When Is A Good Age To Buy A Chinchilla

Is a 6 moth chinchilla a good age to buy it ?

You don't need to get them while they are still very young. They say to get them that young so they get used to human interaction, but if you get them from a breeder or reliable shelter who handles them regularly, they will be used to humans too (pet stores aren't so good...).

Chinchillas are very intelligent creatures & need daily interaction. They each have their own personality's too. I got my last two girls from a breeder, & my Biscuit took a whole year to get used to me, while her daughter, Pepper, took to me right away. The important thing is you have to be patient, loving, & persistent in order to gain their trust & have them realize that you are their friend.

For more information: http://www.chincare.com/SiteMap.htm
(Especially look under "Chinchilla Behavior", "Exercise & Play", "Adoption Source", "Taming & Training")

How can you tell your age of your Chinchilla?

Babies are easy to tell, obviously, because they are about the size of dwarf hamsters when they are newly born.
However, they grow fairly quickly, so it is hard to put an exact date on their age. My chins are 4 months old right now, and about the size of my hands clasped together. They still aren't full-grown, but they are getting there.

Mine seemed to have grown about .5x their size each month. So if they were born at 4 inches big, by month two, they would measure 6 inches. Hypothetically.

At what age can a chinchilla reproduce?

chinchilas reach sexual maturity between 6 mo. - 1 yr. but can mature earlier so they can get pregnant at this age, whether you want them to or not, so if you don't want to breed (and if you don't know the parentage of your chins, you should not breed), separate the males and females before this age. if you do breed (or already have), remove the male for 3-5 days as soon as the babies are born because the female goes into estrus immediately after giving birth and can be impregnated again. chins usually make very good dads and can stay with mom and babies until about 3 months or when babies are done nursing, when they should then be separated into males and females again to prevent inbreeding.

What is the age of most pet store chinchillas?

Chinchilla personalities are determined during their first month of age. They need to be handled and petted frequently after they are born or they will grow up aloof and aggressive. An ideal age to purchase them is 10 weeks of age. Check both the parents and the youngster for problems before you become attached to a Chinchilla. Be cautious of watery or pasty eyes, drooling (tooth alignment problems), wool pulling or missing areas of fur. I prefer to buy directly from a breeder I trust or one who willingly supplies me with satisfied contacts who have purchased her animals. Most of the problem animals I see were purchased through pet stores. Common problems I see in pet store purchased chinchillas are wool pulling due to boredom and stress and malocclusion due to improper diet and genetics. Aggression is a problem in animals not socialized to people at a young enough age.

What age is a Chinchilla full grown?

Chinchillas can surprise you with growing. I've had chins that had huge growth spurts at close to 2 years of age. I thought they were done, but they definitely weren't. I think you'll find it rare to have a chin stop growing at 6 months of age. Most continue well past that, and most hobbyists don't recommend putting a chin into breeding until after they are a year old because they aren't finished growing yet.

There is no average weight for a chinchilla. A chin will be the weight and size it is meant to be. I have chins here from 400 gm up to 1200 gm. I have a male running around at 1100 gm. You can't really predict what he will be until he's done growing and reaches his full potential.

If you have more chin related questions, and would like answers from folks with years of breeding and pet experience, please feel free to join http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com.

At what age can baby chinchillas be adopted?

Most hobby breeders wean their chins at 6-8 weeks, depending on their size. Some prefer the "200 gm" rule and others prefer them to be bigger before they leave mom.

I personally wean at 8 weeks, usually at 300 gm weight, then keep them for another 2 weeks to be sure that they are eating their food and drinking well, making sure that they continue to gain weight and thrive, and to be sure that they adjust from leaving mom. I would never just yank a kit from under mom and shove it out the door. That adjustment period of leaving mom can be very hard on a kit and they need some time to get themselves accustomed to being away from her.

If you decide to keep them longer, just be sure that you remove your male kits from mom so he doesn't attempt to breed her, and if dad is still with mom, you need to move male and female kits away by 8 weeks. It's rare, but not unheard of, for 2 month old chins to become pregnant. The males are definitely able to do the deed, and some little females are receptive to it.

If you have more questions regarding chins, please see http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com You need to be 14 to join, but you can read all of the threads whether you join or not.

Congrats on the little ones. :)