Female's heat cycle

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warddog
Posts: 2333
Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2002 4:58 pm
Location: Jasonville, Indiana

Female's heat cycle

Post by warddog »

I've got two females that are coming 9 years old that seem to NOT be coming into heat. One of them came in last year but I caught her late and if the other one did I sure never realized it. Normally that one is NO problem telling. Neither one of them have ever been bred so I'm wondering if they may only come in once a year or maybe not at all due to age. Anyone have any experience with this as I never have?

Newt
Posts: 5358
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:42 am

Re: Female's heat cycle

Post by Newt »

I've got two similar, eight and nine. Both are as good as I have owned in fifty years of beagles.
The eight year old,Bertie, came in after nine months. It was obvious. I bred her last year and she produced no pups. This time I bred her and she produced one male pup. Her mother, Trudy, One of the last Kalagha bitches, was bred after she was ten years old and her last litter produced four. I sold Trudy when she was eight. The new owner bred her at least three more times. I think she had from four to six pups each litter.
The nine year old, Hannah, has been in my care since last summer. She finally came in heat three weeks ago, I think. There was very little swelling and little blood. I noticed a pink discharge and she did flag when with a male. I left her with a male for about a week but didn't see them mate. It will be a couple more weeks before I will know if she is pregnant.

Shady Grove Beagles
Posts: 1702
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: east,Tn..

Re: Female's heat cycle

Post by Shady Grove Beagles »

I think the biggest issue you guys have is old bitches,especially the ones that have never been bred or had a litter before.
Put in human terms,you're talking about breeding grannies !
As bitches get older their heat cycles often become irregular and sometimes the heat is not accompanied by ovulation.
You can try taking them to a vet. and have him give them a FSH [ follicle stimulating hormone ] shot. If that brings them in to heat the vet. will then give them a LSH [ lutinizing stimulating hormone ] shot and breed them 48 hours later.
People that raise show dogs consider the prime breeding years for a bitch to be between 3-5 years old. Many breed clubs will not recognize litters from bitches whelping after 8 years of age.
I've been around hounds for 50 years now and yes I've known of a bunch of guys that have bred old bitches to get that last litter out of the old girl. Some are successful and many are not. Old females are not a great risk for raising good healthy pups that survive to weaning. Their uterus' are not nearly as elastic as a young animal and that can cause whelping issues. Older female's uterus' often aren't capable of nourishing the pups they are carrying adequately and you can get small / weak pups.
Elbert Vaughn who was one of the most well known breeders of Bluetick coon hounds in the U.S.A. and known nationally as "Mr. Bluetick" said in an interview " I would much rather have pups out of a bitch when she's young than when she's old even when the same cross". He felt that pups were of a higher quality from the bitch when she was young as opposed to at the end of her reproductive years.
Raising three litters out of a female after she is 8 years old is really taxing on an older dog...................... JMHO as always.
Home of a true hunting beagle that run to catch

Rabbithoundjb
Posts: 4516
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 4:30 pm
Location: Rocky Mount, NC

Re: Female's heat cycle

Post by Rabbithoundjb »

I agree Dana, I have never bred 1 over 8 years old. I have also never bred an old dog that hasn't had pups before. I prefer to breed at 3/4 years old. I have bred some 7/8 years old but like you said there's a good chance you get small litters of less healthy, strong pups.

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