Labradorable! Giant litter of 14 black and gold puppies is thought to be England's largest set of Labrador siblings yet
by Daily Mail Reporter- Mother Bella, a six-year-old black labrador, has had previous litters of between six and eight
- Owner Hazel Hedges, 31, was taken aback after a scan showed Bella was expecting a brood of around six
- Miss Hedges had to bottle feed some through the night for the first three weeks
At six weeks old, this adorable – and hungry – bunch of labrador puppies are ready and willing for their first photoshoot.
The fabulous 14 have already created a stir as they are believed to have set an English record for litter size for their breed.
The arrival of so many pups was unexpected as their mother Bella, a six-year-old black labrador, has had three previous litters of between six and eight.
Owner Hazel Hedges, 31, was taken aback as the 14 arrived during a seven-hour labour – a scan had showed Bella was again expecting a brood of around six.
‘They are never right with numbers but we definitely didn’t see 14 coming,’ she said yesterday. She had to bottle feed some of the pups through the night for the first three weeks as their mother could not provide milk for them all. Their father, six-year-old Scooby, is golden and six of the puppies share his colour while eight are black. Seven are male and seven female.
Miss Hedges and her partner James, 34, who have been breeding labradors for five years, have now created a special 14-bowl feeding area for them.
‘This was Bella’s last litter and I think she thought she would make it one to remember. I believe this is one of the biggest litters in history,’ said Miss Hedges, a registered breeder from Ely, Cambridgeshire.
The pups are all reserved and will be going to their new homes in a fortnight.
England’s previous largest labrador litter is believed to be the 13 born in Allhallows, Kent, last year. A litter of 15 was recorded in Scotland in 2014. However, labradors have a long way to go to match the world record for a dog – 24, achieved in 2004 by Tia, a Neapolitan mastiff from Cambridgeshire.
