Each breeder of chinchillas produce an individual code for all the animals that they breed (EGs: FD9788F, EDK008, GW0504M1).  This allows for efficient and correct record keeping - as well as making referencing of the animal for future pedigrees easier.  

The code assigned is individual to as specific animal and therefore there will never be two animals with the same code (this is why animals and not letters receive the code as there may be more than one kit in a litter)

Different breeders use slightly different systems for how they set their codes out but they all contain essentially the same basic details.

Breeder Identification Code - usually 2 or 3 letters
Year of Birth - 4 digit, 2 digit or a designator letter
Kit Number - this may be by sex or number kit of the year

As well as this basic information additional items may be added such as M or F for the sex of the animal, the month of its birth or its colour.

Our own system uses codes that resemble:  GW0405M1

At first this may seem to mean nothing but with a little bit of explanation can help you to identify more about an animals history.

so the above example is:

GW = Specific code for our herd of animals Greenwood Chinchillas
04 = the year of birth eg. 2004
05 = the month of birth eg. 5th month, May
M = Sex - this will be M for male or F for female
1 = this number represents the kit number that was born that month.

Some of the most common codes you will see on pedigrees will start with FD and numbers - eg Layla's code FD9788F

These are FD for Fred Duggins the breeder,
97 for 1997 the year this animal was born
88 the number kit born at that ranch that year,
and F for female

(The code for the animals sex may be left off on some pedigrees)

Again a very common code to find on pedigrees are those which begin with the letters ED - though they do come in two types:

ED97F03
ED for Etherdale
97 for the year the animal was born
F for female
03 for the number kit born that year

(some times the sex of the animal may not be included so this would be seen as ED97/03 or ED9703)

EDK001
ED for Etherdale
K letter to designate the year
001 - the first kit born that year