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For breeders: Whelping area I would like to know what you use for your whelping area. I have been told that a small plastic child's pool works good, so you can clean it out easily when you need to, keeps the puppies in and the mom can still get in and out. But I have also seen those expensive whelping boxes and the thick pads. What do you experienced breeders use and recommend? We will be breeding our maltese at the end of the summer, our first litter. Just looking for some good tips. |
whelping A pool is good for bigger breeds I guess. I use a large Rubber Maid storage box. Used to use the large size cat litter pan., but RM has lots of sizes. I use the plastic bins for the first 3 or 4 weeks, then change to a bed inside an xpen..so they can get in and out of the bed to potty. I like something I can wash out weekly. If the whelping bed is too large you will have problems keeping it warm and pups will spread out too far from mom. |
I also use the plastic bins(the underbed storage) and found some that have sort of a built in 'rail' -^- around the bottom so the pups can wiggle out from under mom and not get squished. I keep two on hand for each litter so its easy to transfer them from one to another to clean them. The plastic is simple to clean and easy to sterilize. |
good question I was wondering the same thing. I am going to start gathering everything I need for Skittles starting this weekend. I decided to put her whelping stuff in my closet...it's big and that way there isnt a lot of traffic to disturb her or the pups, and it's quiet. DaniBelle & Skittles :aimeeyork |
I had thought the pups could wonder off from mom in a pool like that. Maybe it would be ok to welp in but not to keep them in there when she is done. I will get a couple storage bins. A rail around the bottom sounds good too. Thank you, thank you for your replies! |
1 Attachment(s) I am not a seasoned breeder, but I did have a very knowledgable mentor, who lent me her breeding box, which did have a rail around it, it is a small wooden box. Then around that I had put up a pen (like an X pen) and I had food and water in there, towels, ect... and a pillow for us to rest on (the human in with her- she didn't want to be alone) she could get in and out of her nest box, but not the pen... my mentor stated that when they get close they will try and run and hide, that was the reason for the pen. My jasmine didn't try and run not at all, we opened up the pen so me and my husband could be by her during the later stages of labor, and she wanted to be on our laps... so she started her delivery on my husbands lap, then down on the floor between his legs to finish the delivery of the first pup. The second pup was "stuck" and so we put her in the box, and my mentor came out to help get the pup out ect... if Jaz would of had it her way, she would of had all her pups on our laps. we had lots of blankets on the floor that the pen was on, so nothing would get on the carpet ect... I do have a pic of the set up we had. good luck... |
Thanks for the info. Love the picture!! I plan on setting up our spare room for a puppy nursery. So there will be plenty of room to do as you did. I like that idea a lot. I am talking my husband into making a whelping box. |
What is a xpen & where do you get one? What do you use in the welping bed? Thanks. The Yorkie Place |
We got all our pens at petsmart. In the nest box I used newspaper (which she shred up completely about 2 hrs before birth) and a little fleece blanket that I had made for my daughters dolls out of extra fleece (which she balled up for a pillow) and now the puppies use it. |
I use a crate (thanx to Pat) that has an adjustable floor. I use it up to the hughest setting. My whelping box is unique--it is a black plastic carton that amaryllis bulbs were shipped in. It had narrow splits all around.I set that in the crate on top of a heating pad and use those small wee wee pads in the box. I put newspaper in the other end with the food and water for the mom.. I don't like the other dogs walking around and stressing the new mom and babies. I put a sheet around the crate so she doesn't feel on watch. Ilike to keep drafts out, too. My moms are great. They will nurse each other's puppies and have no problems. One fight broke out the last time I bred..2 moms were in the same area and my hubby doesn't know what happened.. |
THis is Princess's mom ,who just had 3 babies two days ago and i used her crate that she sleeps in by my bed every night. I brought in a huge crate and took the top off , filled it with newspapers and it scared her to death, so i used the smaller one which isn't the smallest crate, plenty of room for her and the babies. She hated the newspapers, so I put towels in as she was giving birth, with the top of the crate off, I have a big stack of towels that i keep just for my yorkies, to use when bathing or when they go out side i wash their feet in the bathtub and dry them with their towels. I just let her have the towels and then after the babies where all born i washed her crate and put clean soft bedding in it for the mom and little ones. I just washed her towels and put a little clorox in the water after it was all over. |
Whelping Area 2 Attachment(s) I use a dog litter pan (24 inch). It fits in a 24 by 36 inch cage and locks in place due to the lip on it. It works well in the play yard area also. I just put old towels in it for whelping. Afterwards it becomes the mom/pups bed area. |
If there are other dogs/pups around you should keep the mom and babies above the floor. That is safer for the mom and babies and can help keep their environment the same temps and germs away from the puppies..The wire crate with the elevating floor is ideal for me. I use a whelping box and bed and paper or pads. When I have to leave for a while, I close the lid and all are safe. They stay there for a while after mom has weaned and then they go into an Xpen.. |
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