winter pups

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Shotgun John
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winter pups

Post by Shotgun John »

If she took, I hope to have a litter of winter pups. This will be the first for me. How are your whelping pens set up for winter pups and what tips can you give me. Any pics of your set up would be most helpful.

south mtn beagles
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Re: winter pups

Post by south mtn beagles »

Shotgun John wrote:If she took, I hope to have a litter of winter pups. This will be the first for me. How are your whelping pens set up for winter pups and what tips can you give me. Any pics of your set up would be most helpful.
i'm most likey not the best to learn from but here's my two cents worth,I have a pen that is set up for the pup and mom,they have a ceramic hearter mounted to the side that will keep the air about 50-60 degree's and also have plans for a puppy pad that they can lay on for extra warmth as well as a plexi glass swinging door that I can lock shut or let it swing or open it all together as well as a termonitor to watch the temp.the pups after birth mom will do most of the work but watch her close due to sometimes they will lay on them and kill them,deworm the mom asap and deworm the pups a two weeks,start mom on a good puppy food of your choice.

As far as the pics go look at the pics of the poop chute I think they are some on there of my liitle puppy pen.

bunnybuster24
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Re: winter pups

Post by bunnybuster24 »

I guess you could say I am either unlucky or just stupid but the last two years I have raised multiple litters of pups for myself and others in the coldest time of the year. The most important thing is if you can control the tempature you will save pups.

I had an old storage shed on my place that we never used for anything so I turned it into a mini whelping barn. I attached 4x8 runs on the outside and built whelping boxes on the inside. Normally all I need to do is put bedding in there and a heat lamp and the box stays about 80 degrees. However, since it has been down in the teens this last week, I also put a heater in there and you will sweat when you walk in there now. In the other whelping box I have one of the round heating pads and it works great. No, heat lamp required or heater. It was quite pricey but well worth the money. Another tip, I will give you is alot of people will tell you to make your box smaller so as not to lose heat. I make mine huge 4'x4' with a rail in it. The reason being is I havent had a smashed puppy since doing this nor have I lost pups. I feel it is easier to add a little heat due to the size of the box than have to worry about the female getting hot,cranky,cramped up and smashing pups.

You can make basically the same set up using a above ground kennel. I have two built that I have outside and could use if needed. I put plywood, then put TYVEX, and then put barn metal over top of it. These boxes stay warm in the winter as well and you can also pre-wire your lighting in which will save you some time later.

If needed I can take some pictures tommorrow and post them if it will help you out.
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Shotgun John
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Re: winter pups

Post by Shotgun John »

bunnybuster24 wrote:
If needed I can take some pictures tommorrow and post them if it will help you out.

Pics would be appreciated. I am working with an existing welping box, but would like to build something better in the future. Thanks.

hurryup
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Re: winter pups

Post by hurryup »

bunnybuster24 wrote:I guess you could say I am either unlucky or just stupid but the last two years I have raised multiple litters of pups for myself and others in the coldest time of the year. The most important thing is if you can control the tempature you will save pups.

I had an old storage shed on my place that we never used for anything so I turned it into a mini whelping barn. I attached 4x8 runs on the outside and built whelping boxes on the inside. Normally all I need to do is put bedding in there and a heat lamp and the box stays about 80 degrees. However, since it has been down in the teens this last week, I also put a heater in there and you will sweat when you walk in there now. In the other whelping box I have one of the round heating pads and it works great. No, heat lamp required or heater. It was quite pricey but well worth the money. Another tip, I will give you is alot of people will tell you to make your box smaller so as not to lose heat. I make mine huge 4'x4' with a rail in it. The reason being is I havent had a smashed puppy since doing this nor have I lost pups. I feel it is easier to add a little heat due to the size of the box than have to worry about the female getting hot,cranky,cramped up and smashing pups.

You can make basically the same set up using a above ground kennel. I have two built that I have outside and could use if needed. I put plywood, then put TYVEX, and then put barn metal over top of it. These boxes stay warm in the winter as well and you can also pre-wire your lighting in which will save you some time later.

If needed I can take some pictures tommorrow and post them if it will help you out.
totally agree with you. sounds like mine.
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TC
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Re: winter pups

Post by TC »

Here is a good thread on whelping in cold temps and what a lot of us have done...
http://americanbeagler.huntingboards.co ... 14&t=51425
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Pulpwood725
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Re: winter pups

Post by Pulpwood725 »

My wife agrees with BunnyBlaster. Bigger is better!

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S.R.Patch
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Re: winter pups

Post by S.R.Patch »

I went to Willet Randall's old place and it looked like he had a whelping room right off the side of the house(a enclosed breezeway that connected to the barn). Also, chicken and rabbit rearing in a room off the other end of the house(Ahhh, to live the life of a bachelor). He could milk the cow, gather the eggs, skin a rabbit for dinner, feed the pups and never have to wade the snow or face the bitter wind of winter to do it.

I tell you, I've seen it from both ends. Really good mothers that took the care with their pups and, really wiry pups that fought and struggled to live and made even a average mother look like mother Teresa. The vigor of the pups has alot to do with it, I've seen it and fought to keep the weaklings but, there are some that don't jump to suck, and there are others that will crawl and wiggle relentlessly to nurse and gain warmth from laying atop the mother's milk bar.
It's hard to loose when you got a bitch that gives you stout pups... ;)

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Kazoo
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Re: winter pups

Post by Kazoo »

Getting ready to whelp my first winter litter next week. Have a nice setup in the barn but momma says it's too cold for pups. So as I sit here at the computer the mother to be is just outside the door in the hall way. My whelping box fit, 3 x 4 with a rail, and she has more room than in the kennel. Whelping should be interesting but not looking forward to a litter in the house for 5 or 6 weeks.

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