The Whelping Box - What I've Found So Far

I've been looking around for the perfect whelping box for our first litter. Our foundation dam, Millie, will be in heat again around December/January and so I have a lot of time to make a decision on the perfect whelping box.

In no particular order, I have weighed the pros and cons of whelping boxes I found on google.

Whelping boxes can be very expensive if you want to buy one that has already been made. However, making one yourself can cost a minimum of $160. Considering that the cheapest ready made box is $175 CDN--the time that it takes to build a whelping box yourself will eat into the savings. Also, there is the worry that the box you build may not end up being easy to clean. Ready made boxes usually come with customer testimonials so you have a better idea of what to expect.

My criteria for whelping boxes:

1. Price - as affordable as possible without compromising safety, ideally under $300 CDN
2. Quality - easy to set up and store, easy to clean, durable
3. Safe Materials - preferably polypropylene if plastic, Avoid PVC, HDPE, BPA, ideal is light metal mesh
3. Canadian if possible for lowest shipping cost

So far, my search has come up with the following contenders:

1. Puppy Box 4U - www.puppybox4u.com
PROS:
  • Canadian
  • most affordable whelping box at $175 CDN for the 4x4 basic box
  • somewhat durable, portable, easy to set up and clean
  • lightweight, easy to store
  • easy to expand
  • can be picked up from Hamilton, Ontario
  • safe material
  • 2 models
CONS:
  • $80 shipping fee
  • thicker breeders box II model is more expensive
  • doesn't look as professional as the others available on the market

PROS:
  • Canadian
  • durable, portable, easy to set up and clean
  • height adjustable door
  • can be picked up in Dundalk, Ontario
  • looks very professional
  • includes shipping, pig rail
CONS:
  • much heavier weight at around 100 pounds for the 4x4 box
  • HDPE plastic leaches endocrine disruptors esp, when heated
  • expensive at $450 CDN
PROS:
  • Canadian
  • durable, portable, easy to set up and clean
  • shipping and pig rail included
  • looks very good

CONS:
  • heavy like the Duraline
  • HDPE plastic leaches endocrine disruptors esp. when heated
  • expensive 3x3 is $522 CDN even with CKC discount

PROS:

  • lightweight 
  • safe material
  • somewhat durable, portable, easy to set up and clean
  • comes with pig rails
  • nice looking
  • affordable $159 USD ($207.59 CDN), shipping not included


CONS:
  • not Canadian
  • shipping is expensive because USA
  • has some PVC parts

5. Steelcity Whelping Box
PROS:
  • portable, durable, easy to set up and clean
  • choice of pig rails
  • nice looking, choice of colors
  • affordable 124.99 GBP ($205.12 CDN)
CONS:
  • not Canadian
  • shipping is around $100 CDN
  • not sure how safe the material is
  • not sure of weight
  • looks at bit rough around the edges, not smooth, might cause injury
6. EZWhelp - www.ezwhelp.com 

EZWhelp Classic Model
EZWhelp Fab Model
PROS:
  • lightweight
  • portable, somewhat durable, easy to set up and clean
  • safe material
  • pig rails and one absorbent pad included in Classic model
  • 2 different models, Classic (PP) and Fab (Metal Crate Mesh with Liner, no rails)
  • affordable $129 USD ($168 CDN) for 28x28, fab $309 USD ($403 CDN) for 3x3
CONS
  • not Canadian
  • Fab model doesn't come with rails
  • high shipping cost
  • some parts are PVC in Classic model
There are many other whelping box companies. I chose not to look at the pros and cons of the following companies because their whelping boxes cost over $400 CDN. From what I can see, the boxes of the following companies are targeting higher volume breeders who might require more automation of whelping tasks and more durability for longer term use.

Whelpmate - www.whelpmate.com (smallest is $750 USD)
KumfiKennels - www.kumfikennels.com.au (smallest is $429 AUD)
Tekplas Whelping Boxes - https://www.tekplas.co.uk/product/pet-products/whelping-box/ (244-379 pounds)
Animal Transit Box - https://www.animaltransitboxes.com/store/Whelping-Boxes-c31324151 (smallest is 465 pounds)
JonArt - http://www.thewhelpingbox.com/whelping-boxes (smallest is $475 USD)
EZWhelper - https://www.ezswhelper.com/ (smallest is $1015 USD)

I hope that this post was helpful in your search for the perfect whelping box.


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