Breeding Cages..

[Megan.]

OK, this is a topic i've been wondering about..

Some people say cages with mothers and babies should be no bigger than 12" tall, others 24" tall..

I personally have cages we built. They are 30 x 18 x 36, are solid on three sides, with 1/2" wire spacing on the front. 3 wooden shelves. Mom and babies stay in this cage. I've yet to have a problem with kits and these cages. When they are a few days old, they start to go on top of the house.. When they are a week or two old, they are on the first shelf... by 3-4 weeks, they are all over the cage.

The only time mom is moved to a smaller cage, that is 15" tall is if it's a larger litter, and i feel she's not staying with the kits as much as I'd like. I've come to know all my females who've littered so far, and how they are with kits. I know who can handle being in a large cge with just one kit, or with 3 kits.. I know who can't be in a large cage with 1 kit, or with 3 kits as she tends to leave the kits a lone too long.

For instance - Naomi is perhaps my best mom here. She won't leave her babies side the first few days, and when she starts leaving them to go rest- one peep and she's down with them.. Mackenzie on the other hand, tends to leave her kits alone for longer periods of time, and they'll cry- but she'll stare at them, and come down to see them when SHE feels like it.. She is put in a slightly smaller cage, so she's with the kits and they have more time to nurse.
So, as with anything.. there is different opinons.. 12", 24"....how did you come up with these measurements? Make them up? Read them somewhere?

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Usually tall wire cages are not recommended for kits because kits often climb the sides of the cage and can fall. I have seen newborn kits climb the sides of wire cages. When they get to the top usually they just fall because they don't know how to go down the side of the cage. Up seems to be easier for kits than down. Since you are using solid cages you probably do not experience this.

[J'CHINS]

I have melamine cages that are 24x24x24. Some are slightly larger. There are shelves and ledges spread out. I have never had an issue with a kit getting hurt nor have i had a mom , not care for her kits in these cages. The only time I have moved mom to a small cage was this last litter. First time mom had trouble.
She had to go to the vet and the kit had to be turned. We lost that kit but the one born after was fine. With all the trama of the day i left her and her baby in a small cage for 2 days so she would rest and I could keep a better eye on them. After that , they went in the big cage with no issues!

[Shuboyje]

I like to do things the simple way, and am not out to reinvent the wheel, so I simply use the same cages that have been used on ranches around the country for decades and have 0 complaints. 15" wide, 12" high, and about 22" deep.

[JT_CHINS]

hi
we used to use wire cages that were 24" tall and the babies could climb clear to the top and then would let go to get down. always worried me when they did this. never had one hurt doing this though.

troy