MATING
Chinchillas also reach sexual maturity much later than many rodents. although puberty may start as early as five and a half months of age, many chinchillas do not reach sexual maturity until one year of age.
If you do not want your chinchillas to breed, separate the males from the females at the time of weaning.
THE FIRST METTING: It is important to watch how they react to one another, and this will usually start off with a period of curiosity and then perhaps a bit of playfulness. If this turns into more of an aggressive fight, you will need to separate them into the cages side buy side once again, and allow them a little more time to get used to each other.
MATING: At about 7-8 months of age, a female will become sexually active and has a 30-40 day cycle. The female chinchilla will not mate until she is realy to do so and until she feels comfortable with the situation and the area around her. By observing very closely, you will be able to determine when this is most likely to happen -- usually when the male is more affectionate and responsive and the female is interested. The male chinchilla may even wag his tail and make a few noises.
there are several kinds of breeding methods:
Pair Mating
In this method, a single male and female are housed together and allowed to breed.
Colony Caging
Several females are placed together in a very large cage with a single male. Animals must be closely observed for compatibility. If fighting takes place, they must be separated immediately.
