Definition of a Runt?
 

No, not the definition out of the dictionary. I am just curious, how do you other breeders know when to look at a litter and proclaim one of the pups to be the 'runt.' Also, do you consider there to be a runt in every litter? Obviously, not all pups are going to wind up weighing exactly the same. Do you automatically say that the smallest is the runt? Even if there are NO health concerns whatsoever? Do you only claim there to be a runt if there is a smaller one that just isn't quite keeping up with the rest? What if there is a larger pup, but there are maybe some health concerns or slower development? I just want imput from all the other breeder.

Heavens No!.....Not in Yorkie litters anyway. In The past I outcross breed so the puppy sizes vary greatly.
Runts to me are failure to thrive puppies. They do okay or NOT the first few days maybe, then they do not gain weight. They may lay on their side quite a bit or they cry alot. They are not content.
Runts are unhealthy to me. I no longer help them live. My experience is they have serious problems and I do try to save them anymore.
I give them minimal help. If they are strong they live, if they are weak they die.
Sounds horrible I know. But This is my practice.

To me and this is just my opinion. A runt is the smallest by far. Not every litter has one. But they are most likely than not the one that was conceived last. Usually smaller and sometimes not always in health problems. If you have a litter of puppies that are (for example) 6 weeks old all weigh in around 1.5lbs and then there is one that weighs 12 oz, I would call that the runt.
Like I said this is just my OPINION!!

a runt means the smallest in the litter...health has nothing to do with it (most of the time) IMHO. Every one of my litters has a smallest and a largest. The only health issue Ive had (knock on wood or my head) with a runt is the ONE AND ONLY hypoglocemia attack with "Baby"

If a tiny comes out of a standard size breeding IMHO (or at least in my experience) means one of two things she/he was the last conceived or they ran out of room inside of mom and need to catch up, the runts always get the teats first to help them along.

To me a runt is the smallest pup in the litter. Healthy or unhealthy. It does not matter it is just the smallest. most litters have one , But not all. and I think all puppies are worth helping to give a chance to live. My Minnie was the runt of the litter being to me the smallest in that litter.

I have heard a lot of breeders saying that there are two kinds of runts. One being just the smallest pup of the litter and the other being a small sickly dog.

I agree, the runt is the little dude.

we don't use the 'r' word in front of the puppies...lol

I always consider the smallest in a litter the runt, but many times they seem to develop a personality double their size...Napoleon complex, maybe?

Ha! Yeah, wouldn't want them to get their little feelings hurt. ;)

zackly

I never use the word RUNT..don't like it, reminds me of a litter of pigs. I say.."wee baby"..LOL..

:grin2:

me either. i don't use the word "runt" . as kim said above, sometimes the last breeding has a bearing on the size of certain pups. they could be a few days apart in development. i've witnessed this a few times. i have a friend who is a breeder who will say "oh look, so and so throws tiny pups and bigger pups" ummm...ok? that's about all i can say being that i know better. you can have smaller pups (structure wise) along with bigger bone stucture pups. but that is because of the genetics of the parents, their parents and so on. "runts" can be a fluke or they can be from a last conception date. I don't put alot of bearing any more on size in my litters from birth to 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, (sometimes a bit sooner) I can pretty much tell you if a paticular puppy is a genetically "larger" puppy or is a "wee one...hee hee, aka "runt"!! :p :p

Stacy,

That is SO true! My Kia was the tiny one in the litter, and she is the bossiest little 4#s of Yorkie I've ever met! :happyboun (Need I say, I adore her?! :) )

Sheila

That is cute! My Jewels was also the smallest and is the bossy one of my two.

Yes you all are right, I guess I just dont like the runt word and I use it for the occasion small puppy who I can never save.
The smallest puppy is not always sick, many times they arent, sometimes once they get going they are the onriest puppy in the litter!!!! :)

You ought to see Kia in the morning when I am warming their breakfast, she stands there, bossing me, telling me to "Hurry up, I'm starving!"

Or when I've been gone, just a little longer than she thinks is necessary, she stands a few feet away from me, and literally screams at me!

Sheila

The runt is the smallest of the litter but I use bitty or biddy baby.

This being said leads to my second question. When planning to breed Trixie, we took her a couple of times during her 1st heat and again the heat we bred her to test and determine when she was "most fertile." We were aware of the whole 'last one conceived has less time to fully develop' scenerio. This being known, we found what we believe to be her 'most fertile' time and only bred? mated? them 2 days (once in the AM, once in the PM both days) to try to eliminate a 'wee bitty one' from being born...at least because of THIS reason. It seemed to work as we had 4 heatlhy pups w/ none really lagging behind.
This is the first time I've seen this mentioned here. I knew we practiced this, but I was wandering, how many others here do? Is this something that everyone generally does? I found this very interesting (and common sense) when I was preparing myself as a breeder. For those of you who plan accordingly, do you find it makes a difference? (I guess in them being relatively equal in how they have developed when they are born?)

Thanks so much for the Technical Terms - I learn something new everyday here !

hehe :D

tee hee, Villette! I'm with you, I love those technical terms! (I sort of like itty bitty, myself!)

Runts
 

[This being said leads to my second question. When planning to breed Trixie, we took her a couple of times during her 1st heat and again the heat we bred her to test and determine when she was "most fertile." We were aware of the whole 'last one conceived has less time to fully develop' scenerio. This being known, we found what we believe to be her 'most fertile' time and only bred? mated? them 2 days (once in the AM, once in the PM both days) to try to eliminate a 'wee bitty one' from being born...at least because of THIS reason. It seemed to work as we had 4 heatlhy pups w/ none really lagging behind.
This is the first time I've seen this mentioned here. I knew we practiced this, but I was wandering, how many others here do? Is this something that everyone generally does? I found this very interesting (and common sense) when I was preparing myself as a breeder. For those of you who plan accordingly, do you find it makes a difference? (I guess in them being relatively equal in how they have developed when they are born?)[/QUOTE

THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT YOU MAY END UP WITH 1 OR 2 PUPS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY EGGS ARE RELEASED DURING THAT 2 DAYS.

Good terms! I don't like the word runt - it sounds sad.

"Runt" reminds me of the little kid on the playground that is smaller than the rest and doesn't like it :D :D

my baby girl was the itty bitty one (as her breeder put it), and boy is she feisty..hehe

The breeder I bought my furbaby from corrected me when I called the smallest pup a "runt" she told me that all litters have some pups that are smaller than others..She also said the "runt" of the litter usually means an unhealthy pup.

Not always. The tinier one's in a litter may need extra special care at first, but i've never had one to be unhealthy. The only tiny yorkie I've ever had that was unhealthy was due to a liver shunt. He was not one of my puppies, he was a baby I purchased outside of my breed program.

"THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT YOU MAY END UP WITH 1 OR 2 PUPS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY EGGS ARE RELEASED DURING THAT 2 DAYS"

First, the eggs will be ready for fertilization within 48 hours so you have a 2 day window each time. And, I prefer only 1 or 2 puppies in a litter most of the time so it works really well for me.

Dare I say this sounds like my Wee Midget? :p :p

hmmm, now what on earth would make you say that? :)

Perhaps the way the little 4lb B rules the roost!! She's quite the pistol! :D Just ask the 40lb Sheltie!! ;)

gotta love the fiesty ones:) :) :) :) :) :) :)