My friends been looking at various breeders for a blue merle border collie and one breeder has a 7yr old bitch who has just had a litter is this to old its her 3rd litter but it just seems rather old for a bitch to be having a litter.

No, that's fine. It would be far too old for a first litter, but for a third (and last) there's no problem. The KC won't register pups born after a bitch's 8th birthday. Many breeds are still in their prime at that age.

Yes, I agree 7 is fine.........hopefully it's her last litter though!  My Rosie had a litter before Christmas and she will be 6 in May, that was her 3rd and last litter.............she could easily have another litter, she is fit and well, and an excellent mum, but I feel 6 is old enough,

Two of my bitches had their last litters at 6 1/2 years old at which point they were still in their prime.

It was not unusual in the USA and in Norway for bitches of my breed to still be having litters at 9 or 10 years of age, I assume as they were busy in the showing and hunting field until then.  I think the KC rule of below 8 is about right though.  The advantage of breeding from older animals is that their health status is pretty apparent and if they are fit and healthy at that age then they are unlikely to develop any of the hereditary ills.

I know a breeder whose policy was to breed from a 3 year old bitch for her first litter to an older stud, and then let her have another litter at 7 possibly to a younger stud.  This way she hoped to improve her chances of ensuring she was breeding from proven healthy stock, especially when linebreeding.

As long as it will be th 3rd and final litter and the breeder in question is repected and someone doing good for the breed then there is no problem.  Especially if the mother is in good condidtion.

I have a 11 year old male who has to have an operation, the vets have no problem with putting him under anesetic.  My point is, if the bitch is healthy enough then there shouldn't be a problem.