Chinchilla Population Doubles!
Well ... almost doubles.
Yesterday I had seven chinchillas; today I have 12! Ye gods!
Millie, my beige female, gave birth to quintuplets this morning. I had noticed she was looking huge, but thought she might have triplets again. Never expected five of the little blighters. Poor girl.
Average litter size is two, though chinchillas do have six nipples.
She and the babies seem to be doing okay though.
Lister (the male) is shut up in a little cage (but still inside the big cage) so that he doesn't chase Millie around or trample the babies while trying to mate with her. Female chinchillas go back in heat straight after giving birth.
Lister will have three days in the small cage before I let him out and then he can help look after the young'uns.
Thankfully Millie had the babies in the cardboard box that was in the cage - 'cos there was a lot of blood. With five kits, I guess there would be. So I was able to just replace the box and there's only a little bit of blood on the floor of the cage to clean up.
Looks like there are three gray, one beige and one dark-beige baby. Not sure of sexes yet, it was hard to keep track of them all when I looked at them!
One gray one seems to have an limp front paw that was dragging a bit when it moved. So I'm not sure what that will mean for its future, I will have to keep an eye on it. I didn't want to try and examine it too carefully today - what with the babies only just being born and all!
All the babies were scuttling round the cage tonight, exploring, which is a good sign.
Yesterday I had seven chinchillas; today I have 12! Ye gods!
Millie, my beige female, gave birth to quintuplets this morning. I had noticed she was looking huge, but thought she might have triplets again. Never expected five of the little blighters. Poor girl.
Average litter size is two, though chinchillas do have six nipples.
She and the babies seem to be doing okay though.
Lister (the male) is shut up in a little cage (but still inside the big cage) so that he doesn't chase Millie around or trample the babies while trying to mate with her. Female chinchillas go back in heat straight after giving birth.
Lister will have three days in the small cage before I let him out and then he can help look after the young'uns.
Thankfully Millie had the babies in the cardboard box that was in the cage - 'cos there was a lot of blood. With five kits, I guess there would be. So I was able to just replace the box and there's only a little bit of blood on the floor of the cage to clean up.
Looks like there are three gray, one beige and one dark-beige baby. Not sure of sexes yet, it was hard to keep track of them all when I looked at them!
One gray one seems to have an limp front paw that was dragging a bit when it moved. So I'm not sure what that will mean for its future, I will have to keep an eye on it. I didn't want to try and examine it too carefully today - what with the babies only just being born and all!
All the babies were scuttling round the cage tonight, exploring, which is a good sign.