Chinchilla labors are usually quick and mess free. Even if you predict a date, it is not too common to see the mom actually giving birth. The average birth time would be between 8 am and 12pm , though they can occur at anytime.

Some common signs females display before labor are:

•  Agitation
•  Restlessness, they might do things like rearrange houses and bedding inside of the cage.
•  Stretching
•  Preening/cleaning her genitalia more frequent
•  Refusal to eat
•  Contractions

Usually labor is pretty easy. During a normal birthing there should be no more than an hour between kits. After mom is finished passing the babies, she should pass an afterbirth at most an hour after the last baby, which she will then eat. This is normal, and actually gives the chin mom a lot of needed nutrition. There should be little blood or mess in the cage. The mom will clean the kits as well, and all should be clean and dried soon after birth. The kits should also begin to attempt nursing, however it usually takes a day or so before she begins lactating. You should also check the females stomach to make sure its soft and squishy, not hard. If it is hard, and no kits are passed in an hour after the last, contact your vet immediately.

Make sure you give the female chin two water bottles, one of fresh water, the other a 50/50 mixture of water and apple or cranberry juice.

Some Problems you might experience and what to do:

1. Breeched baby – this is when the baby is being pushed through the birthing canal backwards, with the tail and feed coming first, instead of the head. If this occurs one option is to use a warm, damp hand towel to help guide the baby out of the birthing canal, and if this does not work you should rush her to the vet immediately as both baby and mom are in severe danger.
2. Incomplete Labor – if you notice your female chin has been displaying labor signs for more than two hours, she should be taken to the vet immediately in case an emergency c-section needs to be performed.
3. Excess Blood – their should be very little blood in the cage, and if you see a female who is bleeding severely, immediately contact your vet.
4. Still born/Underdeveloped – there is nothing you can really do about this one, and if you are starting a breeding program you will come across this from time to time.
5. Wet Babies – if the mom doesn't dry the babies you should take them into a towel and very gently rub them dry, chin moms are not typically protective over their kits, but there is always an exception, so make sure you work carefully and do not stress the mom out.
6. Unopened eyes – usually kits eyes are open from the moment they are born, but it is not uncommon for some babies to come out with their eyes shut. I think the best thing is to leave it be for the first day, and if by the second day the eyes are not open, try taking wet q-tip and GENTLY rub any debris or mucous build up away from the eye.
7. Mom not nursing – if the female does not nurse, you will need to hand feed, please visit the caring for kits or nutritional section for more information on this.
8. Babies hurt during birth – sometimes when a baby becomes stuck in the canal, the mom will have to pull on the baby to dislodge it, this leads to occasional ear rips, missing limbs and similar type wounds. It sometimes even leads to death. If you ever find a baby that has been severely hurt during the birthing process, immediately take it to your vet.

Remember that the female chins vagina will remain open for up to ten days after the labor process, and if you notice any discharge, take her to the vet immediately as this is a sign of infection.