Thousands of chinchillas are killed just so people can have fur coats. Unlike other fur coats, that only require a few pelts, a waist length coat requires about 100 chinchillas!! If you have a chinchilla or know someone who does, please write us & we will either take it or we will find someone who will give it a loving home!! The following link will show you all that you need to. http://www.offensive-gegen-die-pelzindustrie.org/bilder/chinchillas%20CAFT-UK.jpg
Some chinchilla ranches practice humane practices to euthanize their chinchillas but that is not for us here at Georgia Chinchillas. I personally will never wear a chin coat just because I know what wonderful pets they make. So although I do not agree with pelting I do not protest it as long as it is done humanely.
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Q&A
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******************Q - Is it true you have a hard time getting a hold of them because their fur is so silky?
A - Actually... their coats excrete lanolin oil, to help keep the oils at bay & keep their skin healthy you have to give them dust baths. In the wild they roll in volcanic ash. If you grab them & scare them though, they will drop hair, which doesn't hurt them & will grow back.**********
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Rescues: We will accept rescues if we have room or if it is an extreme emergency situation. Chin must come with it's own cage. People who surrender chins are responsible for drop off here in Augusta unless otherwise stated or agreed upon. We always welcome donations of cages, bedding, glass water bottles, feeders, hay bins, chin igloos & other generic items. Monetary donations can be made as well. It costs us $34.00 to order food that will last us about 2 months. If you surrender a chin & want to help monetary donations for food is a great way.
About me: Our male, Fonzie, & his partner, Maggie, had 2 kits in May 2007. Maggie & the 2 kits sadly passed away. We learned from the experience & have decided to keep breeding chins despite the loss. We are one of the only chinchilla breeders in Georgia & the only ones, besides expensive pet stores, in the CSRA. We believe that our chins are pets first and then breeders. We only breed monogamous pairs or 2 females to one male in one cage currently until we can create a huge cage with dividers and tubes that will be more spacious than breeding runs. The kits are exposed to vacuums (used to clean cages), dogs & cats, so they will be fully accustomed to the hussel & bussel of everyday life. We are looking forward to increasing the size of our herd and our production in the following months.
My AIM is cdshoop if you want to ask any questions while I'm online ;)
The start of Georgia Chinchillas!!
Who I'd like to meet: BRIEF HISTORY -
Chinchillas are a type of rodent. They are originally from the Andes Mountains in South America. They grow to be the size of a small rabbit. (about 9 inches from head to bottom) Chinchillas have beautiful thick, soft coats, and were originally bred for their fur.
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PETSTORES
We don't recommend buying a chinchilla from a petstore. The chins generally don't get the proper care they deserve. They are kept in glass aquariums with no shelves or wood to chew on. Chins in petstores are prone to ring worm & intestinal parasites. A year & a half ago I went to Petco & complained about a chinchilla who seemed to have a broken leg, his eyes were "back room". About a week later he was back out front... in the same condition. I asked one of the employees if he had been seen by a vet... NO. So I complained to the manager & made a scene. I bought him just to get him out of there. 2 days later he died of an intestinal parasite from eating feces contaminated food & living in nasty shavings. I'm just happy his last couple of days were good. They stopped selling chins for abour a year after that... they've started selling them again. PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM A PETSTORE. THE CHINS ARE ATLEAST 2 TIMES THE PRICE & NOT NEAR THE QUALITY!!
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PETS -
Chinchillas make great indoor pets because they are odorless and their fur is so dense that they can not get pests such as fleas. Chinchillas also have no dander so people who are allergic to other pets can usually tolerate chinchillas without problems. They are very social animals, so if you only have one you will become its family.
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HABITAT -
They are housed much the same as a ferret would be, in a wire cage. NEVER house a chin in an aquarium. They've got a lot of hair & can't easily be cooled & they easily overheat. Shelves are a must since they love to jump and climb. There are two basic floor choices: wire bottom and floor pan. If you choose a wire bottom then the spaces in the wire must be no larger than 1/2"x 1/2". I prefer to have the cage sit right on top of a floor pan full of pine shavings. The shavings make a nice floor for the chinchillas. They love to dig around in it and it is warmer for the babies. Kiln dried Pine shavings are best and can be found in pet stores. Cedar should NOT be used.
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FEEDING -
Chinchillas require fresh water daily which is best given in a glass bottle attached to the side of the cage. Plastic bottles will most likely be chewed on and destroyed. We use the "Flat Bac" water bottles. They are really neat because they are really THE ONLY WATER BOTTLE THAT WILL NOT LEAK!!! They also have a little duck in it so it's easy to see when the water needs to be changed. They need chinchilla pellets and hay daily. Timothy or Alfalfa can be used and are available loose or in cubes from most pet stores. Food should only be changes slowly so be sure to get a bag of food with your new chinchilla to avoid a sudden food switch.
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BATHS -
Chinchillas have a lot of lanolin oil in their fur. In the wild they take dust baths in the volcanic ash. As pets we need to give them a dust bath at least 3 times a week. You can buy chinchilla dust at most pet stores, just make sure it's DUST and not SAND and that it is also not scented. It is poured into a container and placed inside the cage for about 15 minutes. The chinchillas will dive right in rolling and bathing in the dust!
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PLAYTIME!! -
Chinchillas, like most animals, love to climb and play. Shelves and wheels can be added to the inside if the cage. Chinchilla wheels are best if they are a solid circle that attaches to the side of the cage. Chinchillas have been known to break a leg or a tail getting caught between the spoke of the wheel and the wire stand that connects to the center of the wheel. The two pieces cross when the wheel is spinning causing a "sissor" action. If you buy one of these wheels hang it upside down from the roof of the cage rather than letting it stand as it was intended. This way the sissor action happens at the top away from where the chinchilla will be entering it.
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BABIES
Chinchillas are pregnant for 111 days and usually have two kits. The largest recorded litter to date is 8 kits. The kits are born with their eyes open and fully haired. It is important that if you want to breed chinchillas you do your research & get a couple of nice chins... or you might lose the kits &/or the female. DO YOUR RESEARCH & ASK QUESTIONS TO BECOME A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER!!!
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IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE WRITE US & WE'LL POST YOUR QUESTION WITH THE ANSWER IN THE Q&A SECTION.
hi! my fiancee and i are really interested in buying a chinchilla around august or september, and we wanted to find a quality chin breeder that's somewhere close to home. where exactly are you located?
Just thought I would stop by and see how the chin world was going? All the girls here are doing great!!!! Zoie got out of her cage the other day and decided to go on a little venture...it took a while to catch her, but she was so scared that she ended up jumping in my arms willingly! I was shocked...I guess she does trust me...just doesn't like to be held lol
I just checked on Zoie again...and I think it was a case of something up her nose...she is running around, eating, playing, wanting a dust bath, and well not sneezing anymore...wish us luck that she wont start up again tomorrow lol!
The first time I saw her sleep like that I seriously thought she was dead...I had to shake the cage to make sure she wasn't....and then she looked at me like what???? I was sleeping you idiot!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh I just had to share this with you...Zoie came out of her cage last night and sat on my lap...she wouldn't let me pick her up fully, but thats huge progress! she was perfectly content just sitting in my arms on my lap in my arm where my elbow bends. :)
haha no! Everytime I get her close to me and go to pick her up...she makes that yelling noise...so it scares me that I am scaring here lol if that makes sense!
