Litters reference

A litter records one mating and the pups it produces. Add one with Add litter; the whelp date you enter drives your legal deadlines and reminders.

Name

A label for the litter (for example, "Aurora × Maximus, Autumn 2026"). Required.

State

The Australian state the litter is bred under: NSW, VIC, QLD or SA. Required. This is one of the most important choices — it decides which rules and deadlines apply and which legal wording is stamped on the contract and listing.

Species

Dog or cat. Required.

Dam

The mother, chosen from your Sires & Dams. Required. Recording the litter adds to her lifetime litter counter.

Sire

The father. Optional — choose one of your animals, or leave it as external/unknown if you used an outside stud.

Mating dates

The date or dates the dam was mated. You can record more than one. Optional but recommended — they help estimate the whelp date and time some state requirements. A mating date can't be later than the whelp or expected date.

Expected date

The forecast whelp date. Optional. Useful before the pups arrive; replaced in importance by the actual whelp date once you have it.

Whelp date

The date the litter was born. The single most important date in Whelpkeep. It sets your legal deadlines (such as microchipping by 12 weeks and first vaccination by go-home), the earliest go-home date (whelp date + 8 weeks), and the buyer-update reminders.

Caesarean delivery

Tick if the litter was delivered by caesarean. Optional. When ticked, you can add the veterinary practitioner and veterinary practice details, which NSW birth records require. Caesareans also count toward the dam's lifetime caesarean total.

Accidental litter

Tick if the litter was unplanned. Optional. Some state requirements still apply to accidental litters (in NSW, for instance, the breeder ID requirement covers them).

Notes

Free text, private to you. Optional.

Litter status

A litter's status is worked out automatically, not set by you: Expecting (no whelp date yet) → Active (whelped, pups still with you) → Complete (whelped and every pup has gone home, been kept or the sale closed). See Statuses, limits & rules.