# Whelping pen



## Jody Hawk (Sep 18, 2008)

Hey y'all, I'm building a whelping pen for puppies and to put a pregnant females in. Would you use a wire flooring? I thought about some of that composite decking (not wood) at Home Depot with a half inch gap between boards.


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## Singleshot (Sep 18, 2008)

*Floor*

A solid surface inside the enclosed part like a 1 X 6 or similar.  Expanded metal flooring works best on the outside.  You will understand when they step all in the poop!  The expanded metal lets it fall. The wood is very hard to clean.  I have two similar to that although I never use them.  

Good luck


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## tuffdawg (Sep 18, 2008)

WOuldnt use wire, But singleshot has a great idea. Or your could always do a solid bottom covered in a rubber mat. Then it would easily clean with a hose.


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## bad mojo (Sep 18, 2008)

regaurdless of what anyone says use a solid floor and leave yourself a gap so you can wash it out wire mesh floors are to ruff on their pads and if you ever have a dog tear his pad off ya,ll will learn the hard way  how hard it is to heal  that and your dog will be lame for a fairly long time.  and remeber pups feet are not as tuff as a older dogs


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## Twenty five ought six (Sep 18, 2008)

We use a commercial whelping pen, we've never had a bit of trouble with pads, or disease or worms.  If you have a large litter, you will be amazed at the amount of poop that they can generate, and with a solid floor they are going to be walking and rolling in it.

A very heavy gauge wire, plated if possible, is the answer.  I like the idea of expanded metal.


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## stev (Sep 18, 2008)

trex wood


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## Retired Army Guy (Sep 19, 2008)

Jody, sounds like your getting ready to breed some dogs or all ready have.  Who's going to be the lucky mama?

I want to see my Ranger run with Molly.  They're about the same age if I remember correct but Ranger didn’t start hard until after season.  He's about the best dog I’ve ever had at this point. I’m really proud of him.


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## Jody Hawk (Sep 19, 2008)

stev said:


> trex wood



Stev,
That's what I meant by composite decking. I think that Trex wood is the trick but man is it expensive !!!!


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## Canebrake (Apr 15, 2010)

Jody...how did that whelping pen turn out?  What surface did you use on the bottom of the outside run?  Bred a female yesterday and need to start on a pen!  Thnx


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## thomas gose (Apr 15, 2010)

Canebrake said:


> Jody...how did that whelping pen turn out?  What surface did you use on the bottom of the outside run?  Bred a female yesterday and need to start on a pen!  Thnx



canebrake you sure your ready for another female in your life??


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## Canebrake (Apr 15, 2010)

Good point...between you and Jeffrey I've got about all the whining and moanin' I can stand!


Heard you got slammed in the dirt cause you bucked up about a roto-tiller???  Graham put you in that arm bar?


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## thomas gose (Apr 15, 2010)

Canebrake said:


> Good point...between you and Jeffrey I've got about all the whining and moanin' I can stand!
> 
> 
> Heard you got slammed in the dirt cause you bucked up about a roto-tiller???  Graham put you in that arm bar?



I havnt been slammed since the pony especially not by one of yall! this pen is exactly what yall need to build though. looks good jody hawk!


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## Canebrake (Apr 15, 2010)

yea...this is kinda what I had in mind with a locking door on the whelping house...just not sure what is the best thing to use for the sides and bottom of the run? 

2 X 4 wire and decking on the bottom or some of that corrugated plastic paneling on the bottom?


I heard you had a pop knot on that noggin' from a man you outweighed by nearly 100 pounds???


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## Canebrake (Apr 15, 2010)

gotta lock it cause you know every bird hunter from here to Lamar County is going to be after some of them pups!


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## thomas gose (Apr 15, 2010)

[2 X 4 wire and decking on the bottom or some of that corrugated plastic paneling on the bottom?


I heard you had a pop knot on that noggin' from a man you outweighed by nearly 100 pounds???[/QUOTE]

some kind of welded wire would probably work best with a small grid Ill ask Mr Bud what he used on his. No pop knot just a scratch from his wifes rist watch! she keeps it on him so he will know when to come home.


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## alagreg (Apr 18, 2010)

Wife has dachshunds, she uses large hard rubber floor protector sheets. Just washes em down with bleach. Each dog has a big box, sheeting pops right out. Sometimes she uses a kids playpen w/ the sheeting cut to fit. When pups are older... the washable bedpads the hospitals use go in the bottom of the play pen, change em daily and instant clean. Big breed pups the flooring sheets would be a breeze, she says.


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## Sunshine1 (Apr 19, 2010)

One thing I've learned from our first whelping pen is that it isn't big enough. We have black and tan coonhounds and they grow super fast. They have outgrown their current pen and we are fixing to enlarge it soon. The amount of poop is unbelievable!!!!!! I spray it out 3 times a day. ( Wish we had used some sort of small wire for the flooring) I let the puppies out for about 2 hours a day to run around. The husband built them a play yard but then he bought 2 pigs and gave the yard to them. So looks like another pen is in order now. 

Big breeds need big pens. What kind of dog do you have??


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## Canebrake (Apr 19, 2010)

I was thinking about building the pen about 5' wide X 12' Long and 4' tall with a  whelping box/house on the end that measure about 5'wide X 5' Long X 4' tall

Do those dimensions sound about right to hold the setter pups for a few weeks?


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## Cottontail (Apr 19, 2010)

By now these jody Hawk pups are 2 years old he built this whelping pen in 2008!!


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## Canebrake (Apr 19, 2010)

which is why we were wanting to know how it turned out.


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## pitbulls25 (May 12, 2010)

Use  1 x 1 pvc coated wire.  It will be soft enough for the puppies. It is also easy to wash out and not hard on the puppies feet and most feces will fall through on its own.


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