Raising Kits

Newborn Chinchillas

Baby chinchillas precocious. They are fully furred, eyes open and running around at the time of birth. They can climb, scramble, squeak and move quickly. This is why having a “baby proof” cage is so important. The wire needs to not be bigger than 1/2″ by 1″ and oftentimes accessories in the cage are removed (eg. shelves, hammocks, etc). As much fun as it is to touch and handle them, other than checking to make sure they are healthy and well, and checking gender, its best to leave them alone with their mother for a few days. We want to keep that mother-baby bond healthy and intact!

The kits will be with their mothers for anywhere from 7-9 weeks, with 8 weeks and 200 grams minimum being the normal weaning time. This means that Mom has a full time job raising the kits and taking care of them. You will often see week-old babies already munching on hay and pellets. This does not mean they are able to gain enough sustenance to survive on hay and pellets alone. It will take kits the full 7-8 weeks to be ingesting enough food on their own to not need their mother’s milk, and to establish independence.

Milk production

It often takes a few days for the mother’s milk to come in, and kits may lose 2-4 grams in the first few days of birth. Keep a close eye on the kits to make sure intervention is not necessary. Some people suggest mixing water with apple juice or cranberry juice 1/2 and 1/2 with water to help promote lactation for the first few days after birth. ONLY do this if needed! And please make sure you are doing the “no sugar added” kinds of juice if going this way.

Large Litter?

A normal litter is 1-3 kits, but many times 3 or more kits being born requires your assistance in making sure the kits are getting enough to eat. Rotation is a popular method, where a kit will be left alone with its mother for 3-6 hours at a time, (some people say 2 hours, others say 6 hours) with the other kits separated from the kit and family. When you have 3 or four kits, the litters are often divided, with two kits with the mother for a few hours, then rotating in the other kits. Keeping a water bottle and food for the kits rotated away from the mother allows the kits to still get a little nourishment if needed. In rare circumstances, hand feeding a kit is necessary. If needed, please contact a breeder for further instruction in proper hand feeding and formulas. Everyone has a different take on how to do this, but having an eyedropper, a ramekin (or something smaller) and knowing where the closest pet store is, is a good idea.

Weaning Kits

As stated previously, kits are often weaned at 8 weeks, or 200 grams, whichever comes last. Kits will often wean from their mother’s milk at 6-7 weeks, but it it often too stressful for them to be separated from their mothers. This is why we leave the kits in for an extra week. After weaning, watch the kits carefully to make sure they are doing ok, eating food well, and adjusting the best they can. This is also when you need to separate the brothers and sisters because although it is very unlikely, a brother could try to “get some action” with his sister. Although extremely unlikely (much more feasible at 4 months) but why stress out a male who is going through sexual maturity by leaving his sister with him?