does a female allways chirp??

[Nutz]

hi guys...

thanks for all yere help on my last topics.

just a quick question. by partner told me this morning that he saw our chipmunks chip chip and nutz..gettin down to buisness in their cage. im just wondering is it possible because they live together all the time will they just start breeding without chip chip starting to chirp, because neither of us have heard her chirping and we have been mostly ere all week??

i know ye have raised issues about was i ready to breed, but i honestly though i would be able to seperate before it happened.because i assumed she would start chirping. just worried because i want to be prepared incase.

thanks again

[Wilsy]

Hi

Most female chippies do chirp on the day they are in season, and will chirp all day long. I think it is very rare that a female wont chirp but does happen. I think you should prepare for babies, especially if you have witnessed action, as chip chip would probably have fended off nutz if she wasnt ready 

Sarah

[Nate]

I believe the male can sense that the female is on heat before she starts chirping. But all my females make it abundantly clear by chirping and putting themselves on high places or where they can be easily seen by the males. Two of mine had a chirping day this year, one of them has had two days. Other females have yet to chirp at all this year.

One of my girls came on heat about seven times last year from about now until spring. With about two week gaps in between each chirping day.
I have also noticed that amorous males will often try to mount and roll around with a female even though she is not ready. He will normally get a clip round the ear from the female if he doesn't get the message that she's not interested. The males tend to be keener for longer, but females want to mate with as many males as possible on their day.

Not very much like human behavior is it 

[Nutz]

i though that myself that maybe nutz was just being a typical male (no offence) but do ye think i should separate them encase she is getting ready to come into season......because i am not ready to have new baby's...I'm still gettin used to chip chip and nutz and i really don't thing it would be fair on them either.

thanks

[Nate]

Hi, Yes, if it were me I would take the precaution of separating them now. If you have room it's fine and maybe even preferable that they can still see each other when they are separate.

It's great when they do breed, really fascinating and magical.  But when the kids reach the terrible teenager time, unless you are prepared to either build separate aviaries for the offspring or part with them life gets busy and complicated.

[mazmich13]

These are my first female chipmunks and was wondering how do you know when they are pregnant?
Sorry to ask this and not sure how to put it in a nice way. Does anything swell up down below on a female chipmunk?
Could they become shy and withdrawn?
Would it be possible that they can come into season early?

[Nate]

Hi, I think they can come into season earlier especially if kept indoors and it's warm. The time for females to come in to season is a lot earlier and over a longer time than most books say, i think this may have been based on just keeping chipmunks outside.

A female chipmunk can often be unfriendly to other chipmunks she is normally friendly with, especially males. She may want to eat a lot of food she doesn't normally eat. I had one which would eat worms when she was pregnant. You might also notice a pregnant female will start using mineral blocks each day. They tend to remain just as active, climbing and jumping nearly to the day they give birth. You could also notice increased nest building as well.

Very often you will notice an increase in weight, younger chipmunks seem to have larger litters, and larger litters in the spring rather than the autumn. The babies are carried inside just under the two hind legs. Towards the end of the pregnancy you may also notice a row of teats underneath her, there is a photo of this on this page, near the middle:

http://www.super-chipmunks.co.uk/breeding.php

Hope anyone who has breed chipmunks might also come in with anything strange their females did during pregnancy.

[tarcus/Kevin]

all the female chips i have had who got pregnant behaved just like a human
eating all manner of things not usually asociated with them,behaving aggressive to every male within five miles especially the father, and prone to violent and sudden mood swings least i think it was that way round

[tarcus/Kevin]

nate.....If you have room it's fine and maybe even preferable that they can still see each other when they are separate.

you sadist you, how would you like it

let them go and have their fun is what i say as i believe that like guinea pigs if they don't have them when they are young then this foreshortens their little lives.
(thats what i tell my partner as i just love looking after little ones)
Finding homes is not all that hard and if you have raised them right you will be glad to know that soomeone else will be enjoying the pleasure that they bring xx   

[mazmich13]

Hi Nate
Thanks for the help. However my female has been acting like she maybe pregnant (like a real women lol). She did swell up below, hated me for a few days, chased her sister around and was very snappy, also sleeping patterns where strange.
However today she has started chirping, I was rudley awoken  by her this morning at 8 o clock and she hasnt stopped since. It had to happen on a sunday, she also seems to be okay with me and her sister today and is eating well lol.
So female chipmunks have pmt just like real women 
Shell

[signedup]

great thread this, I was in my workshop the other day and heard this noise which I thought was a bird which may have flown in , but it was Albo , Now all falls into place reading the replies here, I was not aware they made this noise ,( me being a newbie) so I may have one seriously frustrated Chippie on my hands no wonder she's storing food and nest building ... shame she's going to be disappointed ! well theres always spring if she's still interested....Signedup

[Gilly]

Does that mean your getting more Chippies soon Dad? Why don't you retire and convert your workshop into a chipmunk hostel 

[Nate]

you sadist you, how would you like it

 

Oh dear, there's me thinking I'm doing a nice thing I just hadn't thought of it like.

Some of my males get on so well with the females, when the females suddenly shoo them away the males look so crest fallen and wonder what they've done wrong.

They're too much like humans sometimes. 

[Wilsy]

Sorry I am with Nate on this one....

One of my little boys is being done tomorrow, he is the only boy from the litter still in the outside aviary with the females. I could not possibly cope with any more babies, or cages lol.

Sarah

[tarcus/Kevin]

 OUCH