My Chinchillas
Like every pet owner, I think my pets are the most adorable little creatures on God's green Earth. I don't expect you to agree. But I do hope you'll enjoy these pictures I've taken of them.
The New Babies
These are the kits from Stormy and Dolan's first litter. They were born January 18th, 2005. All are standard grey, like their parents. There is one boy, who we've named Caleb. He weighed 52g at birth. The two girls are named Lianna and Aviarella (Avi for short). Lianna is the biggest, weighing 54g at birth. Avi was the runt at 46g.
Dolan
Dolan is a standard gray male chinchilla out of champion show stock, from Ralph Shoots in Ohio. He's paired with Stormy. Ralph chose him because he has good thick fur and veiling, so he will pair well with Stormy. I hope they produce beautiful babies! I plan to keep at least the first litter they have and show them. After that, I may have babies for sale.
Dolan has settled in pretty well. He and Stormy are expecting their first litter any day now!
Stormy
I adopted Stormy from a couple in Raleigh in September 2003. They broke up and couldn't keep the chin anymore. I was told Stormy was a boy. But on checking for hair rings (a problem of male chinchillas), I noticed that Stormy looks like a girl. So I asked the vet for a third opinion. The vet also said Stormy is a female. So I have three female chinnies! Stormy is a real sweetie, loves to be scratched behind the ears and under the chin, and is not at all shy of people. But she doesn't get along with Noel and Snowy next door! (sigh) Stormy is also a standard gray chinchilla.
I took Stormy to the Shindig, a mock show and seminar sponsored by the Mutation Chinchilla Breeders' Association. The feedback I got from the judge, Jim Ritterspach, was encouraging. He said her size and conformation were excellent (and he used her as a comparison for other people's chins), and her color was good. Her faults are a lack of veiling (meaning that her fur becomes lighter across her neck and shoulders) and her fur is a little too soft. Dolan, her mate, was chosen to compliment her strengths and weaknesses.
Stormy is VERY pregnant now. I don't know exactly when she's due, but I expect babies within a week or two. I plan to keep her first litter and show them. After that, I'll have a better basis for comparison when I sell future litters.
Noel
Noel has a pretty bold personality and isn't as easily startled as her sister, Snowy. She and Snowy are from the same litter. I bought them from a family who had kept them as pets, but needed to reduce the number of pets they had. Neither Noel nor Snowy is used to being handled much, but they are getting tamer as they get used to me. They both come to the cage door to beg for treats whenever someone enters the chin room. Noel is a standard gray chinchilla.
Since Noel and Snowy are originally from a pet store and I have no information about their genetic background, I do not intend to breed them. They will be my pets and nothing more.
Snowy
Snowy is the shyest of my chinnies. She has calmed down quite a bit since I first got her, and now will approach the cage door whenever I come in the room. She will even let me scratch her chin a bit when she takes a treat from my hand. Chinnies will do anything for a raisin. Snowy is a hetero beige chinchilla.
