Hi all
How much would you spend / need to spend on a whelping box and supplies?
I've sourced a second hand wooden box with heat lamp and it comes with lots of useful (new) items for during whelping for £200 but is it cheaper to get everything individually?
It doesn't include everything needed like scales so would still need to get some extra bits

I get the disposable cardboard whelping boxes. I don't have to worry about disinfecting between litters or putting it away when pups are 4wks old, I just throw it out.

If it's made of wood you need to look at how easy and effective it will be to disinfect it.

Our whelping box, made by my husband to a plan of one I saw before, had a floor, 3 ft sides and consisted of two 4 X 4 sections, the first having pig rails round back and 2 sides, with a low section at the front which my bitches could get over, but not the puppies initially.   It had provision to hang a head lamp on that section.  

Once the puppies were up and moving around, we moved the box into the kitchen and added the second 4 X 4 section, removing the front as the end of that section had a hinged door at the end for access. 

This served us well, for many generations.  It did take some storing, even when dismantled however but it had to be strong enough to use with our big Basset puppies.

It cost as much as the wood cost.

I used a traditional open tray wooden whelping box for my first 2 litters.

Then I bought a Puppy playpen with a Plastic tray base.

I still use the base, but with Croft puppy panels (though still have the original plastic coated puppy panels).

I join the panels with zip ties (more reliable than the clips) in the base with a gated one at the front, and one across the top

I then attach cardoard round the outside.

A blanket over the top makes a cosy cave, and alliws for regulating light/visibility.

I use a heat pad for added warmth initially.

Once pups are 3 weeks I dispensed with the waterproof base and extended it with more panels on tiled kitchen floor.

For other costs, you may also need things like, a whelping kit, new vet beds, puppy pads, ID collars, cameras, food bowl/bowls, 'playpen', toys. None are individually expensive, but it does add up!

I use disposable cardboard whelping box.  There really is no reason for a normal whelping kit to cost £200.

I guess it depends on what they are supplying. For my upcoming litter, I have so far ordered
Playpen
Vetbed
Tepo Camera x 2
Hygeine (pads etc)
Night lights
ID collars
Heavy water bowl
Washable bed cover
Totalling £176.
I can't see most of these item being supplied in a kit though!

So it contains
Whelping box with lined flooring insert
Heat lamp on a stand and spare lamp
Puppy formula and 2 x feeding sets
Aspirator syringe
Thermometer
Sterile scissors and stethoscope
ID collars
A heap tone of puppy pads!!
8 x puppy blankets
Lots of disposable towels
Puppy pen for when they're older
Water bowl
Lube, sanitiser and rubber gloves

That sounds very cheap for £200 with whelping box, pen and all the other bits. Where is that advertised? Is it a upvc whelping box?

What you do need to make sure is that everything is sterilised and anything like an aspirator, gloves etc needs to be unopened and already pre sterilised that they have never used. I personally would buy new and if the whelping box is wooden and not upvc I wouldn't touch if it's been used before

You could definitely pick all of that up for not much more than £100 and possibly slightly cheaper.  It's the box you're paying for there.  If you're happy to store it in between uses and it's easily disinfected then it's probably worth it but personally I'd buy separate and a disposable box.