Lots of Chins!

So, this was kinda funny.  When I was at the Wisconsin show at the beginning of the month, I had another breeder tell me that one of my customers went to her, to get another chin.  Why?

Because we are very nice here, but we have too many chins and they didn't understand how we care for them all.

Ha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Now let me share why that's funny.  At last count, we had around 60 chins, and around 120 animals total (guinea pigs, prairie dogs, rats, etc).  The breeder they went to?  700+ chinchillas.  And remember, the reason they went there was because was they wanted to go to a place that had less chinchillas and had more time to spend with the animals.

Here's the thing -- here at NWI Chins, we are VERY transparent.  We let everyone into our rescue, you get to see the animals, where they live, and whatnot.  Most places, well, simply do not.  At the show, I talked with quite a few breeders and even a few people who run rescues, and most people will bring out a chinchilla that someone wants -- oh they want to see a beige?  let me go get it for you -- rather than let the person in with the animals.  Or they meet, away from the home.  So what you see here is VERY different than the norm.  But I try to be transparent.

Think about those people who don't let you in.  Now, by no means am I saying they have anything to hide.  I am NOT saying they abuse animals, or have poor conditions, or anything like that.  But very simply, people who have never been to a large-scale animal operation are often shocked to see large numbers of animals, often in smaller cages, packed into a large room / barn.  So, they don't let those people in.  The meet at a parking lot, or in their kitchen, or whatever.  So, the consumer sees that and doesn't realize, oh there's hundreds more.

Compared to almost every breeder / rescue I know, we are SMALL.  Does that surprise you?  I think the reason it often does surprise people is because we have "so many"... but because we are transparent and let people in, it is OBVIOUS that we have that many.  When a rescue / shelter / breeder only brings out the animal you ask about, and the rest are behind closed doors (doors, mind you, that you are not allowed through), the thought may be that there's not that many.  In reality, there's often many many MANY more than what we have... you just don't see them.  Just something to think about.