Parturition

PREGNANCY: The full gestation period or length of pregnancy is 111 days, and it is usually exact to within a couple of days.

Most births usually occur in the morning with the labour period lasting only a short while followed by the birth, which, if it is muleiple, could last for a few hours. Ensure that the room in which the cage is placed is warm enough, unless you are providing some sort of heated next box.

**DO** leave the male and female together during the full term of the pregnancy because the male will act as a caring father after the birth and will dry the babies and keep them warm. It is probably best to remove hime from the cae for the first few days following the birth, however, as the female will come on heat again.

**DO** increase the food supply during the pregnancy in order to provide nutrients and to maintain the pregnant chinchilla's strength if she appears to want extra food, but do not worry if she does not as it is quite common for females to lose their appetite and refuse their food for a while, and they may even lose some weight.

**DO** increase the amount of water available just a few days before giving birth.

~DON'T~ ever take the female away from her natural environment or place her in another cage because this what she has grown accustomed to. This is very dangerous and can have disastrous consequences - it has been known for females who have been moved from one cage to another to abort and then eat the dead babies.

~DON'T~ ever hold the female chinchilla while she is pregnant - this could stress her and affect the development of the foetus/es. For this reason you must leave her in peace. If it becomes absolutely necessary to hold her you must ensure that you support the rear end and never lift her by the tail, which could result in her aborting.

~DON'T~ attempt to assist the female during the birth - this is a natural process for her. Even if there are signs of a few complications there is no need to panic.

~DON'T~ allow your female chinchilla to have a dust bath on the due date of the birth - by knowing the gestation period it is possible to work out an almost exact date. Any bacteria present in the sand could cause an inflammation of the womb or vagina.