Quote:
Originally Posted by durtymydawg  Tami, I wasn't attacking anyone...I was simply asking just like everyone else, some people would like to see what a breeder thinks or actually is the cost of producing a litter is...?? The simple answer is that no one is willing to give that answer being it would show that they make $$$. They will use the excuse that there is to many variables, then just give us one scenario...please its not that hard. NO OFFENSE LYNN.... |
Ummm, I did explain the costs and income of my breeding program, which happens to be papillons but the issues are the same (small litters, high risk of sections).
I don't think it provides very good information to break it down litter by litter simply because there ARE so many variables-- I have a litter of 6 one week olds presently that were delivered naturally, I own the stud dog so no fee, but the breeding is a co-breeding (I don't own the bitch) so I am getting 1/2 the litter. So there will be some income to me from this litter that is not offset by major expenses for this particular litter, but it will need to be applied to the costs of other breedings, past or future. Compare this to breeding the bitch we paid $4000 for to a dog whose stud fee is $2500 (thanks to my mentor it was not a cost I actually paid) who had an emergency section for $950 and had ZERO live puppies to keep or sell. My other recent litter was another co-breeding where I do not own the bitch, I paid a stud fee of $1500 and another emergency section for $950, I will be keeping 2 of the puppies for the time being and the other goes to the bitches owner. So I will have the value of those puppies, and although they look great right now they could fall apart and I could sell them as pets for $1200 and $1000, although maybe not that because they will be older when I make a final decision about keeping or selling. So that litter would be break even.
I think that adding up my expenses versus my income, over the course of 5 breedings and 4 litters I am right around $5000 in the hole. This does not include show expenses (between $750 to $1200 a month) or the regular costs of keeping the dogs as my companions and performance partners, like vet care, food, crating, ex pens, fenced yard, special dog room for crating and grooming and training etc.