building a whelping box this weekend, WHAT SIZE??

**KingstonTodd** · 08-21-2009, 09:59 PM

Its getting about that time. Hershey is due in 3 weeks so we are building her whelping box this weekend for her to start sleeping in. We built a wood one last time and EH, it was OK. I will be doing the rounds of Home Depot tomorrow looking at meterial. Anyway, do any of you use a commercial whelpingbox, and do you think its worth the money? I spend about 100$ on supplies to build my own but would pay more for a commercial one if I could be convinved it was better.

Jac · 08-21-2009, 10:13 PM

Todd, I answered and lost it...soooo excited about your pups!

I wrote the same thing when Maila asked about whelping boxes...I found the post...includes pictures:
whelping-box-t11461.html?hilit=whelping box

**KingstonTodd** · 08-21-2009, 10:36 PM

I am pretty excited too, especially for this litter being in the summer. OPEN WINDOWS!!! And some grass to play on! It should be great. Hershey is so lazy, and such a love bug right now. I am pretty sure I will build another one. We saved the last one, but they scraped it up pretty good and we cant be sure its "super clean" since there are so many little claw marks, so its going to the next bon fire. That got me thinking that if I am going to spend 100-150$ or more every time, maybe I should buy one of those PVC hard plastic panel ones, and use it for the next many litters. So I am more interested in a review of http://www.thewhelpingbox.com/id2.html, with the puppy play yard, since we are dreaming make believe right now.

Jac · 08-21-2009, 10:57 PM

Oh, you are going to love the timing of this litter! So much easier!

Can't wait to meet our boy...

The whelping box you have linked is one that I have looked at many times. I like the lift-out section and I love the two pieces. I don't know how much it weighs, it depends on what it is made of, but if you say it is the hard plastic that would be great.

There is one whelping box that breeders have used and they love it but it is not solid...I mean when you are kneeling inside, and you get up and put weight on the box to get a little lift...the box bends!

So, that would be my only concern.

I do like the door and the extra part for potty time...although I have always made something similar with the x-pen and my pups potty in one side...personally, I think I like the heavy coated shelving that we used, without the bottom (love that part) and then I think that I'd like to build a "slider" door and hook it to this cute plastic x-pen: http://www.dog.com/item/iris-plastic-pe ... 34/192193/

It has a door so if you could secure it to the walls of the whelping box, it could be used the same as the extra portion of the whelping box.

Honestly, I think that the big, plastic kiddie pool is just as good...and MUCH cheaper! I once saw a breeder use the kiddie pool and attach the swimming "noodle" to the sides as a pig rail...cool!

Like you, I don't like using the wood...did you see the page 2 of that link? I posted my new whelping box...made for my last litter...with plastic pvc pipe pig rails...I like that a lot...again, I love the bottomless box!

Mhyles30 · 08-21-2009, 11:48 PM

Hello Todd, Jac,

I really like the plastic pen Jac. I will still stick to the wading pool for whelping, we'll try the noodles next time. I will have them in the x-pen once they are able to climb the pool.

Have a good weekend,
Maila

Diane at DVL · 08-22-2009, 11:48 AM

Hi Todd - I bought this box: http://www.glendalefarmcollies.com/glen ... am_049.htm . I loved it. I bought the 'grow with me' model and when the pups were 3.5 weeks, I took out the pig rails, added the 2 ft extension and put in a litter box. I changed the door to a side-open, to avoid pinching little paws. I got the 16 inch sides - the puppies couldn't climb out until about 6.5 weeks (medium ALD's). I think the 24 inch sides would make it WAY too heavy to easily change the bedding and the moms would have difficulty getting in and out without my help in opening the door. There is no floor (fewer corners to clean) so the sides hold down the bedding and the mom can't dig and cover the babies. The room I use is carpeted, so I put down a vinyl flooring remnant, a shower curtain, hospital pads, and then fleece. The only thing I didn't care for is that the little 4 inch high dividing wall between the potty area is wood, and it did get chewed on (but easy enough to replace). That is probably my fault as I think I really need to move them to a x-pen environment sooner next time

.

Just an FYI - I bought the fleece here: http://www.fourflags.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.3958/.f . This allowed me to cut it to the size I needed to tuck it under the sides of the box with no problems. Most of the precut fleece you see would not have been large enough.

My phone number is on my website if you want to talk about it, or have any more questions.

**KingstonTodd** · 08-22-2009, 12:03 PM

Thanks for the link Diane, its made of wood so I could build one like that easily. But their pictures did give me a better idea of how to contrict my corners, something I was unhappy with last time. So thanks!!

Now what about size? We did 4x4x24" last time. I liked the hieght, very few escapes, and only in the last week or so and they just hopped into the play area next to the box. The 4x4 seemed way to big until after about 5or 6 weeks, and then they had a play area anyway. I am thinking maybe 3x3? My mom is standard, 21" 60 lbs (normally).

08-21-2009, 09:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
KingstonTodd Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,005	building a whelping box this weekend, WHAT SIZE?? Its getting about that time. Hershey is due in 3 weeks so we are building her whelping box this weekend for her to start sleeping in. We built a wood one last time and EH, it was OK. I will be doing the rounds of Home Depot tomorrow looking at meterial. Anyway, do any of you use a commercial whelpingbox, and do you think its worth the money? I spend about 100$ on supplies to build my own but would pay more for a commercial one if I could be convinved it was better.

08-21-2009, 10:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: northern California Posts: 9,243	Re: building a whelping box this weekend Todd, I answered and lost it...soooo excited about your pups! I wrote the same thing when Maila asked about whelping boxes...I found the post...includes pictures: whelping-box-t11461.html?hilit=whelping box

08-21-2009, 10:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
KingstonTodd Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,005	Re: building a whelping box this weekend I am pretty excited too, especially for this litter being in the summer. OPEN WINDOWS!!! And some grass to play on! It should be great. Hershey is so lazy, and such a love bug right now. I am pretty sure I will build another one. We saved the last one, but they scraped it up pretty good and we cant be sure its "super clean" since there are so many little claw marks, so its going to the next bon fire. That got me thinking that if I am going to spend 100-150$ or more every time, maybe I should buy one of those PVC hard plastic panel ones, and use it for the next many litters. So I am more interested in a review of http://www.thewhelpingbox.com/id2.html, with the puppy play yard, since we are dreaming make believe right now.

08-21-2009, 10:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: northern California Posts: 9,243	Re: building a whelping box this weekend Oh, you are going to love the timing of this litter! So much easier! Can't wait to meet our boy... The whelping box you have linked is one that I have looked at many times. I like the lift-out section and I love the two pieces. I don't know how much it weighs, it depends on what it is made of, but if you say it is the hard plastic that would be great. There is one whelping box that breeders have used and they love it but it is not solid...I mean when you are kneeling inside, and you get up and put weight on the box to get a little lift...the box bends! So, that would be my only concern. I do like the door and the extra part for potty time...although I have always made something similar with the x-pen and my pups potty in one side...personally, I think I like the heavy coated shelving that we used, without the bottom (love that part) and then I think that I'd like to build a "slider" door and hook it to this cute plastic x-pen: http://www.dog.com/item/iris-plastic-pe ... 34/192193/ It has a door so if you could secure it to the walls of the whelping box, it could be used the same as the extra portion of the whelping box. Honestly, I think that the big, plastic kiddie pool is just as good...and MUCH cheaper! I once saw a breeder use the kiddie pool and attach the swimming "noodle" to the sides as a pig rail...cool! Like you, I don't like using the wood...did you see the page 2 of that link? I posted my new whelping box...made for my last litter...with plastic pvc pipe pig rails...I like that a lot...again, I love the bottomless box!

08-21-2009, 11:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
Mhyles30 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pueblo West, CO Posts: 105	Re: building a whelping box this weekend Hello Todd, Jac, I really like the plastic pen Jac. I will still stick to the wading pool for whelping, we'll try the noodles next time. I will have them in the x-pen once they are able to climb the pool. Have a good weekend, Maila __________________ www.coloradomountainlabradoodles.com

08-22-2009, 11:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
Diane at DVL Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 65	Re: building a whelping box this weekend Hi Todd - I bought this box: http://www.glendalefarmcollies.com/glen ... am_049.htm . I loved it. I bought the 'grow with me' model and when the pups were 3.5 weeks, I took out the pig rails, added the 2 ft extension and put in a litter box. I changed the door to a side-open, to avoid pinching little paws. I got the 16 inch sides - the puppies couldn't climb out until about 6.5 weeks (medium ALD's). I think the 24 inch sides would make it WAY too heavy to easily change the bedding and the moms would have difficulty getting in and out without my help in opening the door. There is no floor (fewer corners to clean) so the sides hold down the bedding and the mom can't dig and cover the babies. The room I use is carpeted, so I put down a vinyl flooring remnant, a shower curtain, hospital pads, and then fleece. The only thing I didn't care for is that the little 4 inch high dividing wall between the potty area is wood, and it did get chewed on (but easy enough to replace). That is probably my fault as I think I really need to move them to a x-pen environment sooner next time . Just an FYI - I bought the fleece here: http://www.fourflags.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.3958/.f . This allowed me to cut it to the size I needed to tuck it under the sides of the box with no problems. Most of the precut fleece you see would not have been large enough. My phone number is on my website if you want to talk about it, or have any more questions. __________________ Diane

08-22-2009, 12:03 PM	#7 (permalink)
KingstonTodd Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,005	Re: building a whelping box this weekend Thanks for the link Diane, its made of wood so I could build one like that easily. But their pictures did give me a better idea of how to contrict my corners, something I was unhappy with last time. So thanks!! Now what about size? We did 4x4x24" last time. I liked the hieght, very few escapes, and only in the last week or so and they just hopped into the play area next to the box. The 4x4 seemed way to big until after about 5or 6 weeks, and then they had a play area anyway. I am thinking maybe 3x3? My mom is standard, 21" 60 lbs (normally).

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