Best animal to raise for raw fed dogs?

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I have my husband shoot an extra deer and we grind it. But my dog isn't on a totally raw diet.

 

[dainerra]

I don't think id even attempt raw without a freezer. You need to provide a variety of proteins to give them a balanced diet.

My votes for what you should raise:

Rabbits
Chickens
Turkey
Duck
Deer

 

[Illia]

Yep, our dogs are fed -

Rabbit
Chicken
Deer (Elk included)
Duck

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
Why not? Freezers are a relitavly new thing. Dogs are not.
You just need to stick to small animals that all your dogs plus you can finish on one day an produce 365 of them a year.

 

[Beekissed]

Rabbits are more productive, easier to keep and also easier to keep the food fresh...on the hoof, so to speak. You can breed them so that you have a fresh supply of ready to eat rabbits at all times, as the more you breed rabbits the better they produce and the healthier they are, reproductively speaking.

They don't eat much, they aren't prone to many illnesses, they are quiet, contained to one area, have good manure for composting, you can raise them above your chickens for dual benefit and saving of space, and they are also a healthy meat for your family.

I used to sell excess offspring to this one man who would buy all the rabbits I could grow for $5 each and they reach the age for selling much quicker than do chickens, so this isn't a bad way to go.

Just kill and skin, throw to the dogs....well...unless your dogs live inside.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
Why not? Freezers are a relitavly new thing. Dogs are not.
You just need to stick to small animals that all your dogs plus you can finish on one day an produce 365 of them a year.

because I'm lazy

I don't relish the idea of butchering every couple days to keep the dogs in food. Plus, I like to keep a supply on hand for when I leave town. I drop off labeled bags of meat with the boarding kennel and not worry about it. Sadly, I stopped feeding raw a couple years ago because my supplier here went out of business.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
the problem, though, is VARIETY. Dogs don't live on just one kind of meat. Sure, you can feed primarily rabbit, but as someone else said rabbit meat is really lean. So you are also going to have to supply other types of meat - duck, venison, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, etc etc. Even feeding Ol' Roy is better for you dog than an improper raw diet.

 

[Beekissed]

That's why I just cut to the chase and feed Ol'Roy!

 

[dainerra]

well, I would spend twice as much feeding Ol' Roy than a better food. Rayden is allergic to corn. Plus, a 50lb bag wouldn't last these 2 a week! I feed Nutri Source grain free and a 30 lb bag lasts almost 2 weeks.

 

[Beekissed]

A 40 lb bag of Ol Roy lasted my two big lab mix dogs over a month....how much are you feeding??

Mine get a scoop a day and they stay fit and sassy.....no huge, mealy poops like everyone claims, just regular, small and dark dog poops.