Labrador Retriever Forum
How often can a stud dog be used. Any problems with using a male every other day for a month or two at a time.
Depends on many factors. The individual dog, his age, the quality of his semen, what he is fed, how he is cared for and how the collections are handled. While I think some very popluar dogs might have several requests that end up being in a short amount of time, I find it hard to believe any dog is used every other day for months at a time.
Did not say months at a time. One or two months. The peak when females come into heat about now. And then again in the spring (April-May)when a lot of females come in heat. And yes there are studs that are bred that often during peak times.
If you are doing natural breeding, it should be ok. I cannot imagine that you are going to have enough females in season to breed every other day for 2 months.
If you are collecting for shipping or freezing, then it might not be good. Every day collections for 5 days can produce 20% loss of sperm. Check the sperm for quality and quantity often.
Thanks Laura! I give each female a minimum 2 natural breedings every other day and more if she is still receptive. Which is 12-15 females a month during peak breeding time. The rest of the year I am not worried about.
Seriously? I hope you are not breeding all these litters yourself! And if you're providing stud service to outside bitches, you need to have the semen evaluated frequently if you have a boy being used that often!
My bitches come in all year round, I wish my they got the memo that they are supposed to be in, in the spring and fall. Do other breeders really notice "peaks"?
Not sure why you would offer more than two breedings if you are doing/requiring progesterone?? If you are trying to manage your stud dog and these are outside bitches, require Progesterone testing so that you can manage your boy's production. If a bitch is Progesterone tested, you should not need more than two breedings to cover her.
I don't think any stud dog is used that much. Every other day for two months. And I have never heard anyone ever say peak season when referring to dogs. Horses, goats, some other animal have season like that, but in 35 years never heard an experience breeder say peak season. A stud could breed everyday for a week but then would need a break I was told by a reproduction Specialist. Yes, I hope you are not breeding that many litters either.
I was thinking the same thing, they are not bunnies. Most of the time when one of my girls comes into season it triggers about 3 to 4 others to come in also. Sometimes this causes some to come in early while one or twp don't come in until another time I have 6 girls.
Who are you? Dickendall Arnold? Haven't heard of a stud dog being used that much or being worth it...for that matter.
I couldn't believe the stud dog was being used that much by reputable breeders -Maybe a stud for puppy mills.
You guys are just too much! Where do you get off judging someone on just an honest question without even knowing hardly any details? Back in the old days of breeding, we never did AIs or Progesterone testing. We bred naturally, as the OPs apparently does. Does that make it wrong? Where does it say he/she is breeding dozens of bitches, let alone dozens of her own bitches? It is suffice to say that if he/she is breeding one or two bitches every other day while they are standing, which could be a week or two, that in two months times that is only 4-8 bitches. I don't know about your bitches, but mine have heat waves. We know when it will happen because our dogs come in heat every 6 months or so and most have their cycles at the same time. We can predict when they will be in heat, as can those who have outside bitches coming. The OP does not specify and frankly it's really none of your nosey business whether or not they are their own or outside or whatever.
It is sad to watch this thread turn into a witch hunt by judgmental bitches,making false assumptions, name calling and denigrating this person who just asked an honest question.
Sheesh, answer the question or leave it alone.
Sorry, but....yes....I guess I do have a problem with someone breeding 8 bitches over two months (using your example). Using that example (again) and the "every six month heat wave excuse" would mean you could be breeding 16 bitches a year. I don't think it is being Elitist to challenge that one.
Great I think we should make you the breeding police since you think that only certain people should breed a certain way and if you don't like it, then you can arrest them, seize all their dogs and throw them in jail. That will save the breed. You're ridiculous! And yes, you are being a very judgmental elitist pig
Thank you, that is exactly why I do not use my real name. Too many Zealots wanting to rip you a part. I love this forum because of the formative information if you can put up with all the insults, back biting, and name calling from the posters that believe they are the Lab breeder police. Luckily a poster can remain anonymous. All I wanted was a simple knowledgable answer. I do not need or want your approval. After 20 years of breeding Labs and 35 years of breeding sporting dogs, My FIELD LAB has gone as far as it can go in 4 Venues of field competition. I have infested over $25,000 dollars in training snd competition. I have one more competition to win, we are half way there, and he will have titled in 5 hunting venues. And yes, we get that many request for breedings. He is everything we have thrived to achieve and others who are breeding their bitches must feel the same way. He has frozen available but the majority of people like natural. We are not a puppy mill and no threat to any show people as we are not interested in Show Labs. I just want to do what is best for our boy and the females owners who want pups from him. By the way he was featured on the cover of one of the national hunting magazines this month. I guess there are a few others that think he is special also.
Congratulations on all your hard work in achieving those titles! I am being very sincere with my congratulations. I know how much hard work goes into training.
Bitches do tend to come in season in bunches.
The best way to keep semen high quality is to have the bitch owner progesterone test. That way she will often only need one breeding. If his sperm quality is very good it can be split in 2 or three parts(depending on his sperm count) and used with an AI.
Doing AI breedings instead of natural is a good way to protect your dog from picking up infections that can ruin sperm forever. You can also check it with each breeding to see how the quality is doing.
I also congratulate you on all the hard work. it is a good thing this is a no name forum. So many bitches. almost egvery thread turns into a witch hunt. think thats why facebook is the norm and this forum has slowed way down. names to be responsible for words.
Thanks for all the good advise. I will use it. To me a successful breeder is secure enough with herself and in her own breeding program that she does not have to belittle and down grade others. Reading the comments offered, I know who the successful breeders are on this forum. Again to them, Thank you.
Search the RTF. If you don't find what you want, post about the best way to manage a stud used frequently. There are some knowledgable breeders there too. I think some field labs are bred to way more often than show studs. Who knows how many Grady litters there were in this year alone; I'd think a minimum of 50. Granted I think he does AI only.
My bitches tend to come in year round as well. But, I do prefer to do winter/spring breedings. Therefore, I will not breed on seasons in the late summer or fall. Therefore, from a stud owners perspective, I can definitely see that requests would be clustered during certain times of the year. That doesn't mean the bitches are only coming in season then. It means people are trying to manage when they have litters as best they can control that.
My bitches come in all year round, I wish my they got the memo that they are supposed to be in, in the spring and fall. Do other breeders really notice "peaks"?
