of the diet and what kind of food is better to choose.

What chinchillas eat in nature

In their natural habitat, chinchillas feed on various herbs, rootlets, mosses, branches of shrubs and undersized trees. The main part of the diet is dried food. The mountain herbs, which grow in the area where exotic rodents usually live, contain all the necessary nutrients necessary for the healthy functioning of the body.

Rules for feeding domestic chinchillas

Chinchilla is a herbivorous rodent that eats food in small quantities, but quite often.

Basic rules for feeding:

  1. There should always be a supply of healthy food in the pet's feeder.
  2. New foods are introduced into the diet with care.
  3. Balanced and varied menu.
  4. Chinchillas are very active, so they need high-calorie foods that also keep the rodent's beautiful fur healthy.

Nutrition and daily routine

Chinchillas are nocturnal. Activity appears closer to 18-20 pm. The owner must ensure that the pet's feeder has enough food to eat at night.

It is better to feed the rodent at the same time. He will quickly get used to the regimen, which will positively affect the digestion process.

Chinchillas have sharp teeth that grow throughout their lives. In order for the pet to be able to grind its teeth if necessary, branches of trees should be placed in the cage, with the exception of conifers with a high resin content. Preferred apple, linden, birch and hazel.

In addition to wooden twigs, special toys, mineral and chalk stones are also used.

The composition and balance of the diet

The diet for a pet rodent is selected individually, taking into account the pet's age, health status, taste preferences and physiological characteristics of the organism.

The main composition of the diet for domestic chinchillas:

  1. Roughage - hay, branches of trees and shrubs.
  2. Grain mixtures for chinchillas.
  3. Treats - berries and nuts, dried fruits, vegetables.

The daily norm of food for an adult pet is 55-65 g. A balanced diet involves feeding in the following ratio: 25 g - roughage, 25 g - grain mixture, up to 5 g of vegetables and the same number of additional treats.

How to feed

The first feeding takes place no earlier than 18 pm. The owner can pour grain feed into the feeder. Portions do not need to be calculated. Chinchillas are not prone to gluttony and obesity, so they will eat exactly as much as their body needs.

Always keep fresh and clean hay in the cage. The beam can be laid in a certain angle or in a special hay feeder. Make sure that your chinchilla is never left without this tasty and healthy food.

Drinking regimen

Clean drinking water should always be freely available to the rodent. It is better to use distilled or filtered water. You can not drink chinchillas with ordinary tap water. You can also water chinchillas with a decoction of chamomile, rose hips, currants without adding sugar.

List of healthy foods for chinchillas

When compiling a menu for a pet rodent, you need to take into account the daily need of the body for proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

The percentage of useful components:

  1. Proteins - up to 20%. This component is responsible for cell regeneration and fur elasticity. Lactating and pregnant rodents need to be given an increased amount of protein food, as it is responsible for the formation of the organs of the cubs and the production of milk.
  2. Carbohydrates - up to 30-35% of the daily feed. Normalize the work of the digestive system, promote the removal of toxins from the body.
  3. Fats - 4-5%. They contribute to proper development, improve the condition of the fur, and are an important source of energy for rodents.

The body of a chinchilla also needs:

  • magnesium - stimulating the body's defense reactions;
  • potassium - normalizes the water-salt balance;
  • folic acid - improves bowel function;
  • iron - contributes to the proper transport of oxygen to the tissues.

An exotic pet's diet should contain wholesome and high-quality foods.

How to feed chinchillas:

  • fresh hay;
  • branches of trees - pear, apple, sea buckthorn, birch, willow, etc.;
  • dried herbs - parsley, spinach, burdock, plantain, clover, lettuce, dandelion grass, etc.;
  • tree leaves;
  • grain mixtures - wheat, corn, buckwheat, oatmeal, barley;
  • Legumes - peas, beans, beans;
  • pieces of dried vegetables - carrots, courgettes, tomatoes, sweet peppers;
  • dried fruits - apples, pears, grapes, bananas, apricots, figs;
  • dried berries - blueberries, wild strawberries, strawberries, rose hips;
  • nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts.

The diet of pregnant and lactating chinchillas must include products of dairy origin: milk, kefir, natural yogurt, cottage cheese, curdled milk.

What not to give to chinchillas

Chinchillas should not be fed food from their table, as well as various foods not intended for these animals. There is also a list of products prohibited for feeding exotic rodents.

What not to give to chinchillas:

  • from cereals - rye;
  • succulent herbs, vegetables and fruits, because chinchillas can have indigestion;
  • leaves of lily of the valley, ranunculus, milkweed, field mustard, dope, marigold, fern, poisonous ranunculus, larkspur and hemlock - these herbs are poisonous;
  • branches - coniferous trees, chestnut, maple, cypress, locust, elder, plum, apricot, cherry;
  • from fruits - citrus fruits, persimmons;
  • from vegetables - potatoes and fresh cabbage;
  • pine nuts and almonds;
  • apricot pits;
  • by-products;
  • meat, bones;
  • any sweets (including dried fruits), honey;
  • hard cheese;
  • sausages and smoked meats;
  • products of non-natural origin.

Food types

Chinchillas can be fed a variety of foods. Some of them are mandatory and form the bulk of the daily diet.

Roughage

Roughage includes hay and tree branches. In these animals, the digestive system is designed in such a way that in the absence of hay, they can suddenly die. You can buy the finished product in the store. It is better to give preference to hay, which consists of herbs (timothy, dandelion, clover, vetch, etc.). Hay is also necessary for grinding back teeth - pre-painters.

Some owners make their own hay, but in this case, you need to be extremely careful. Pathogenic microorganisms, dangerous fungi and mold can multiply in a harvested hay. Such a product is unacceptable to give a domestic rodent. This can cause severe poisoning, even death.

For the destruction of pathogens that may be present in hay, it is necessary to use special products from veterinary pharmacies. After processing with this composition, all hazardous elements are neutralized.

In addition to hay, the diet of domestic chinchillas should always include branches of shrubs and trees. With their help, the pet regularly grinds teeth (incisors).

Herbs and plants

Herbs and plants are useful herbal supplements that need to be given to your pet in limited quantities. The daily norm is up to 5-10 g. The composition of high-quality feed contains all the necessary vitamins and mineral complexes necessary for the healthy growth and development of the pet.

Ready mixes contain different components: cereals, cereals, seeds, bran, etc.

Cereals

Cereal mixes are an important part of the daily diet of domestic chinchillas. This product contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and other useful trace elements.

It is not advisable to feed a pet with one type of grain. Priority feeding with a mixture of different grains.

Vegetables and fruits

Juicy foods include fresh vegetables and fruits. These products are a real storehouse of useful vitamins and minerals. They are served to the pet as a treat in small pieces. Fruits and vegetables can be given to chinchillas only in dried form.

After feeding with a new product, the owner needs to check the condition of the rodent. If symptoms of intestinal upset are observed, this product is best excluded from the diet.

Chinchilla should not be fed spoiled, rotten, stale or unripe fruits and vegetables! Such feeding will lead to illness and death of the pet.

Vitamins and treats

Animals should get most of their vitamins from daily food. During the period of cold weather, additional vitamin supplements should be introduced into the diet. You can buy them in the store.

You can diversify the rodent's menu with various delicacies - berries, nuts, fresh and dried fruits. It is better to alternate such products and be sure to dose. Each complementary food is issued in a strictly limited portion. Overeating treats can cause serious harm to health.

Features of nutrition of chinchillas in different periods of life

When preparing a diet for a domestic chinchilla, it is necessary to take into account the physiological characteristics of the body characteristic of different periods of a rodent's life.

Pregnancy

A pregnant chinchilla requires special care and proper nutrition. The diet should be varied and balanced. The female's appetite improves during this period, so the daily feed intake should be increased. There should always be a supply of fresh and healthy food in the feeder.

Additionally, vitamin supplements intended for pregnant rodents can be included in the main menu. Barley and germinated oats are very useful for expectant mothers. They contain a large amount of vitamin E, which is necessary for the proper development of the fetus. With its lack, pregnancy can be interrupted.

2-3 weeks before giving birth, chinchillas should be fed with pieces of dried apples. After the birth of rodents, herbs of calendula, alfalfa and strawberries are introduced into the diet of a nursing mother. These herbs improve lactation.

Growth period

For small rodents, the basis of the diet is nutritious concentrated food, low in fat and sugar. You can feed a growing pet with ready-made granular feed from leading manufacturers. They contain a balanced amount of useful substances - vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other components, selected taking into account the physiological characteristics of a young organism.

Disease

For various reasons, a chinchilla can develop various diseases that worsen the general condition of the pet and its appetite. Proper nutrition for a sick rodent is prescribed by a veterinarian, taking into account the disease itself and the characteristics of the organism.

During illness, the chinchilla must be constantly fed with clean drinking water. If the rodent refuses to eat on its own, the owner can feed it with pasty food using a pipette. Additionally, vitamin and mineral complexes can be introduced into the diet. Detailed nutritional prescriptions for a sick rodent are issued by the attending veterinarian.

In our store you can buy balanced and healthy food for domestic chinchillas. The range includes high quality products from the world's best manufacturers. Also in the presence of cages, feeders, drinkers and other items for a comfortable and healthy life of an exotic pet.

How to feed a baby chinchilla? - Sprouts of Life

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Parent category: Rodents
Category: Chinchillas
Posted on 15.08.2015 15:10
Views: 8918

It's always nice when your pet has offspring. But what if, after giving birth, you have to take on the functions of a foster mother?

The reason for this may be the death of the mother during childbirth, her refusal of her own child, lack of milk or multiple pregnancy, in which the chinchilla mother is physically unable to feed her numerous offspring.

In this article we will tell you how to care for a newborn chinchilla.

The first step is to firmly realize that now you are responsible for the future of one or more babies. The main thing in caring for a newborn chinchilla is nutrition.

What and how should a chinchilla be fed?

On specialized chinchilla farms, babies are fed 10% cream. However, most breeders oppose this method. They feed them with Kitty Milk, which is closest in composition to chinchilla milk and is available at any pet store. The mixture is diluted with boiled water. In terms of density, it should be a little thicker than indicated in the instructions. When the babies are 10 days old, ground oatmeal can be added to the mixture. If you can't get the formula above, try any lactose-free formula for newborn babies.

Newborn chinchillas under the age of two weeks are usually fed every two hours. After a couple of weeks, the interval between feedings can be increased to 4 hours, and from a month old babies are fed every 6 hours.

Very tiny babies in the first week of their life are fed with an insulin syringe, squeezing 4-5 drops of the mixture alternately onto the edge of the pet's mouth. As the animal grows and, accordingly, its appetite, the portion, as well as the volume of the syringe, should be increased.

In addition to feeding, care should be taken to ensure that the baby can have the opportunity to defecate. When breastfed, mother chinchilla licks her babies, helping the digestive process. After each meal, you will have to massage his tummy with a chinchilla, and also wipe it with a cotton pad moistened with warm water around the genitals, slightly touching them.

To know how correct your actions are, it is necessary to weigh newborns every day. However, it must be remembered that artificially fed chinchillas, as a rule, gain weight worse than their peers fed by a chinchilla mother. In the initial week, the weight will stand in one place, and only by the beginning of the second week will a stable increase begin.

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