I know its been posted on a topic before and very recently, but can't find it.

Please can people post on here the whole cost of raising a litter, your average one and also costs of what people put by for emergancies.
Also the downside to breeding - like loosing bitches, puppies etc.

I am wanting this so I can forward this onto people who I know who are wanting to breed a litter and that they have a fair idea of what they are looking at - the honest truth about it.

Thanks

So far its cost me £200 and that's without the litter being produced.  Luckily I didn't have to pay the stud fees which would have totalled £750+, for both goes.

If you agree stud after litter or pick of the litter it can work out better.  My £200 also included vets bills for blood tests, which you can get away with and petrol for the stud visits.  Forgot the scans in that which bumped the price up, again you can get away with that if you're ok playing the waiting game, which i wasn't.  A week felt like a month.

I also had the inintal outlay for supplies/equiptment, mainly a one off fee.  Being new I wanted good dtuff and to do it properly, i saw vids on you tube where just on paper or a blanket which put me off, so nice cosy bed ect (as you do lol) and a heater.

i think its recommended (from other posts) about £1000 incase of c-section or arrange with your vet a payment plan, I guess.  This is as far as i got but other costs could be food, vets if anything wrong, jabs if doing, I've always bought a pup with first jabs but think a lot don't for various reasons.  Kc reg and advertising.  Then reg per dog.

My breeder says you maybe get the price of a pup back if you're lucky.  Her last two breeds broke even.

> i think its recommended (from other posts) about £1000 incase of c-section

at a minimum. I know my friend has paid nearly £2000 in vets fees for her litter of  4.
£750 for a cesar,
£400 for emergency treatment for the bitch for post whelping problems
£800 for investigative scans for the puppies heart murmur problems. This is a breed where murmurs are not common and could not have been predicted.
Then there  is the stud fee, health tests, food costs, registrations and probably many other things too.

My brother paid out hundreds in breed related tests, stud fee, etc.  Cost approx £1000 before litter confirmed.  Then bitch went over dates so several visits @ £30 a time.  Then x-rays and emergency caesar, emergency spey and 2 day stay.  They almost lost the bitch, and the only pup was born dead.  They were very lucky to have a live, speyed bitch at the end.

This doesn't include the cost of a 'top notch' bitch, the showing costs, travelling, feeding etc.  He had several mentors in a breed known for easy whelping.

Total outlay @£3,000     Total income £0

I make sure I have at least £2000 before starting, and access to at least a further £1000 ;)  

Well, without the litter hitting the ground, it's cost me in excess of £3,000!!  I'd set aside a couple of thousand for difficulties at birth, possible C-sections, anything, etc etc.

Food and wormers for the one litter will be coming in over £300 (Mum and pups). Registration fees will be in excess of £150, litter screening (eyes) £34 (I think).

Equipment ... well, you can say that's spread over a number of litters. That's fine if there are a number of litters, but one can never bank on having a further litter!!

I am in the process of putting together a spreadsheet of costings - it's been a 3 year planned litter, and it's my first so I'm in a position to be able to list all the outgoings involved so far. Not sure I'd want to make prices public, but certainly once I've sorted it I'd be happy to send you an outline of the items on it ... wouldn't take too long for prospective new breeders to fill in their own prices and be horrified!!

I'd agree that a litter will cost an average of £1800, which includes maternal health tests and stud fee, travel etc.

Any unexpected/emergency vet treatment is extra.

So working on £2000 expected plus a £1000 contingencies will hopefully cover things.

Thanks guys for this.
Brainless i'm sure you put up a detailed listing before of how much different items cost etc which I read recently, i'm sure it was you the more I think about it?

It wasn't you Brainless, done a search and finally found the link

http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/121110.html

Thanks

I know I did one years ago.

I haven't costed up the current litter yet.

Slightly different topic, but getting the pup that is going to Australia chipped, was £28, puppy Vaccs (minus lepto) £55, Kennel Cough vacc £10.50 and the 4 blood tests required and front-line spray £225.93. 

I was thinking that £150 would cover the lot.  Fortunately the new owner is reimbursing these extra costs.

I know it is costing her about £1400 to get the pup there, plus the cost of a months quarantine.  What did the Vet nurse say.  Oh they'll make their money back when they breed from her, no way are they likely to recoup the investment.