Availability of Chins

Got asked this the other day -- if we have chins year round.  We do... though availability of specific chins may be more selective.

Let me explain.

Your average chin in the most basic colors -- standard grey, light ebony, and beige, tend to be available year round, in decent supply (whether we're talking about pet-quality chins from my own lines, or from other breeders, or wholesale, or whatever).  Other colors may be harder to find, at certain times of the year.  For example, the spring rush hasn't hit yet (but should soon), and once it does, there will be a lack of whites, violets, brown velvets... the less easy-to-find colors.  The reason being -- once they are gone, they are gone.  Chins don't breed as well during the winter, which means, when spring rolls around, there's not as many available, and what is available... sort of is it.  Once they're adopted, then we basically have to wait until the spring production kicks in.  Lots of babies are born this time of the year.  However, a baby born March 1st, at the absolute earliest, will be ready for its new home on May 3rd (and that's if the chin is weaned right at 8 weeks and is perfectly ready to go a week later, at 9 weeks).  Hence... once the current chins are gone... there's a gap before more will be ready.

Harder to find chins -- the double recessives or the funky genes -- are even less available.  I have one person right now who's waiting on a blue diamond.  I don't breed sapphires or violets, so I'm waiting to get one in, so I can have one for them.  Last year, I believe I had a total of 3, and that sounds about right for the year before as well.  They're not common, and the ones I'm going to get in are strictly pet quality, which is why I can get them.

For funky genes -- lockens / curlies come to mind.  We don't breed angoras (though, if someone would like to set me up with a pair, I'll love you forever!), due to lack of winning the lottery and being able to afford the chins, so if you're looking for something unusual, bred here, it's going to be a curly.  While we actually do have quite a few curlies in breeding, and even put in one of our own-bred curlies earlier this year, they're not the quickest breeders, and... it's a recessive gene.  Not all the babies produced are curly.  As I'm sure you can imagine... more people want the curlies, rather than the curly carriers, so the females we've had that are curly are tending to stay here.  I actually had three people on the waiting list for a curly female.  One of them has since sold out of curlies, so two people.  Finally had a white ebony curly female.  Well, drat, she's so curly that, for purposes of continuing the curly line... I would be stupid to not keep her, grow her up, and add her to the lines.  I've heard it said, time and time again, if you're going to sell a chin that you don't particularly want to sell, you should price it high enough, that when you do sell it, you're happy with what you got.  With this girl.... I couldn't decide on a price I liked, that would actually make me happy.  And mind you, I sold a curly male earlier this year for $600, so we're not talking cheap prices... but here's what it came down to -- I wasn't happy with getting that for her, because even at that price, I wanted to keep her.  And maybe she'd sell for more, she very well might, as she's a white ebony (most curlies you can find for sale are regular ebonies) and a female.  But... if not happy with the price... she stays.  So... she most likely stays.  So, those people on the waiting list may get a shot at another white ebony female that I have... but she's a curly carrier.  Well... she's even better in build than this one... and if you've ever seen the curlies, they could use some neck and shoulder conformation... so she very well may stay too.  Anyway, the point is not the money or for you to read all my ramblings on chin breeding... but the point is, when you want something specific (curly female, for example), it may take some time, as there's not a lot of them born to start with, and when they are, if they're going to fit into my herd, they very well may stay here.  The pet quality chins, or even chins that are not going to fit into the herd (I can only use so many curly males), those are what's available.  So you may have to wait.

This all said... I routinely have people ask me, can I get in this or that?  Maybe, maybe not.... but it never hurts to ask!  One thing, I cannot get in angoras, sorry.  But just about anything else, for the right price (cause I have to pay for it too), I can probably get it in.  Keep in mind though, that if you ask for something insanely specific and I bug people to get it... it will but me, when you vanish when I get it.  The last two chins I've gotten in for specific people -- a violet wrap and a sapphire -- once I had the chins here... the people wanting them vanished.  Now, I'm not saying that people couldn't see a chin and say, ok, not exactly what they were looking for... they'll pass...but personally... I wouldn't get in either of those colors, as they're not big sellers.  So, be aware, if you ask for something really specific -- a blue diamond for example (which I will have to pay a hefty price to get for you) -- I will most likely ask for a deposit before I ever get the chin in.