Labrador Retriever Forum
The thing is, "if everything goes right" is an important part of the equation. Therefore, I am much more comfortable getting a breeding done pretty much as soon as reasonable after ovulation and then another two days later. If you just do one, it is best to do it later and then if something goes wrong it is too late. If you do two, you can do one during the early part of the window and then you do another while the window is still open. You are covered if everything does not go right with either shipment. You have also covered the bitch who doesn't read the textbook and moves along faster or slower than average.
In the case of negotiating a weekend as in the breeding from this thread, a single breeding may be the only choice. It is good to know that even if everything doesn't go perfectly, we can still get it done a high percentage of the time.
Did you do another progesterone or run with the 4.7?
Please let us know when you have time.
We went with the 4.7. Then on top of that the shipment looked poor with only about 30% motility which they then spun down prior to insemination. We sure are thankful for 10 happy/healthy pups! Was not the ideal breeding situation all the way around. First time we've dealt with the weekend getting in the way of progesterone draws and shipping.
Those stud dog owners are right.
Every time we've done 1 breeding we don't miss and don't wind up with small litters. It's all in the progesterone testing done right and then the timing being correct.
FYI, If you use IDEXX, your vet can request same day results. IDEXX picks up before noon and your vet will have results by 5 o'clock. Too many vets aren't aware of this option with IDEXX. All they have to do is call and ask.
In the last 5 years, we've had 1 shipment lost in a snow storm, 1 routed to the wrong flight and ended up in the wrong part of the country, 1 poor quality collection (received and AI'd), and 1 family problem of a stud owner which caused a delay in shipment... The last 3 were planned single shipment breedings and each bitch missed. The first 1 was a 2 shipment breeding where the first shipment was lost but the second shipment came through and we had 8 pups.
Admittedly, this was a streak of bad luck because the previous 10 years before the unlucky streak we only had 2 misses and those were due to the same bitch who we learned needed to be bred earlier than the textbook says (and we never missed after that). Each of the recent misses were bred the next season successfully so the world did not end.
But I still maintain that if everything goes right, 1 breeding is just fine. But planning 2 shipments is smart because of the potential for things to go wrong. Besides, with stud fees as high as they have become, I feel no guilt asking the stud owner to ship twice.
Those stud dog owners are right.
Every time we've done 1 breeding we don't miss and don't wind up with small litters. It's all in the progesterone testing done right and then the timing being correct.
FYI, If you use IDEXX, your vet can request same day results. IDEXX picks up before noon and your vet will have results by 5 o'clock. Too many vets aren't aware of this option with IDEXX. All they have to do is call and ask.
