General
Why are you not concentrating on breeding just one type of animal?
I guess this is just because I love the animals in general and I find them fascinating. I'd love to get involved with other exotic animals, but I honestly just do not have enough time to devote to anything other than what I already deal with and couldn't risk neglecting the animals that I already have. I started out with chinchillas and went to sugar gliders. I spent years researching before I got into breeding chinchillas, but started out on the wrong foot because I didn't pay attention to quality. After I went to my first chin show, I sold my herd and purchased quality breeders to strive for quality pets that would do well on the show table. Later on, sugar gliders caught my attention. Then I found a breeding pair of classic greys gliders and decided that I would give it a try. I have really enjoyed raising gliders, as it's an entire different experience than raising chins. It takes time and patience. Breeding is something you just don't jump into because you think you'll produce cute babies. It doesn't work that way, and you won't make any money doing it either unless you become a large rancher. I do not consider myself to be an expert, but I do consider myself to be educated and able to handle the rigors of breeding such delicate animals and give my best in every possible way I can to improve a species.
There are many animals in rescues and shelters. Why do you continue to breed?
I don't breed just to breed. I breed to better the animal as a whole. I definitely don't roll in the money either. I'd be lucky if I broke even. When I first started breeding chins, I didn't realize how difficult it was to get a nice quality chinchilla. You can't just put a male and female together, let them breed and expect grand show champions out of them every time. It's not going to happen. You need to research the chinchillas, know their background, know some bit of genetics, know how to compliment them and know your mutations and how to work on bettering the mutations. Going to shows and checking out ranchers and larger breeder's herds helps you in the long run. Research is the key. I want to be able to breed chinchillas that will do well on the show table, make great breeders and can still make a pet owner very happy. The same goes for sugar gliders. I'm just beginning starting my adventure with them, and we'll see how it goes. It's not like I'm heading to the pet store, picking out animals and slapping them in a cage and telling them to breed. I purchase my animals from breeders that know what they're doing and strive for excellence, not to make money. I have nothing against shelters and rescues who adopt out animals, as this is much needed in every pet community. A lot of my birds and ferrets were adopted, but I'd never breed them. Responsible breeders are needed to keep quality in a species. If we allow irresponsible, uneducated breeders continue to breed, then the species will weaken and we'll end up with a huge mess of pets that won't live as long, won't look as good, and won't be as superior.
So, what do you do if your offspring ends up in shelters or rescues?
Anyone who purchases an animal from me, always has the option of returning the animal to me. I will always take back any of my offspring if an emergency occurs, or if the animal is in need of a new home. As I said before, I REFUSE to let them go to shelters and rescues. I personally can not adopt all the animals in the world that are in shelters and rescues, but I will not add on to the list with the animals that I produce, they will hopefully come back to me, where I will either keep them as a pet or find them new loving homes.
I thought that sugar glider breeders had to be USDA certified, why aren't you?
No, I'm not USDA certified at the moment - but I'm working on it. I just set up a vet visit for January and will hopefully be certified by February. I just acquired more females that put me over the 3 female limit, but they won't be in breeding until February either, so I'm still not required to be certified until I have 4 females in breeding. But don't worry, this doesn't affect the quality of my gliders. I'm not required to be certified for my chinchillas either, as I don't sell to pet stores or wholesalers.
Chinchillas
I'm looking for a chinchilla for my young daughter, are chinchillas great pets for kids?
Well, I'd have to say this really depends. I tend to shy away from selling to young children. Taking care of chinchillas takes lots of research, time, and money. Children don't really pay attention to the needs of chinchillas, and usually make mistakes that put them at risk for injuries or even death. The adults should be the main caregiver for chinchillas. Children may forget about leaving their chin running around the room, and all it takes is for one bite into a cord, and the chin could be electrocuted. That's not something you want to have to deal with. Chinchillas are not cuddly animals. They can bite and spray you. Do you want your child being sprayed in the face by a chin who wants to be left alone? Probably not. Will your child have enough time to spend with the chinchilla? Do you plan on keeping the chinchilla up to 20 years? Or is this just a spur of the moment purchase? Most children can't even figure out how to hold a chinchilla properly, and can easily risk dropping the chin and breaking bones. Do you want to have you chinchilla's leg amputated? Probably not. I suggest joining forums and asking questions before you purchase a chinchilla. You need to be the dedicated individual and know that you will be the one cleaning the cage, you will be the one paying the vet bills, you will be the one dealing with the problems you may run into for not researching and allowing your child to be around a high-maintenance animal. They're not like cats and dogs. Their health and safety should not be taken lightly.
I have a female chinchilla that I bought at the pet store down the road. Do you have a male that I can put with her?
Oh boy. Believe it or not, I get this a lot. Male + Female = Babies. Simple math, simple fact of nature. Don't tell me that you're not going to breed them, or that you'll sell the babies to your friends or neighbors. Before you get into breeding, you REALLY need to research. Some of the breeders research for years before they get into breeding, and then afterwards, they're still researching. I research every single day when it comes to my chins. With breeding comes tons of consequences. You can't expect to have healthy perfect babies at all times. You also put the adults at risk when you breed them. Breeding chinchillas should be for breeding to improve the quality of chinchillas, not just to breed and make money. I do not make money off of my chins. The majority of the time, I go in the hole. The money made off of the offspring goes back into the herd for their care. Now, lets talk about the ins and outs and breeding chinchillas. First off, when you pair up a male and female, you take the risk of them killing each other. This is the same with pairing up same-sex pairs. It can be dangerous and some chins will not get along. When a female goes into heat, there is the possibility of fighting. There's the possibility of fur flying. Approximately 111 days later, you end up with a female giving birth. There are many complications that you can run into. What if the babies can't pass? Females practically pull their babies out with their mouth and you risk losing ears, tails, limbs, you name it. Some babies are just too large and you end up having to take the chin to the vet, and still then, both the babies and the adult can die of complications. What if the mother rejects her kits? Are you going to feed them every few hours? Are you going to be their mother? What if there are too many kits and the mother doesn't have enough of a milk supply? Its possible that the kits will turn on each other and fight for milk. I've had it happen. I've had kits die from it also. How about stillborns? Can you deal with the pain of seeing a dead kit lying there wet and theres nothing you can do? What about underweight babies? Chinchillas have two estrus horns and can become pregnant while they're pregnant and end up with underdeveloped kits. It's something you deal with. Weigh the negative and positives of breeding and let me know what your plan is. Breeding isn't for everyone, and it takes a lot of time and strength to do it. Think about it.
What type of food does your chins eat?
I try to feed the highest quality feed that I can find for my breeders so that you will receive healthy babies. I've spent a lot of time changing food and trying to find out what works best for my herd. I still change up things here and there, but never sacrificing quality.
Chinchillas are free-fed Purina Advanced Nutrition Rabbit Show feed and loose western timothy hay with occasional alfalfa blocks. Every once in a while I will give them a whole rosehip or a bit of rolled oats as treats. I used to feed Tradition, but I'm having trouble finding Tradition in my area, so I have now decided to change the feed to Purina Advanced Nutrition Rabbit Show Formula (PANR). Other breeders have had great success with this feed, and beginning in early March I began the switchover and so far have seen a great improvement in my herd. There are other healthy pellet-only options that you can choose from such as Mazuri, Oxbow, Kline, and Manna Show Pro. Some may be easier to find online, but shipping can be very expensive.
Stay away from fresh fruits and vegetables! I've had a lot of people ask if they can feed their chins fresh greens. Research has shown that chinchillas should not have these because it upsets their GI tract. It's much easier just to feed a healthy pellet diet and fresh hay. And I'm sure you've read that chins love raisins - well, yes they do - but they're not healthy for them and should not be given as treats. Rosehips are much healthier.
What type of cage could I use for my chinchillas?
You have a few different options. I would try to stay away from wire bottoms unless you're using a pull out pan. If you have a wire bottom, then you need some sort of wood, marble or granite for your chin to rest it's feet on. Wire bottoms can cause bumble foot. Wire ramps should be taken out, as this just asks for problems and chins can get their feet caught in the ramp and can possibly have to have their toes or foot amputated. I personally like Ferret Nation cages. There are so many ways that you can design them, and I for one sale sets that you can decorate your cage with. The plastic shelf and wire ramps need to come out. I suggest also taking out the plastic pan that it comes with and purchasing a stainless steel pan from Bass Equipment, so that the poos will stay in much better. You can also consider building your own cage. You need to use safe woods and safe wire and make sure that you have enough ventilation for the chin to breathe. Melamine, KD Pine and Aspen are all great to use when building cages. Hardware clothe can be used on the front of cages to allow proper ventilation. I would stay away from cages with plastic bottoms, as chins can easily chew through them and escape. Some people use plastic shelves, and this will be ok as long as your chins do not eat the shelves.
Sugar Gliders
What type of food do you feed your gliders?
Sugar gliders are fed a varied diet. You have to watch the calcium-phosphorus ratios with these guys. I purchase Glider Complete from Exotic Nutrition which includes papaya, pears, raisins, pineapple, apples, peaches, blueberries, apricots, honey and bee pollen. The mixture is given as a daily staple. I also feed what is called the Pet Glider Diet.
The recipe is as follows:
25 oz unsweetened applesauce
4 oz Dannon non-fat plain yogurt
3 oz concentrated calcium fortified orange juice, no water added
3/4 c Old Fashioned Oats (NO QUICK COOKING OATS)
1 T fresh wheat germ refrigerated
In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix the applesauce, oats, yogurt, wheat germ and orange juice. Divide into two equal portions. To portion one, add: 3 small or medium eggs, scrambled. To portion two, add: 3/4 lb unseasoned, unsalted, broiled shredded chicken.
Add 3/4 cup various chopped or precut fruits and vegetables to each portion. Freeze flat in quart size freezer bags (1/2" or less thick). If you choose to use pre-cut frozen produce, do not use vegetables which have a high ratio of corn. Break off small pieces and put in bowls each night. Clean bowls first thing in the morning.
http://www.thepetglider.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27
I add mealworms, crickets and Glider Booster to the feed each night. I also give Gliderade or 50% diluted apple juice in water bottles every so often. Pay attention to your calcium/phosphorus ratios!
