The American Beagler Forum

We had 2 litters born this week- 13 pups total, 9 males. The odds say that over time about 53% should be males. These two litters are closer to 70% males, so I went back over all breeding records over the last 10 years and find that we have had an overwhelming majority of males born here- just about 68% with nearly 150 pups born during that span. I keep saying that sooner or later the law of averages will take over but that just has not been the case. Anyone have any similar experience or thoughts?

I feel your pain. Over the last seven years we have had five litters. There were a total of 34 pups, 24 of which were male..... right at 70%. In one of the litters there were eight pups, six males, two females... the only pup we lost was one of the females. I know that somewhere there is someone that is having a lot of females to keep the average, but it sure isn't me.

Sounds like someone is definitely dogging your trail.
If all else fails, do as we do, change bulls...lol...Patch

My brother always tells me that it depends on when in the cycle that you breed your dogs. I'm sure it is just an old wives tale, but he swears by it. I think it is if you breed early you get more females. My wife would probably agree, she says that sperm with the female chromozone (sp?) are stronger and therefore can swim further and faster. Earlier would presume that the eggs aren't down the tube as far, so that would make sense then.

Who knows for sure??? Check your dates on the heat cycles and breeding and see what you find out.

Emery

I don't want to reopen the can of worms but I would recommend breeding earlier (AS SOON AS THE FEMALE WILL ACCEPT THE MALE). The goal is to breed BEFORE ovulation. If you breed ANY later, you are favoring males. Of course, breeding ASAP is practical only if the stud is convenient. Best Wishes!

Steve, any of them pups off Mac?

As a matter of practice we always let the dogs determine the best time to breed. Once we see signs that a bitch is entering her cycle, she is tried with the proposed stud every other day until the 10th day, then daily til they tie. A second breeding is done 2 or 3 days later. I've had bitches tie as early as the 7th day and as late as the 15th day from the first sign of blood. I keep track of each bitch as to which day they first stand in order to optimize litter size but so far it's been of little use. On the plus size, my tiny 11 1/2" bitch had 9 pups (first litter) and all look healthy, so I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. Aaron, both these litters are by Mac.

Its good to hear that the old boy still has it. I am not trying to sell any pups for Steve, but if these are anything like the son I have from Mac, then they will make the north country boys some snow dogs. I have a son out of Mac and not that his dam didn't have as much to do with it, but he does a nice job on snow and tough conditions. From what I have heard old Mac himself can run when most others can't.

Steve,

I thought it was just me having bad luck getting female pups....!!! I just went back through my records of the last nine litters and found out of 64 pups males came out ahead at 66%..... Hopefully the law of averages works out, it can only get better for us......right..?!?!

Just a suggestion: You might want to consider what you are doing with the multiple breedings. Each new breeding introduces more sperm - the males being the stronger swimmers yet shorter lived. The concept of breeding ONCE early (before ovulation) is to LET FEMALE SPERM OUT-LIVE their male counterparts so the are more predominant in number when it is time to fertilize. Subsequent breedings guarantee viable males (that have slight advantage over the females) seeking the egg at ovulation. I have NEVER had a female miss early and usually have litters of 6 to 10 each time on single breeding. My feeling is that there are always "extra" sperm regardless of timing. I breed (in-house normally) ONCE as soon as she will accept the male (trying often when time draws near). I have not kept count but I have had slightly more females I think.

Many may not believe me but this past year i had my first litter and had 5 females and 1 male in my litter of 6. But what was funny was that I bred my black tan and blue tic female to a tri color male and this is the only male that was near her while she was in season and i had 3 tri color pups, along with 2 black tan and blue tic pups, and i had a red copper nose pup and in the sire and dams 4 generation pedigree they are no red copper nose dogs.

Sounds like real reliable bloodlines?????????
When you can't get consistant coloring

While colour is of little value in running a rabbit, it does give us a visible means of seeing how throw backs do occur.
The in-line pedigree does not give us the colour of the siblings of the hounds used. Other uncles or aunts back generations may have carried the red colour also...Patch

I must be keeping the average up for all then ,my last litter was 7 females and 1 male.And this has been the norm here for every litter except 1 and that was a split 2 and 2.
Mark

Well, either you've only had 2 litters or you should be applying for a patent...lol...What's your secret?...Patch