How Many Litters A Year Do You Think

[SwaY]

How many litters a year do you think a Registered Breeder should be allowed to have..

[Liebhunde]

Its the business of the individual breeder. Is the setting up of The Breeding Police looming?

[SwaY]

Its the business of the individual breeder. Is the setting up of The Breeding Police looming?

You obviously don't read much then, it's everywhere!

[Alyosha]

Good idea Sway, but too many variables for me to figure out how to answer it just yet. I would only have one litter every couple of years. But I don't think that every breeder should do as I do. Also some breeds have smaller litters and some larger. So a breed that has just two or three pups, they might have a couple of litters a year. But if you have ten or more you may stick to one or less!!

I don't health test. There are no heath tests relevant to my breed (thankfully!!). Does that make me a bad breeder? I suppose some would say so and maybe I should try and find something I can test for...

I worry about blanket restrictions being placed on breeders. In every hobby there will be bad apples, but more restrictions only affect those who care to abide by them. And bad apples rarely do that.

I'll be interested to see if people think it can be so easily set out in black and white terms.

[~Anne~]

I cant answer the poll. It is such an individual circumstance thing. I look forward to the poll result to see what the general opinion of those who respond is.

Edited August 11, 2011 by ~Anne~

[D & D]

Sadly there are some breeders who show and health test that shouldn't be allowed to have any litters

But, I answered one to two for the first two questions and none for the third

[SwaY]

I don't health test. There are no heath tests relevant to my breed (thankfully!!). Does that make me a bad breeder? I suppose some would say so and maybe I should try and find something I can test for...

Hip and elbows?

None in my breed either, but I test.

I'll be interested to see if people think it can be so easily set out in black and white terms.

I don't think it can be.

[Flaves]

It would depend on how many bitches they had.

If they were breeding to improve on what they breed, to keep pups to show and run on for showing and breeding.

I dont know is the answer, for some 5 would be too many, for other 10

You can look at the for sale pages on DOL and see who is having a lot (subjective i know) of litters

People should be focusing on stopping BYB and puppy farmers that do nothing but breed litter after litter without a care about health testing and who their babies go too

[stormie]

Such a hard question.

I think that health testing is the number one priority, so if they show but don't health test, then I would personally say zero (I'm talking breeds who have relevant tests) and same obviously if they just don't health test. But at the same time, I would personally rather see a breeder show or take part in other dog sports as well as health test, because I want to see well conformed, sound dogs and health testing alone doesn't guarantee this.

So assuming they show and health test, then I would also rather a breeder is breeding for themselves, for their breeding program. So they might get what they want with one litter, but I understand that not every litter produces exactly what you want and so it may take one or two more 'tries'? So I wouldn't mind a breeder who had say 3-4 litters in a year, but if this was a consistent thing, then I guess I'd maybe get a bit suss?

Sorry, that probably didn't really help did it

[D & D]

You should have made the poll public, then we wouldn't have to guess who voted for 15+ litters.

Just a thought I had...

[Steve]

It would depend on how many bitches they had.

If they were breeding to improve on what they breed, to keep pups to show and run on for showing and breeding.

I dont know is the answer, for some 5 would be too many, for other 10

You can look at the for sale pages on DOL and see who is having a lot (subjective i know) of litters

People should be focusing on stopping BYB and puppy farmers that do nothing but breed litter after litter without a care about health testing and who their babies go too

Actually you cant always tell how many litters someone is having by their ads on dogz . Its a pretty easy process to delete an ad and then re do the ad to make it fresh - I do it all the time. Same litter though.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Steve

[cowanbree]

It would depend on how many bitches they had.

If they were breeding to improve on what they breed, to keep pups to show and run on for showing and breeding.

I dont know is the answer, for some 5 would be too many, for other 10

You can look at the for sale pages on DOL and see who is having a lot (subjective i know) of litters

People should be focusing on stopping BYB and puppy farmers that do nothing but breed litter after litter without a care about health testing and who their babies go too

That doesn't mean anything. I have been advertising on and off for nearly 10mths but have only had 1 litter. I just haven't found the exact right home for one of my pups and I refuse to settle.

I think it is a personal thing. My norm would be a litter every 2-3years but I have had 3 litters in the last 3 yrs and I can tell you that is too many for me. I work full time and put a lot into my puppies, I find them life consuming.

[Steve]

I dont think its possible for anyone to say how many someone should breed based only on those variables. Especially when some breeds dont have any necessary testing and when results dont stop them anyway.

15 litters a year is over what I could do unless I was prepared to change my lifestyle and pay someone to work here but I think someone could do a good job of it if they had it all covered.

[dogfan]

You should have made the poll public, then we wouldn't have to guess who voted for 15+ litters.

Just a thought I had...

Can she change it??

If not, she could always make a new poll. :p

Jk of course, now to answer the actual poll. I can't vote - I myself am not a breeder and it's an individual thing.

[Darkrai]

1-2 for their chosen breed/s maybe 3

[Alyosha]

I don't health test. There are no heath tests relevant to my breed (thankfully!!). Does that make me a bad breeder? I suppose some would say so and maybe I should try and find something I can test for...

Hip and elbows?

None in my breed either, but I test.

I've not been aware of hip and elbow issues in my breed. But intolerance to general anaesthetic is pretty common in many sighthounds. So test and risk it for little to not known health issues? Or not?

Personal preference again. I tend to think sometimes we test because we feel we should be, not always because it's warranted or useful (not saying that about you at all Sway - just breeders in general terms).

I don't risk GA's for anything that's not life threatening - except desexing in rescues. And I very nearly lost a foster grey from a quick GA for castration.

[Flaves]

I understand that people make changes to their ads

What about those that advertise the dam and sires name in their ads? And there are multiple litters listed on an ad, then a month or so later the dam and sires name changes?

[RubyStar]

I cant answer the poll. It is such an individual circumstance thing. I look forward to the poll result to see what the general opinion of those who respond is.

Can't say it's going to give us much when smartasses put 15+ litters against breeders who don't health test...

[RubyStar]

Sway, are we talking litters per bitch, or litters per kennel?

[RubyStar]

But, I answered one to two for the first two questions and none for the third

So for question 1, just because they show, they should automatically be able to breed a litter? I selected N/A for that question, because it mentioned showing only and not health testing like question 2 did. Had it said showing AND health testing (for relevant breeds), my answer would have been different.

Edited August 11, 2011 by RubyStar