YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - curious to having a litter... info please!

tjdmom · 04-29-2011, 05:34 PM

What is required prior to breeding... vaccines or shots needed?
Here is the list from YTCA http://www.ytca.org/health_chicnumber.pdf
The bile acid test and throid tests cost me about $250. My vet also examined his patella's as part of his exam. I have not yet gone for the eye test and have not had his hips ofa'd yet.
Are there certain indicators that would show her to be a good candidate for breeding? First and foremost, is health and that can not always be measured. It involves the health history of parents and grandparents and great grandparents. You'll also want to make sure this is a good representation of the breed. Going to dog shows is always a good way to see some really nice Yorkies but sometimes there are some that are not so nice too. A good mentor is worth their weight in gold.
Are the death rates for puppies/mothers or "rotten" puppies high in yorkies?I'm not sure what the death rates are for mothers. I've read that about 30% of puppies will not survive but that statistic is for puppies not for yorkies specifically so it may even be lower for yorkies puppies than some other breeds.
When picking a sire/stud should I look for one that is definitely registered and that will even out the breed's standard qualities? Yes of course.
What is the average litter sizes? I think I read once 3.3 but I see most litters as being between 1 and 3, sometimes 4 or 5. It's really unusual to see more than 5 although I've seen it happen on here - usually with very large yorkies.
What is the average costs for all the vet bills for the pregnancy and for the care of the puppies? [seperately... like pregnancy total=$xxxx and puppy upkeep total= $xxx from your own experiences]
That really varries. My first litter cost me a little over $2000. That did not include puppy food or incidentals. It included my vet bills and whelping supplies. And I had no emergencies. If you require a c-section, I've heard of people paying $2000 just for that. I had a freind locally pay $1000. Also, if you wind up with a sick puppy, vet bills can add up quickly with that as well!

I would definitly say that if you are thinking of breeding, it's a HUGE commitment. If you are thinking of doing it because you'd like another yorkie... you'd be better off paying for another one than breeding for it yourself. I can't say enough what a huge huge commitment it is and it is definitly not for everyone. Who doesn't love puppies and playing with puppies? But raising them is A LOT of work, worry, cleaning poo, training, missed work, missed sleep. I could go on and on. Having said that, I love it. I get so much satisfaction from being part of what I consider to be a miracle but just like anything there are parts of it that I could do without. I'm trying to be completely honest and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to pm me. But if you do decide that it is something you'd like to pursue, please do tons of research, try to find someone locally who can mentor you or show you the ropes and make sure that you go about this responsibly because I really do believe that we owe them at least that.

04-29-2011, 05:34 PM	#5
tjdmom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 5,847	What is required prior to breeding... vaccines or shots needed? Here is the list from YTCA http://www.ytca.org/health_chicnumber.pdf The bile acid test and throid tests cost me about $250. My vet also examined his patella's as part of his exam. I have not yet gone for the eye test and have not had his hips ofa'd yet. Are there certain indicators that would show her to be a good candidate for breeding? First and foremost, is health and that can not always be measured. It involves the health history of parents and grandparents and great grandparents. You'll also want to make sure this is a good representation of the breed. Going to dog shows is always a good way to see some really nice Yorkies but sometimes there are some that are not so nice too. A good mentor is worth their weight in gold. Are the death rates for puppies/mothers or "rotten" puppies high in yorkies?I'm not sure what the death rates are for mothers. I've read that about 30% of puppies will not survive but that statistic is for puppies not for yorkies specifically so it may even be lower for yorkies puppies than some other breeds. When picking a sire/stud should I look for one that is definitely registered and that will even out the breed's standard qualities? Yes of course. What is the average litter sizes? I think I read once 3.3 but I see most litters as being between 1 and 3, sometimes 4 or 5. It's really unusual to see more than 5 although I've seen it happen on here - usually with very large yorkies. What is the average costs for all the vet bills for the pregnancy and for the care of the puppies? [seperately... like pregnancy total=$xxxx and puppy upkeep total= $xxx from your own experiences] That really varries. My first litter cost me a little over $2000. That did not include puppy food or incidentals. It included my vet bills and whelping supplies. And I had no emergencies. If you require a c-section, I've heard of people paying $2000 just for that. I had a freind locally pay $1000. Also, if you wind up with a sick puppy, vet bills can add up quickly with that as well! I would definitly say that if you are thinking of breeding, it's a HUGE commitment. If you are thinking of doing it because you'd like another yorkie... you'd be better off paying for another one than breeding for it yourself. I can't say enough what a huge huge commitment it is and it is definitly not for everyone. Who doesn't love puppies and playing with puppies? But raising them is A LOT of work, worry, cleaning poo, training, missed work, missed sleep. I could go on and on. Having said that, I love it. I get so much satisfaction from being part of what I consider to be a miracle but just like anything there are parts of it that I could do without. I'm trying to be completely honest and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to pm me. But if you do decide that it is something you'd like to pursue, please do tons of research, try to find someone locally who can mentor you or show you the ropes and make sure that you go about this responsibly because I really do believe that we owe them at least that.