Ideal litter size?

[Circle C]

Any thoughts as to what the ideal litter size is for a healthy 40# cur dog?  Not looking to sale pups, so I don't need her raising a large litter of pups for profit, and I would like to get her back in the woods hunting as soon as possible after whelping.

If she was to have 10 pups, how many would you let her raise, in order to make nursing easier on her, and to help her rebound quicker?

Would you have the same answer if she has 13 pups, or 7 pups?


I am looking for all opinions, as I know there are no absolutes with regards to raising litters, just wondering what the general consensus is.

[Flacracker]

Whiskey my lead bitch had 10 pups yesterday and she ate 4 and one was still born. She has 5 healthy pups now and it seemed to me like she knew what she could handle. They are already spoken for and I look forward to gettin her back in the woods/marsh asap!!

[uglydog]

Chris, 6 pups is a good number in my OPINION.
she should have 8 tits and that leaves some extra room, and should provide enough milk for everybody easily without wearing momma out. However each dog is different with their metabolism. Our Scooter can raise 13 very healthy & clean pups and still gain weight during whelping. I have used her as a serragate mom in the past, so yopu may have a great momma and numbers don't matter. If this is her first litter I would worry more about having her in a secluded comfortable place with low stress. That is what I have had trouble with nervous moms did not want any dogs in the 25ft vicinty or she would get so nervous and smash pups to death.

[Circle C]

It is not her first litter, but I did not own her during her previous litter/litters so I don't know anything about her maternal instincts.

I have had the number of 5 pups in my head, but no real reasoning behind it, other than I don't want to deal with a large litter. I want to be able to keep up with each pup in the litter, and that seems like a difficult task when dealing with larger numbers.

Just thought I would ask the question to see if there were any health reasons that might help justify a lower litter number.

[BarrNinja]

Chris,

A good question. I think it depends on the bitch myself. Some are just better mamas than others for several different reasons. Milk production, number of producing teats, and caring. Mother nature usually sorts things out for me but I have owned bitches in the past that I have had to help out. It usually works out to two thirds (2/3) of the litter for me. There are plenty of exceptions though. Some dogs where just born to reproduce! I have seen litters of 12 not only survive but all stayed fat and sassy right along with mama.

[Randy_P]

Chris, I do not think there is an ideal number. I have had labradors that had 13 and had more milk than they could drink. On the other hand I have had and seen dogs who had 3-5 pups that could not raise enough milk for any of them.  Just because they had 8 teets does not mean there will be an adequate supply to each.  A guy has a plott gyp right now that only has milk in the rear 4 teets.  This is just my observations from many years of puppies from various breeds. 

[Cutter Bay Kennels]

I'd give her plenty of canned food mixed with her normal dry feed.  It will really make her want to keep eating it up.  As for a #, like they said different females keep pups differently.  Personally, I would let her keep them all for the first week, and let natural selection take place.  If at the end of a week, they are all uniform and healthy, that is the # you should stick with.  I have seen the runts out of my hound litters, end up to be the biggest and strongest after 1 year.  Don't underestimate the power of "Nature".  JMO

[cajunl]

If you want the pups real bad and it was a planned breeding in the works for years you will have 2 maybe 3 tops.

If it is an unplanned breeding or an Ohh Sh!t she's pregnant, you will have 15 and all will be fat and happy!

Works everytime

[Monteria]

If it were a choice that I could make, my currently bred bitch would have 3 female pups. That's what I plan to keep out of the litter so I would prefer that was all she had.

Steve

[kevin]

5

[Circle C]

Kevin,

   You're a man of few words.

Steve,
    I won't be keeping the entire litter for myself, but provided she has 5 healthy pups, I will keep 2, and 3 will be placed with friends and hunting partners, none will be sold.

Cajunl,
    This is a planned breeding between the dogs pictured below. Hopefully together they can produce some internet superpuppies   She is due March 25th, and if she only produces a few pups, that is just fine with me.

Annie is the saddleback brindle dog.


Buck

[craig]

i have raised alot of litters with ten, and a couple with 13,but those big litters pull the gyp down, even on the best feed.. 

 i think about 6 pups would be ideal for Annie..

[Scott]

6...that's enough to check how the dogs produce, but not so many that appropriate homes aren't easily found.

[cajunl]

Good luck and hopefully she raises every one.

[matt_aggie04]

First litter I had I kept 8 pups and then I have a had a litter where I kept 9 and another gyp had 4.  The one thing that I saw help the momma dog more than anything was keeping her comfortable, not too hot or cold and then I put Esbilac milk replacer over her feed.  After about three weeks I start trying to wean the pups to which helps her bounce back also.  I think 6 is a good number cause it gives you an extra pup in case something happens to one.

[Black Gold]

"Internet Superpuppies"....That's a good one Chris! 

[tnhillbilly]

If you want the pups real bad and it was a planned breeding in the works for years you will have 2 maybe 3 tops.

If it is an unplanned breeding or an Ohh Sh!t she's pregnant, you will have 15 and all will be fat and happy!

Works everytime

guaranteed, that is exactly what i was thinkin, happens every time.

[sdillard]

If she has more than you want let me know i would be glad to take one off your hands, even if it meant me bottle feeding it 

[3-Bdogs]

6 is good i think but she will know what she can handle and eat the rest that's my experience plus if your wantin these pups like stated above don't worry she won't have but a few and with my experience i have actuall hunted a gyp when her pups were 5wks old not recommending it but it really just depends on the dog in my opinion