How To Breed
Breeding a litter of greyhounds is a life time responsibility and serious consideration should go in to your decision on whether to breed. Greyhounds can live up to approximately 12 years of age, and breeding must come with a commitment to the greyhounds full life cycle.
Want to breed ? Here is what you need to know.
Licencing
To become a breeder licencing must first be obtained from the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC). You must complete the appropriate paperwork including questionnaire in order to be approved as a Breeder. Head to the GWIC website for this application form and information.
Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission also provides Breeding Code of Practice. This is currently under review, and a new Code of Practice is expected to be released shortly. The Code of Practice sets out minimum expectations to participants licencing, infrastructure and alike.
Brood Bitch
Brood Bitch selection is typically where most breeders start. Reasons for selecting a Brood Bitch are varied, but could include:
- Racing Career
- Bloodlines – comes from a high producing Dam Line
- Temperament
It is important to understand the regulations on Breeding and criteria that must be met in order to continue to breed with your selected Brood Bitch. See www.gwic.nsw.gov.au for this information and respective forms.
NSW Breeder Martin Hallinan give us his insight to Brood Bitch selection:
“I will assess each of our females for their temperament, racing traits and performance plus bloodlines. Performance isn’t everything, they really need to have the right temperament. I might have a bitch that only raced moderately but there is something about her I like. You need to then track how things go, you can’t continue to use a brood bitch where she doesn’t produce suitable off spring.” – Martin Hallinan
The NSW Greyhound Racing Rules provide limitations on the breeding of females over the age of 8 years, and for breeding of more than 3 litters without permission.
See www.gwic.nsw.gov.au for more information.
Stud Dog
Stud Dog selection then needs to be made based upon your Brood Bitch. Again theories differ, but reasons for Stud selection might be:
- Racing Career
- Bloodlines
- Progeny record
The NSW GBOTA is currently working on providing a comprehensive Stud Dog directory, in the interim Stud Dog information can be found on websites like Greyhound Data or in Greyhound Publications such as National Greyhound Form, The Chase & Greyhound Recorder.
NSW’s largest breeders, the Wheeler family share information around their Sire selection process:
“We will first look at the Brood Bitches racing traits, if she was slow out but strong we would select a sire that offers speed in order to seek a more rounded off spring. Same applies if the Brood Bitch is fast we would look for strength. We would also assess the bloodline of the Brood Bitch and decide if we need to introduce an international line to the off spring. In the end we may narrow to two or three selections, we would then review what worked in other similar breeding breeding lines. ” – Brendan Wheeler
Budget
It is imperative that prior to breeding you understand and can manage the costs involved in breeding a litter.
The below is an approximate guide, costs will vary depending on region, range of services available and breeders selections.
Item | Notes | Approximate Cost |
---|---|---|
Licencing | May include:
GWIC fee schedule is available here |
$600+ |
Stud Service | Depending on Sire selection this can vary between | $1,000 – $20,000 |
Veterinary Fees | Veterinary Fees vary depending on the type of service undertaken. A mix of the below would therefore need to be considered, with an exact care plan worked through with your local veterinarian:
|
$1500+ |
Ongoing Treatments | Flea & worming treatment / tablets | $20 per month |
Nutrition | Quality nutrition is required from an early stage. GRNSW’s Code Of Practice speaks to introduction of solids timing, but you must also consider items such as bones for dental care assistance also. | variable |
Equipment | You should ensure you have an adequate whelping area, hot water bottles, shredded paper is advisable for easy cleaning. | $1000+ depending on needs |
Vaccinations | C5 between weeks 6-8 & C5 between weeks 10-16, some veterinarians may recommend further booster injections. See rules relating to vaccinations here | $75+ |
Rearing | Process where by greyhound is given adequate shelter, nutrition and care typically 3 months – 14 months of age. | $70~100 per week ($3500~$5000 approximately) per greyhound |
Education (break in course) | Courses vary from 3 – 6 weeks depending on the establishment undertaking the education process. This education is critical to the greyhounds understanding of exiting a starting box, chasing race lures and finishing a race or trial. Educators book out early, so it is always advisable to plan well ahead. | $150 per week |
Pre Training | Can be undertaken by trainer or specific pre trainers, and would include lead and handling work, more rigorous exercise and trialling. Different approaches apply to this process in terms of number of weeks between Education conclusion and commencement of racing. | $100 ~ $150 per week |
The NSW GBOTA has created a excel document to allow Breeders to track their greyhounds. This file looks to assist with having information centralised and easy to access for form completion.