Q & A Interview with Randy of JAGS Chinchillas

[Jade]

How did you get into the chinchilla world and what keeps you there?

My wife had 4 when I married her 14 years ago the first of which she got in 1985 and is still alive and well today. I told her she was not bringing them rats into my house and she said that if they did not come she was not coming. Well she won and now she wishes she had not. She went from the four to 30 in a corner bedroom, then I got interested and started showing 7 years ago and went to 150 in the basement and now 1500+ in the barn.


How many animals did you start out with?
4


If you could give any one piece of advice to a small, 'hobby' breeder, what would it be?

Go to shows and seminars to learn what quality is, buy the best you can afford, stay relatively small, cull heavy and you will have some of the best quality around which makes sales much easier.


What temperature do you keep your barn(s) at and why?

60-75 depending on time of year as it’s comfortable and keeps heating and AC costs at a minimum.


On average, how many kits do your females have in any one litter?
2


How often do you allow a female to litter per year? Is it dependent upon litter size or do you just allow as many matings as she will?

Twice sometimes three times when the spacing hits right, I won’t allow breed backs back to back.


Do you retire animals at any one age or is it per animal? What criteria would cause you to retire an animal from breeding?

No certain age, had one in breeding and producing until she was 18. I pull them out when they have no live babies raised for a year or for traits in the young such as chewing or teeth problems.


How do you set up your lighting? Is it on a schedule? Have you noticed if this has this affected the number of births and/or the health of your chins in any way?

Lighting is set up on timers for a 12 hours on 12 hours off cycle with Daylight bulbs and have found this to give me good production and mostly 50/50 ratio on males to females.


What qualities do you look for in an animal when selecting breeding stock?

Size, density and color are the top things I look for but if an animal is super strong in a certain trait I am looking for they don’t have to have every thing.


Can you briefly go over what is looked for in a show animal by a judge?

They need good size and conformation, good color and clarity with good veiling, strong dense, stand up fur, and a smooth appearance the day of the show.


What is your take on the need to introduce standards back into a heavy mutation lineage? (Assume you're using a good quality standard and mutation)

I use a lot of standards in my breeding of mutations, but not just any standards only top quality ones.


Do you weigh new kits? If not, how do you keep track of who's doing well and who's not? What signs do you watch for?

All kits are weighed the day they are born and watched close for activity level as to how they are doing.


What is your take on the "lethal factor breedings" such as TOV to TOV?

Why do it, what do you have to gain but animals very weak in certain characteristics that each mutation is prone to.


What are some common birthing complications and how do you recognize there is a problem?

Well, stuck babies are noticed by the moms being lethargic and not wanting to move around. Fighting amongst babies or lack of milk is noted by squawking babies.


Depending on the birthing complications, how do you handle them?

Problems are handled in house by myself, sometimes I win sometimes I lose, but it’s the same using vets.


What qualities will you look for when choosing your show lines and what do you do to prepare them?

Eye appeal, If it looks good it usually shows well; if its rough looking it shows poorly. Most times I try to evaluate them a month before the show and comb the ones with possibilities then I keep them dusted more than normal. A week before I will go through and comb the possibilities again making my choices then. Those chosen will be dusted every day until midweek before the show and then have the dust taken away until after the show.


Every country looks at chinchillas differently (such as quality of fur, build, etc.) what would be some excellent qualities to look for in a European line that would go great in the future when breeding with American lines?

Actually they all look at them the same only putting more weight on certain characteristics which also happens here with the different judges.


What is the average age and weight you begin breeding your females?

8 months to a year old with the weight over 600 unless its has a great trait, then I will sometimes ignore the 600 grams.


What kind of watering system do you use and is the water filtered/tap/well? Have you ever used any other system and discovered advantages/disadvantages to either?

I use a automatic water system with well water. I have used water bottles, but after the herd got over 150 it got to be to time consuming.


What do you use, if anything, to help with a mother's milk supply?

Some will get 50/50 apple juice and water.


What do you use to hand feed a kit if needed?

I have not had any luck hand feeding so have given up on even trying it.


What type of pellets do you feed your herd?
Tradition



How often do you give hay? Do you feed loose hay or hay cubes? (one ranch I visited gives hay once a week, another only gives hay cubes)

I feed both at times about once a month, but I also feed alfalfa pellets every other day. If I had the time they would have loose hay in front of them every day.


How soon do you notice genetic malocclusion in a chin?

Depends on the chin, some at a few weeks old others may take years.


Do you feel other factors [than genetics] play into this developing this disease? If so, what?

Yes, health, feed, accidents, and breeding heavy.


Do you use [malocclusion] "carriers" in your line?

I must as I still get them as does everyone else I know breeding, but not knowingly.


Do you believe that if a chin with malocclusion in its line is bred a chin with none in it's line, all the kits will be simply carriers?

More than likely, but how does anyone know they have one without it in its lineage. You can guess and hope but you will never know for sure.




Thank you Randy for being so willing to answer our questions and help out the less experienced breeders and/or chin enthusiasts!

[Sassy]

Thank you Randy

[Formula86]

i don't even own chins and i found this really interesting!

[Chrisanne]

thanks Randy!!!!!!!!!

[Vintage Wings]

Cool interview!!! Thanks!!

[DirtySouthChins]

Very helpful Thank you Randy!!

[CTChin]

Very informative. Thanks Randy

Now if we could only get the Woods and Ryersons to do a questionaire....

[Sassy]

Quote: Originally Posted by CTChin Very informative. Thanks Randy Now if we could only get the Woods and Ryersons to do a questionaire....

It would be great if they would, also the Ouderkirks.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Thanks Randy!

[lixx]

Thanks Randy! That was great!