o'cockaigne

After an exciting time I made an ultrasound on Thursday 15 November at Cytaugh and it was immediately clearly to see …. a mini-creature. But unfortunately, the vet could only find one. The probability of a second hiding somewhere is very small. That is of course very unfortunate. Usually we say that you better not have a puppy than one puppy because first of all birth is more risky and secondly it is not fun for the puppy to grow up alone but in this case I am very happy with it because the previous times we have used frozen semen from Argyll, there was never anything born of it. So let’s hope that everything goes well and a healthy little O’Cockaignetje is born around 20 December.  

Since it is a habit to put the parents together on the photo, alongside Cytaugh and the container where the eight straws of deep-frozen sperm of Argyll were in. The inbreeding coefficient (I.C.) of this combination amounts to 0.82% over 7 generations and over 10 generations 5.07%. The maximum number of ancestors (M.N.A.) can be over 7 generations 254 and in this case is 204, so there is a loss of 50 hounds (19.7%). Over 10 Generations, the M.N.A. is 2046 of which only 584 have been used. A loss of 1462 hounds (71.5%)! Still a frightening number.

Cytaugh itself has a I.C. of 0.93% (7 generations) and 5.81% over 10 generations with a loss of 1500 hounds (73.3%). Argyll has a I.C. of 7.37% over 7 generations with a loss of 52.4% and a I.C. From 17.78% over 10 generations with a loss of 89.9%!! of the 2046 M.N.A. There are only 206 used. For example, Monarch of Ardkinglas is 98 times in his pedigree! In Argyll’s time these numbers were very common, there were even hounds with a I.C. of up to 30%! But there are currently also Deerhounds around with a I.C. From 12.45% over 7 generations and 16.83% over 10 generations with a loss of 86.3%. of the 2046 M.N.A. Only 281 are used and you see here that certain hounds are more than 60 times in the pedigree and only 51 of the 281 are used only once.

Fortunately, we now have the opportunity to see all of this in advance, thanks to ‘ The Deerhound Breed Archive ‘ and the latter would not have to be done anymore. In the meantime, it is well known that using a large variety of genes is healthier, so the breeders should look better.

Cytaugh behaves as if she has thirty puppies in her belly, she sleeps a lot, moves more slowly and is happily spoiled. Hopefully everything will go well.