Here is an update for our Upcoming English White Cream litter with Duchess (our European English white cream female) and Huxley (our European English white cream male):
JULY 1ST UPDATE:
On Monday, July 1st, Duchess started her heat cycle which will last for approximately 21-24 days. Her mating period with Huck (called the estrous stage when conception occurs), usually occurs about 11-15 days after the heat begins, or around July 14th. After the mating portion of the heat ends, a 63-day count down begins until the birth of the litter. That means the birth of this litter will be sometime in mid to late September. If Duchess successfully conceives during her mating period, the puppies from this upcoming litter will be ready to go home to their new owners possibly as early as Friday, November the 15th. If you are on the waiting list for Huck and Duchess' upcoming litter and there are enough pups for you to get one, another key date to remember is Friday Oct 18th thru Sunday the 20th which is the earliest date when you will come to pick your puppy from the litter at 5 weeks of age (this could change depending on the actual birth date). These estimates could change up to a week earlier and possibly 2 weeks later than what we are estimating depending on when conception occurs during Duchess' heat cycle and the actual birth date of the litter.
JUNE 20TH UPDATE:
Huck and Duchess' last litter of pups were born in May 2023. When it came time to breed them in the Winter of 2023, there were very few people on the waiting list at that time. Since there are extra challenges and expenses for us to have a late Winter / Early Spring litter (e.g., snow on the ground, heating the nurseries, draining water supply lines to prevent freezes, etc.), we chose to postpone the Winter/Spring litter until the Summer of 2024.
We plan our upcoming litters based on a 6 to 8 month span of time between heat cycles of the female, which translate to 6 to 8 months between the birth dates of the litters. However, it is not an exact science with every cycle so that we can predict it with certainty. There are a number of contributing factors such as: the season of the last litter, was a heat cycle for breeding skipped, what is the progress with our other females due to go into heat during this time, physiological changes as each female ages, and the environmental conditions (mild winters and summers vs. colder winters and hotter summers). As such, heat cycles can come one to two a months early, or one to two months late.
Our role is to observe, adjust, and provide updates when we know something. We never use drugs or chemicals to delay or bring on a heat cycle in our females. We trust nature and the normal progression of our Goldens. It works well and we think it extends longevity.
Originally, we had estimated our upcoming English white cream litter to be possibly as early as August 2024. Our latest estimate, based on contributing factors, is now in the Sept-Oct time frame. Once Duchess goes into heat however (anticipating July or early August), it makes the picture much more clear and we can make announcements with more certainty if pregnancy occurs during Duchess' mating session with Huck.
Important Considerations for All Those on Our Waiting List for Duchess and Huxley's English White Cream Litter:
We would like everone to know that we will be retiring Duchess after the birth of this upcoming litter, and if she does not conceive, we will still be retiring her from our breeding program. She has been one of our star Goldens but she is getting up there in years. We are immeasurably proud of her, but we want to show her how much we lover her by giving her an easy life for the remainder of her years. We do this with all our mommas at some point while they still have quality of life and can enjoy our home and acreage.
If you are on the waiting list and you are fortunate enough to get one of the pups from Huck and Duchess' last litter, congradulations! If their re not enough pups for you to get one, or if Duchess does not conceive, you have a couple of options:
1. You will have the option of rolling your deposit over to one our other upcoming litters, but your place in line will be after those who are already on the waiting list that you choose (please look at the Upcoming Litters Reservation List on the home page to help you decide).
2. You can ask for a refund of your deposit - You will have 6 weeks to cancel your reservation and request a refund of your deposit from the time we announce the birth of the litter and update your account with information showing if you will be getting a puppy from this litter. Refunds are processed within 24 hours using the same method as you used to place your deposit.
We certainly wish our crystal ball was a little more accurate but biology won't allow it to be an exact science, unless of course a breeder starts messing with nature. We haven't and we don't plan to. But, we are prayerfully hopeful, proud of our mommas, and trust the natural progression of things. We hope this help those who have been patiently waiting with a reservation on this upcoming litter. We will certainly post more info as we see things developing with Duchess and Huck. Thank you for hanging in there with us and our amazing Goldens (at least we think they are!).
