My estimation is that the market is about 30-40% lower than it was 2 years ago due to a number of factors both external and internal to greyhound racing

If you expect 10k, then 6-7k will be the right number

When a person won't breed with bitches that have won over $50k in prizemoney we know we aren't in as good a shape as our fearless leaders would have us believe it to be

One plus one doesn't equal three

As others have said, market is very hard right now.

Decent amount of buyers in that $1500-3000 category. Once you start getting over that price you are really narrowing your pool of buyers.

There aren't that many people who are only professional or commercial breeders, most breed to race a couple and sell a few to cover costs and if they are fortunate make a bit of profit on their activity

Its not a venture that you rush into

But if there are less dogs being bred then the industry contracts

Its a bit like the chicken and the egg argument

Asa breeder to sell, the only variable that you have to play with is the price

If you breed a litter of 7 and costs you $14k (including maintaining the brood for 12 months) to get them to 3-4 months of age that's a raw cost of $2k per pup

If you were able to sell them for $5k 2 years ago and kept 2 for yourself and 5 to sell you would pocket $25k and make a profit of approx $11k which would be churned back to rear your own 2 kept

If today you sell those same 5 for $4k, because thats what the market currently dictates, then you pocket $20k, profit only $6k and maybe you have to put in a $3k out of your own pocket over the next 15 months to get your 2 to the track to see what you have

In that last scenario, the win/win is

1. its till cheaper than buying 2 pups and rearing and educating them to 18 months which could cost you around $10k EACH, total of $20k....its only then cost you approx $9k to get 2 to dogs to 18 months old

2. You have supplied the industry with more dogs to race

3. You breed the litter with the bloodlines you want to breed (whatever your breeding beliefs are)

4. You get a chance to prove your broodbitch

5. Cheaper pups, thus cheaper entry costs may encourage wider ownership

6. If you are stuck with them, you get all the good ones as well as the slow ones

The negatives are:

1. In this environment you may need to sell them even cheaper to risk not being stuck with them if you don't have the facilities or resources to keep them

2. You can't sell them at all and you have to pay for the lot

3. They are all slow and you have to keep them till their 7 years old because GAP can't rehome them

The way I see it, selling cheaper at the moment to meet the market is still better off than not breeding at all and risk the industry not having enough dogs to race

My opinion, when you breed a litter these days, have a price at the lower end which you are committed to taking if the market is against you. That way you won't get disappointed as then its purely a business decision.

Breeders could be helped in other ways by perhaps studmasters reducing prices for frozen semen, stud fees and authorities could help breeders by providing subsidies for Veterinary fees for frozen semen procedures, AI procedures, vaccinations, cesarians etc

70% of the market imop is the lower end pups from 1k- 3k leaving 30% left for middle and high end pups .

Whats happened in the Industry with the slower dogs not being catered for week to week racing , the hobby players have had enough ! And why wouldnt they , whats the point in busting your arse and living broke to receive treatment like this eg.put up grades or used up for clearly elite or higher ability dogs ?
Little or complete shit prize money that doesnt cover costs .
Over regulated rules for most that have never had a mark against their name only to watch the high end get a slap on the wrist and back in the game within months to race yet again for the high end prize money ? Laughable !

Said it years ago , enjoy your bright lights in town while it lasts , coz ya keep pumping it all up and throwing 80% of the extra revenue we receive into the big racing and only crumbs for the country

End result is no bottom end ! You have no bottom end see how long the whole industry survives !

The sport or any job or industry works the same as a tree , you dont feed the roots theres zero growth . And its going to get worse , watch and see

Theres high quality pups going for half price and not even a single bite ? Saying take off 1-3k isnt even close to where the whole sports at . Its even worse for the 1-3k pups that used to be snapped up , no one even cares about them or wants to roll the dice on them . Just an expense and more then likely after theyve run 5th a few times in maidens , where ya move em too ?

Industry needs revamping from the bottom up asap ! I dont hear any city trainers crying poor ? Too busy wiping their arses with $100 bills deciding which new van or property is on offer .

You want to get the sport buzzing and popular again ! Look after the 70% pool of low end hobby enthusiast!

All prices in all areas and consistency will then return .

Youll be right Pete , min 7k pups

Totally understand Mark , but whats good money. Most pups seem to be the price of the sires service fee then add some more depending on the ability of the dam per pup. Is that reasonable considering they could still turn out duds. Cheers

Dogs, like houses, like cars, like horses, are only worth what anyone wants to pay for them in the current market

We know the economy is hurting at the moment, so greyhounds, like pets are a bit of a luxury

I think if the entry prices are reasonable then it softens the blow of the costs that follow on

If you only want to breed to sell at a certain price, that's your choice, no problem with that, but you won't achieve it in the current market, you have to reduce your own expectations or wait until it turns around.

I bought a well-bred 8-month-old pup at the Ipswich Auction for $4k last month, they wanted $6k at 3 months for it, that shows how much the market has dropped.

But they sold it, thats my point