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Why are chinchillas grown? Business plan for breeding chinchillas. Material base of the project

Exotic livelihoods attract few people, so competition in these areas is low and profitability can be very high. Breeding chinchillas as a business: profitable or not, reviews of entrepreneurs and detailed instructions to launch a chinchilla farm.

Who are chinchillas?

Chinchillas are large rodents with valuable fur that naturally inhabit South America in the high desert areas. They have large, round ears, black eyes, and long mustaches. The animals are nocturnal, feeding on grassy foods and insects.

As a result of mass capture, the number of chinchillas has dramatically decreased, and they are listed in the Red Book. In artificial conditions, long-tailed chinchillas are bred with a length of about half a meter (including the tail).

Life expectancy in captivity is up to 20 years. Adults weigh 600 - 800 grams, newborn cubs weigh 30 - 70 grams. Young females give birth to 1-2 cubs, with age the litter increases to 5-6 babies.

The name Chinchilla comes from the name of the Peruvian province of Chincha.

Industrial value

Chinchillas have been bred for fur, meat and offspring since the beginning of the 20th century, when the Americans, with the permission of the Chilean government, took several specimens to California and adapted to life in different climatic conditions.

Fur products are very expensive due to the unique characteristics and small size of the skins - about a hundred pieces are required to make one fur coat. The cost of chinchilla clothing is estimated at tens of thousands of dollars. In Europe, the chinchilla business is already well developed and almost all production is for sale at the Copenhagen Fur Auction.

Chinchilla meat is used as diet food with tuberculosis, sclerosis and cancer. It is eagerly bought by restaurants specializing in exotic cuisine.

A chinchilla breeding business can start with a few individuals and gradually grow in volume. The animals do not require special care, do not take up much space, do not scream or stink, so it is quite possible to create a mini-farm at home.

You can download a free business plan for breeding chinchillas at.

Step by step instructions

Breeding chinchillas as a business at home should start with writing a business plan for the implementation of the project:

Studying breeding technology.
Equipping a mini-farm with equipment.
Purchase of chinchillas.
Purchase of feed.
Registration of the company.
Sales of products.
Financial calculations.

Breeding technology

In nature, chinchillas feel fine at temperatures up to + 40 ° C, but for comfortable keeping in captivity, you need to create the following conditions for them:

humidity about 50%;
temperature from + 18 ° С to + 20 ° С;
room lighting at the rate of 60 W per 10 sq. m .;
lack of direct sun rays;
lack of drafts;
pure water for drinking;
bath with sand for bathing;
daily cleaning;
weekly change of bedding in the cage;
monthly sand change;
disinfection of the premises once every 6 months.

On an area of 1 sq. m. can live up to 3 individuals. Usually there is 1 male for 1 female, but the formation of a family of 1 male and several females is also possible. Chinchillas begin to breed from the age of 7 months, 2-3 litters are brought in a year, 1-2 cubs in each.

For example, a herd of 2 males and 10 females in 12 months can increase to 70 individuals. Sexual division is roughly equal. All the healthiest and most beautiful females stay on the farm for breeding. The best specimens are also selected from the males, but in much smaller numbers. The remaining animals are sold to pet stores. With age, females' droppings increase to 5-6 individuals, and the growth of the herd is faster.

Thus, in a couple of years, animals will multiply up to 300-350 individuals, and then you can start selling fur and meat.

Equipment

Chinchillas are kept indoors in iron mesh cages 40-45 cm high. On the front wall there is a door, feeders and drinkers. On the back, in the middle, there is a shelf for resting, the bottom is lined with pine sawdust. The cages are placed one on top of the other in several tiers and several rows in such a way that animals raised for different purposes are located separately:

For fur, meat or tribe.
Increase in livestock.

In addition to cells, you also need to purchase:

feeders;
drinkers;
bathing trays;
sawdust pallets;
heater;
air conditioning.

All equipment in contact with chinchillas should not be wooden, as these animals are rodents with very sharp front incisors. An exception is the period of hatching, when a box for cubs is placed in the cage.

Acquisition

The most important part of a business plan is acquiring the first animals. For a novice entrepreneur, it will be enough to purchase 10 females and 2 males. This will save the costs of starting the project and will allow you to deal with the nuances of breeding chinchillas without significant risk.

Healthy pedigree specimens of popular color cost 6,000 rubles. - 9,000 rubles. There are a dozen basic chinchilla colors in total:

White Wilson - very light fur all over the skin and black eyes.
White velvet - a gray muzzle and paws stand out against a white background.
White-pink - slightly darker color than White Wilson, pink eyes.
Beige - has several varieties, from dark to light, pale eyes.
Sapphire - light fur with a light blue tint. Such a color is very difficult to obtain, and the animals subsequently require increased care.
Purple - the main color is closer to gray, with a slight tint.
Standard color - natural look of chinchillas: dark ash back and light tummy.
Black velvet (corduroy) - black top with a smooth transition to a light bottom, beige nose and black eyes.
Ebony - varies from dark gray to completely black.

In addition, there are various shades obtained by combining basic ones or as a result of mutations. The most popular are chinchillas with a standard color or black velvet.

When choosing adult animals (7-8 months old), you need to pay attention to the following points:

the correct rounded shape of the head;
short rounded ears;
there is practically no neck;
flat back without visible bulges;
dense and elastic fur, thick over the entire surface of the body;
weight is about 600 grams;
healthy, beautiful producers.

It is best to buy chinchillas on farms that have been breeding animals for a long time. In a serious farm, the management will provide a veterinary certificate, advise on the maintenance and care.

Chinchillas by nature have strong immunity, they do not need to be vaccinated.

Nutrition

Chinchillas are fed once a day in the evening, as they are nocturnal. The diet is based on balanced pelleted feed. Additionally, herbs are introduced - fresh and dried, apples, carrots. To maintain immunity and replenish the lack of fresh air, it is necessary to give weekly vitamin complexes.

An adult animal eats about 50 g of feed per day. However, it is necessary to consider rather big difference by the weight of animals, depending on sex, species and age. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the dosage for specific individuals.

Particular attention should be paid to the nutrition of pregnant females and young animals. The first one and a half to two months, the cubs are fed with milk, then they are separated from the parent in a separate cage and given normal food. It is highly undesirable to change anything in the diet of females and young individuals, as they react sharply to new foods.

Mini-farm registration

At the initial stage, there is no need for official registration of the chinchilla business, since it will take about six months to grow the first brood, from which several individuals can be sold.

Before implementation, you need to select one of the registration options:

Individual entrepreneur. Suitable for a sole business owner.
Farming. Relatives can participate in the enterprise, but for this it is necessary to draw up an agreement.

To pay taxes, it is most profitable to choose a single agricultural tax at a rate of 6% of the profit.

Growing chinchillas does not require a license or other permits. You must register with the veterinary service.

Sales organization

The mini-farm begins to receive income from the very first offspring from the purchased breeding animals. Individuals not suitable for breeding or with poor quality fur are sold through pet stores or markets for keeping as pets.

The animals that meet all standards remain on the farm for breeding or are sold to other farms. The cost of breeding chinchillas is much higher than culled ones.

To sell chinchillas for fur, you need to have 400-500 individuals in stock. The skins are harvested mainly from male animals. Consumers are fur factories and ateliers in large cities. The cost of high-quality skin can reach 10,000 rubles.

Chinchilla meat is purchased by restaurants as an exotic and dietary product.

With high production volumes, it is advisable to open your own workshop for sewing fur products.

Until there are enough positive reviews about the farm, you can promote your business on chinchillas with ordinary advertising means:

to advertise in the press and on the Internet;
place business cards and brochures in pet stores in the city;
join a specialized online community, invite those who wish to go on excursions;
create a website;
take part in zoo exhibitions.

Financial calculations

To start a chinchilla farm and determine whether it is profitable or not to run a business at home, you need to plan the start-up and subsequent costs. The cost of renting premises is excluded from the calculation; only minor repairs will need to be carried out. Calculations are made for keeping chinchillas on an industrial scale - per 100 individuals.

Start-up capital:

№	*expenditures*	*Amount, rub.*
1	Indoor renovation	10 000
2	Purchase of equipment and consumables	220 000
3	Purchase of breeding animals at a wholesale price	300 000
4	Purchase of feed and supplements for 1 month	10 000
5	Business registration	1 000
6	Advertising	10 000
7	Other	20 000
Total		571 000

The constant monthly costs of keeping the animals are:

Breeding chinchillas as a business at home, judging by the reviews, brings up to 500% of the profit. Despite the fact that the most valuable thing in animals is fur, the main income comes from the sale of live animals for personal needs or breeding.

The annual revenue of the mini-farm can be calculated based on the estimated sales of 300 hatched individuals:

The profit for the first year of operation will be: 1,800,000 rubles. - 54,000 rubles. x 12 months - 571,000 rubles. = 581,000 rubles. Further - 1,152,000 rubles.

With good care, chinchillas retain the ability to reproduce for up to 15 years. That's why given view business is one of the most stable, long-term and profitable.

Video: breeding chinchillas as a business - is it profitable or not?

Many novice farmers, after reading reviews of experienced livestock breeders on the Internet, decide to breed chinchillas at home. And on their own experience, they are convinced that this occupation does not require a large investment of time and money, as well as special skills. From the article you will learn how to breed chinchillas at home, what you need for this, what conditions you need to create on a mini-farm.

Purchase of chinchillas. What affects the cost

The cost of the animal is influenced by many factors:

age;
sizes;
color;
the quality of the hairline;
health status.

The most profitable is the acquisition of a male aged 3 to 6 months, which has an ordinary color. A female from the same litter will cost more. Breeding chinchillas at home requires at least 10 females and 2 males. It is not necessary to purchase males, as many existing farms can provide their inseminators for temporary use.

How to choose chinchillas

Individuals must reach two months of age, it is not recommended to tear the cubs from the mother earlier.
The optimal weight of babies at this age is 200 grams.
The fur of a healthy animal is clean. If there is dirt under the tail, then the animal may have gastrointestinal disorders.
There should be no suppuration and light spots in the eyes of the animal, the eyes of a healthy chinchilla are clear.
During children's games, the pet could lose a phalanx of a finger, a piece of an ear, or get another minor injury. These flaws are more aesthetic in nature.
Make sure that the rodent is not sick with shingles. To do this, it is enough to check the skin for redness in the area of the nose, eyes, chin, ears, groin, base of the tail and forepaws.
Lack of fur is not a serious problem. The fur will recover quickly.
Ideally, you need to find out the color of the parents of the acquired individual. If the breeder has a pedigree for the offspring, that's even better.

Purchase of equipment

Cells

Cages are required to accommodate the animals. A number of requirements must be applied to them:

The optimal dimensions are 50/50/60 cm.
Using a fine mesh.
The area is not less than 0.3 square meters per head.
Strong material, steel will do.
Security.
Convenience of cleaning.
Many experienced breeders arrange cages in 2 rows of 6 cages. This requires 18 sq. m from the area of the room.

Drinking bowls, feeders, sennitsa

A hinged drinker is preferable. If a floor-standing one is purchased, then it should be weighty enough so that the animal cannot turn the vessel over.

The best option is a wire sennik, from which it is convenient for a rodent to get grass without scattering food on the floor.

Lounger, house

The pet bed is usually located on the back wall. The width of the lounger is at least 12 cm. The height from the floor is 25 cm.

The pet should have a place for solitude in the form of a cozy house. It is made without a bottom from wood species that are safe for the health of rodents.

Pallet and bedding

A tray with filler is installed on the floor. Sawdust, hay, shavings can act as a filler. The litter should be changed at least 2 times a week.

Bathing suit

Growing chinchilla livestock is impossible without a bathing suit - this is a container with volcanic sand for taking baths and cleaning the hairline of fur skins.

Animals are not bathed in water; sand helps them to keep them clean. The bathing suit should be spacious and have closed sides.

Toys, dental trainers

A jogging wheel, a walking ball, tunnels and anything that can be chewed on for the benefit of the teeth. For grinding teeth also Mineral stone

a mineral stone is needed. You can use salt stones, chalk and pumice. The pet store has a wide range of rodent entertainment. And on the Internet there is a lot of information on how to make toys from scrap materials.

Cleaning and disinfection products

Disinfection is carried out using special non-toxic agents or an ultraviolet lamp. During the cleaning and disinfection of the animals, it is better to let them go for a walk or transfer them to a temporary dwelling.

Other fixtures

To maintain the indoor climate, you will also need:

convectors for heating and maintaining optimal air humidity;
lamps of 60 W (1 pc. per 10 sq. m.);
air conditioning.

Conditions of keeping chinchillas

Feeding

Chinchilla food is divided into:

Concentrated feeds: legumes and grains.
Hay - cereals and meadow grasses.
Grain - barley, corn, millet, wheat, etc.

In conditions of home breeding, rodents are deprived of sunlight, therefore, foods rich in vitamin D must be added to the pet food:

bone flour;
dried fruits;
fortified hay;
vegetable mixes;
dried greens.

Undesirable foods include seeds and nuts, which can cause obesity and gastrointestinal upset in animals due to their high fat content.

Products should be checked for mold and debris.

Also, animals should always have free access to fresh clean water at room temperature.

give out food in the evening;
the number of feedings per day - 1 or 2: 1 time with hay, 2 times with compound feed;
Give vitamins a couple of times a week: you can offer an apple.

Microclimate

The room in which the chinchillas are located must meet the following requirements:

Air humidity - 60%.
Air temperature - from 12 to 20⁰С.
Lack of drafts.
Cleanliness and dryness.
Lack of harsh and loud sounds.
Scattered sunlight.

Care and cleaning

The cages are cleaned and litter changed once or twice a week. The premises and equipment are disinfected monthly. All of the above procedures are recommended to be performed in the afternoon, when pets are most active. It is undesirable to touch the animals during sleep.

To take baths for chinchillas, a trough with sand is installed in the cages. The animals are very clean and “wash” every day. To care for the teeth of rodents, branches of trees and mineral stones are placed in the dwelling.

Chinchilla breeding rules

There are a number of simple rules for beginner farmers:

Three-month-old animals are placed in separate cages
To catch an animal, you need to grab its tail or ear.
Chinchillas should have enough sand to keep their coats clean.
When organizing a farm, sound insulation should be provided.
Relative mating is prohibited among rodents.
To obtain healthy offspring, it is sometimes necessary to replace old males with new ones.
Mating for up to a year is undesirable.
A pregnant female gains 50 grams every 2 weeks, in order to understand whether she has fertilized or not, it is enough to control the weight of the individual.
Before giving birth, the male is separated from the expectant mother.

Fur farming involves the production of fur, which is highly valued in the market. Among the popular areas of animal husbandry, one can single out chinchilla breeding as a business.

The fur of this animal is superior in quality to mink and sable. The high demand for chinchilla products, as well as low competition, allow the entrepreneur to earn good income even from a small farm.

Entrepreneurs' interest in breeding chinchillas has appeared relatively recently. Most factories for sewing fur products purchase products through import suppliers. The absence of large chinchilla farms in Russia makes this business promising.

The chinchilla business has many advantages. In addition to a wide sales market and minimal competition, the following can be distinguished:

High profitability - keeping the animal will cost 1-2 thousand rubles, while the income from one individual is about 15,000 rubles;
Small start-up capital for opening a farm;
Animals reproduce well at home. An adult female gives birth to 4-5 cubs in one pregnancy;
The animals are clean and unpretentious in food.

Note! An entrepreneur does not need special education for breeding chinchillas and expensive equipment for setting up a farm.

In any kind of business, all methods are used to maximize profits. Chinchilla farm can generate income
in four directions:

Sale of meat;
Fur sales;
Trade in breeding animals;
Sales of chinchillas to pet stores.

Chinchilla meat is dietary, it is eaten for cancer, sclerosis, tuberculosis. In addition, the products are purchased by restaurants with exotic cuisine.

Selling fur brings high income. The cost of raw materials for the production of fur products is estimated at several thousand rubles for one high-quality skin. The main buyers are large ateliers and sewing workshops.

H a note! Farms have the opportunity to participate in fur auctions. However, to apply, it is necessary to produce at least 5 thousand skins per year.

Breeding animals are often bred for the purpose of further marketing. This product is in demand among novice farmers.

In every litter there are weak chinchillas that are not suitable for breeding for fur or meat. These animals are usually handed over to pet stores.

How to open a chinchilla farm?

Paperwork

At the initial stage, entrepreneurs can register the farm as a personal subsidiary farm. This will help avoid paying high taxes and reduce investment in starting a business. After the production volumes increase, the enterprise must be transferred to the status of an individual entrepreneur.

To carry out legal activities, you will need to obtain permission from the veterinary service.

Note! A license to breed chinchillas and sell fur is not required.

Purchase of animals

A key factor in business success is the purchase of pedigree young stock. To open a small farm, it is enough to purchase 10 females and 2 males. It should be noted that males are valued especially highly, from 6,000 to 9,000 rubles. Animals live for about 15 years, while their reproductive ability is maintained throughout their life.

Note! It is worth buying the first animals from experienced breeders. They will tell a novice farmer about the nuances of growing chinchillas, and will also select high-quality breeding material.

When buying animals, you need to pay attention to the following features:

The fur of the animal must be well-groomed and uniform;
Activity is a sign of a healthy rodent;
No discharge from the eyes and nose.

If the purpose of the business is to sell fur and breed, it is better to buy chinchillas at the age of 7-8 months.

Feeding

Chinchillas are fed once a day. This is due to the fact that animals are nocturnal and sleep during the day. The main food is pellets, herbs, vegetables and fruits. In order to maintain immunity, compensate for the lack of sun and fresh air, the animals are given vitamin complexes. On average, one animal consumes about 50 grams of food per day.

Where to sell products?

The entrepreneur should analyze the sales market for chinchillas in advance. Skins and young breeding stock are usually sold over the Internet. To promote your business, you can create your own website, or place advertisements on marketplaces.

Note! Farmers' reviews indicate that it is more profitable to work directly with fur factories without resorting to the help of intermediaries.

Business plan for breeding chinchillas

The business plan assumes an estimate of the upcoming costs of opening a farm. The bulk of the capital will go to purchase necessary equipment and animals. Rent for the premises is excluded from the list of expenses, since chinchillas can be bred at home.

As an example of business profitability, consider a small farm for 10 chinchilla families.

Chinchillas are a wonderful species of exotic rodents from the Andean mountains, prized for their exquisite fur and as fluffy pets. However, before you start breeding chinchillas as a business, you need to consider several aspects of growing them at home. However, it is very much.

Is it profitable or not

A passion for chinchillas is one of the most important factors in creating a profitable farm. Breeding chinchillas at home should be enjoyable for you. And you will get it right away if you enjoy working with animals at home.

Color varieties

The most common variety of chinchilla color is standard (gray), which is also the color of wild rodents. It is important to know that the standard color covers 25 thousand hairs of this color.

In recent decades, chinchilla breeders have been able to create new color varieties of chinchillas through selective breeding. Some of these masculine color variations such as white, beige, afro purple and diamond blue. The Blue Diamond is the latest recessive color mutation created by a dedicated chinchilla breeder. It is very rare but also highly prized.

Chinchilla color

Breeding chinchillas is in great demand. But lately, the international fur market has also shown more interest in colorful chinchilla skins.

Choosing chinchillas for a farm

If you are planning to start a chinchilla farm from scratch, it is recommended that you purchase high quality animals from a specialized breeder. When purchased, the rodent can weigh> 550 g. Its fur must have standard XXD or XD tones and must be thick. Moreover, the white stripe must be clearly defined. Last but not least, you should avoid fur with brownish tones in favor of bluish tones. Also, for a large-scale economy, you can make.

Housing requirements

Before starting a chinchilla farm, one must make sure that there is a suitable space to meet their environmental requirements. This space should be: dry, naturally lit by northern windows (if possible). In winter, the premises will need heating (constant 15-17 ° C for breeding families and 12-15 ° C). In summer, the temperature inside the farm should not exceed 26-27 ° C, because temperatures above 30 ° C are lethal for animals.

It is recommended to separate chinchilla breeding families from chinchillas. It is good to have no more than 300 animals housed in one room. In addition, to avoid the formation of ammonia, it is worth installing a fan 30 cm above the floor, capable of circulating five times the volume of the room.

Forming families

When forming new families of chinchillas, you need to select the best ones for breeding purposes, and you should also avoid inbreeding. Keep in mind that if you include animals with undesirable traits in breeding families, their traits can be passed on to their offspring.

Chinchilla families can contain from 4 females and one male, up to 10 females + one male. Alternative option families of 6 females + one male.

Chinchillas breed all year round, and females usually give birth to an average of 3 children per year. If the female does not produce offspring, she must be moved to another family. Females are not allowed to take a regular dust bath immediately after giving birth. In addition, males should be closed three days after giving birth. After 50 days, young chinchillas can be moved to a separate cage.

Growing young animals

Small chinchillas must be moved to separate cages in specially designated rooms. The size of the cages for chinchillas is 40x40x40 cm. After 8 months the young grows mature and ready for breeding purposes. By this time they should be> 550 BC.

Feeding

Chinchillas feed on a special type of plant pellet. In addition, animals must have a constant supply of hay, alfalfa, etc. If they consistently feed on these chewable additives, the risk of chinchillas chewing their fur will be significantly reduced. It is also recommended to feed them with a mixture of cereals once or twice a week.

Feed, hay, dust and bedding must be purchased regularly. Cheap food may not be nutritionally balanced for chinchillas and will cause health and reproductive problems. Cheap dust damages the coat, and cheap equipment can be dangerous. If the animals are not in good condition, they will not be sold. Or the price for them will be much less. This does not mean that the costs of the chinchilla business cannot be cut. This must be done wisely and not at the expense of animal welfare.

Breeding methods

The first step is to determine the type of breeding method in order to acquire the proper equipment.

Chinchillas can be bred in pairs, trios, races and colonies:

Double breeding requires one cage, plus additional cages to separate the males while the females are pregnant or feeding the young. More cages are needed to wean kits when they are old enough and to raise animals for show or breeding.
Trio-nesting places of 3 chinchillas (two females and one male) in one cage.
Breeding in colonies - several males and one female.
Breeding on the run involves 3 or more cages, which are located side by side and are connected in the back by a tunnel that opens into each cage. This is called launching. Females are placed in cages and males are allowed to travel through the race to visit any of them. As with couples, each of these methods requires additional male cages and weaning kits.

Spare cages are also needed for injured or sick animals. A good rule is one cage for each chinchilla, regardless of the breeding method you use. It should be remembered that any cage used for breeding must be well ventilated and safe. This increases the cost of each cell.

Expenses

Breeding chinchillas as a business requires certain expenses. The first thing to consider before starting a breeding is the cost to create.

For the farm you need to purchase:

carts;
accessories such as feeders,
feed, hay;
materials and equipment for dusting and irrigation.

These items, as well as cells, can cost tens of thousands of rubles. And that doesn't include buying chinchillas or veterinary bills. The breeder should always buy quality pedigree animals.

It is important to know that chinchillas purchased from pet stores should not be used for breeding. As there is no way to know if they have any genetic problems. Moreover, it is often cheaper to buy a breeding quality animal from a reputable breeder.

On average, a chinchilla for breeding costs between $ 10 and $ 50. Depending on its color, quality and display. Starting with one pair of quality chinchillas and essential items can cost $ 100 and up.

Show

Participating in a show is the only way to know that your breeding program is producing quality animals. A good age to show is 8 to 18 months. Difficult to know after 8, 10 or 12 weeks if an animal has good quality... The show gives the breeder the opportunity to compare their animals to the chinchillas of other breeders. Attending a show can be quite expensive due to entrance fees and hotel bills. Still, the show is well worth it.

First of all, do not confuse a chinchilla with a chinchilla rabbit. Chinchilla rabbits were bred specifically as an inexpensive substitute for a real chinchilla; their fur is similar to chinchilla only in appearance. They appeared because chinchilla breeding as a business has not covered the need for chinchilla fur for several centuries.

Chinchilla fur is unmatched, but relatively short-lived, and the skin is very thin and delicate. Even the wives of oligarchs and superstars do not wear chinchilla products every day. A chinchilla fur coat or hat will not pass from generation to generation like a sable or beaver. So there is no end in sight to the demand for chinchilla. The forecast for Russia gives a consistently high demand for 40 (!) Years ahead. Among other goods, there are probably no analogues to this indicator.

A little about chinchillas

There are two types of chinchillas: coastal long-tailed (Chinchilla lanigera) and large short-tailed (Chinchilla brevicaudata). Both are the size of a small rabbit or a large rat; the quality of the fur is equivalent.

The animals come from South America, from the Andes. They are unpretentious to feed: rodents, they eat rabbit feed and hay. They live in polygamous families - one male for 4 females. Public animals, at least two families must see each other and visit each other. Chinchillas are peaceful, they never fight. Live up to 20 years.

These animals breed very poorly for rodents: in captivity, the female gives 1-2 litters of 1-2 cubs per year. They are very demanding on climatic factors and water quality. It can only be kept indoors without drafts and scorching sun rays, but the air should be fresh, not musty.

The temperature of the content is 18-24 degrees Celsius. The maximum permissible water hardness is 12 German degrees, but already at 8 the animals feel bad and stop multiplying. Chlorine, impurities of industrial pollution, organic matter in water are unacceptable. In fact, the water must be artesian tap water or spring water.

Air humidity is permissible no more than 68-70% average and 85% short-term. Better to keep it at 60%. Dampness, condensation will nullify all the efforts of the chinchilla grower.

Chinchillas have toilet skills and care is easy. Having asked in plenty of dry food and water, you can be absent for several days. But chinchillas do not tolerate anxiety and visits from outsiders.

Chinchilla

Chinchilla fur is unique in structure. Animals with such fur had to go a long way of evolution in the specific conditions of the Andean highlands.

From one hair follicle in a chinchilla, 60-80 fluffs grow (hairs, or even more so, it is difficult to call them awn) less than 15 microns thick (thinner than 0.015 mm). Human hair is 4-10 times thicker. The density of fur is more than 20 thousand per 1 sq. see Natural color - bluish gray.

Business on chinchillas

The first Spanish conquistadors tried to breed chinchillas. But, it would seem, a fantastically profitable business: the cultivation of shishillas never became widespread. There are several reasons.

Firstly, chinchillas are animals, although they are public, but their communities are rather closed. It is impossible to organize a large commercial chinchilla farm: the animals will feel there like a bushman snatched from their native Kalahari and thrown into a gas-filled metropolis teeming with people. With mass breeding of any animals, it is impossible to ensure the complete absence of ammonia in the air, and for chinchillas it is destructive.

Secondly, chinchillas are painful animals, and with a mass accumulation of them, any epizootic develops rapidly.

Thirdly, industrial methods of processing chinchilla skins have not yet been found. The skin of the animal is so thin and tender that it tears to meat under the fingers. You can take a chinchilla only by the ear or by the tail. Chinchilla skins can only be made by individual furriers - virtuosos, and almost all of them have their own secrets.

Therefore, large-scale commercial breeding of chinchillas is too risky, given the magnitude of the initial costs, and the benefit of the chinchilla business is based on the high price of finished products. On a large scale, it is more profitable to breed a chinchilla rabbit and trade in a natural chinchilla substitute.

Is home chinchilla farming profitable?

But is it profitable to breed chinchillas at home? Are there entire lucrative industries based on individual production?

At first glance, the prospects are tempting: middlemen willingly take a dressed chinchilla skin for $ 1,000 or more apiece for its standard color. Pelts with color variations are sold individually, often from auctions. The price of a finished chinchilla fur coat of US $ 300,000 is not considered excessive.

But the technology for making chinchilla in Russia is unknown. The animal is taken for slaughter at 20,000 - 60,000 rubles. with a standard color, and chinchilla nurseries offer them from 2000 rubles. But keeping more than 10 families in an air-conditioned apartment is unlikely to succeed.

Families cannot be broken; extra males go to the slaughter. At the above-mentioned rate of reproduction, we will get 10 - 40 marketable animals per year. It's in the very best case RUB 2,400,000 per year or 200,000 per month, with a minimum initial investment of 800,000. Current expenses do not count, they are negligible.

As you can see, the business plan for breeding chinchillas by the final results looks more modest than "rabbit" or "nutria", with bright at first glance prospects. World practice confirms the calculations - until now, despite the strict laws of the countries of their original habitat, chinchilla poaching is widely practiced, which makes the natural population of chinchillas endangered.

Let's say that the calculations did not cool the enthusiast, but he also dreams of unraveling the secrets of making a chinchilla, getting rich on this and becoming famous. What do you need, besides money to buy animals, to start engaging in a chinchilla?

First of all, the solid experience of the rabbit breeder. Even chinchillas - pets - rarely survive in "zero" owners. The rest is not that difficult.

Accommodation rate - 10 families (male + 4 females) per 20 sq. m. Aviaries are one-story. Chinchillas are not rabbits, they will not tolerate stomping over their heads and debris from above. Conditions of detention are as described above.

Aviaries - with mesh walls, so that the animals can see each other, rub their noses and tickle each other with a mustache. You don't have to worry too much about strength - chinchillas are quiet, couch potatoes and neat.

The floor of the aviary should be covered with gravel or pebbles. It is imperative to arrange a sand bath - chinchillas, like sparrows, love to swim in the sand. Put a shallow flat dish for toilet needs. If the animals ignore it, put a little “that one” there during cleaning and leave it that way. As a rule, after that, chinchillas begin to go to their destination.

Daily care comes down to cleaning, cleaning and feeding. Feed - rabbit compound feed, hay; seasonally - feeding with herbs, in winter - carrots, cabbage. Do not neglect dry food: chinchillas, like all rodents, need to grind their teeth. Food can be given for future use, chinchillas are not gluttons. Chinchillas need a little water, but it is better to change it more often to fresh, so that by the next change in the drinking bowl it remains on the bottom.

Once a week, you need to wash the gravel and sift the bathing sand, and change the sand that is too contaminated. Change the sand completely once a month. Once every six months - to transplant the family for a while in another aviary and arrange a general cleaning in their home with disinfection and calcining of gravel.