1. Use only pedigreed animals or otherwise evaluated by ECBC judges.
   a. Breed with the intentions of improving the species.
   b. Be willing to continue to learn and improve.
   c. Understand genetics and breeding to eliminate genetic issues.
   d. Ethical breeders do their best to not breed lines known to have malocclusion, or other known genetic faults. Ethical breeders proactively look into their lines when customers bring something to their attention.
    

2. Have one or more mentor who you trust, one who will support you as you grow into an experienced breeder and become a mentor yourself one day. It is vital to success to have experienced breeders as resources who will share accurate information, which helps you grow as a breeder.
    

3. Adhere to good husbandry practices;
   a. Clean cages
   b. Good quality feed
   c. Clean water
   d. Adequate safe housing and space.
   e. Maintain an accurate herd book and records
   f. Animals receive proper vet care in a timely manner when necessary. No animal left to suffer...
    

4. Maintain current membership in one or more of the National Organizations.
    

5. Show your animals and make an effort to compete in one show per year, and more when travel with animals is possible.
    

6. Attend education seminars when possible. These may be in person or on zoom. Shows are always an educational event. Always focus on betterment of the species and chinchilla community.
    

7. Be respectful of other breeders and adhere to the Empress Code of Ethics.
    

8. Become active within your branch, i.e. attend meetings, perhaps become a board member, take on a job at the show or other branch activities.
    

SALES

 

1. Do not sell babies or advertise them before weaning age. Kits should not go to pet homes before 10 weeks of age. This is very important to ensure the kit is developing and growing as it should and will be socialized.
    

2. Support the customers you sell to with knowledge, breeder support, and care sheets.
    

3. Take back the animals you have produced, when possible and necessary, as outlined in your sales agreement.
    

4. When producing pedigrees, to go with the sold animal, provide them at the point of sale. When providing pedigrees, honest remarks and tracking of recessive genes is essential.