Seriously looking into raw feeding but need ways to cut costs first

[pbjmaker]

I'll be feeding three cats and 5 dogs but just thought i'd start with the dogs. The two oldest cats hunt although I am pretty sure the one rarely catches anything. She is more about the fresh air. The other old cat hunts less in the winter. I need to get her into the vet - she has started to wheeze when she breaths. The third one is our "replacement kitty" for keeping up with the squinnies as old kitty slows down. She is only 6 months old.

 

[watchdogps]

Quote:
Being that they are obligate carnivores, cats may benefit even more from raw. Dry food is the devil for them.
Have you looked for any raw feeders co-ops or other raw feeders in your area? You said the closest processor was two hours away, but it may be worth it if you have room to store a good amount. Also, if you find others, you might be abe to trade off driving, or people might pitch in gas $ if you go get food, or maybe you can split cases of stuff that you may not want 50lbs of.

 

[pbjmaker]

NO - I had finals all last week and some papers to write that I turned in yesterday, with that and the holidays I haven't done as much research as I like. Been reading this thread and getting e-mails from the yahoo group and reading the ones that seem the most pertinent of those ( I get hundreds of e-mails a day - can't read them all

)

 

[Skyesrocket]

Thats for Jersey calves? Not holstein? I didnt realize Jerseys were used on any scale for milk.

Halo, We have quite a few all jersey dairys here. My neighbor wouldn't even consider a different breed. They are a smaller cow but produce a lot of excellent milk. Holstein bull calves generally bring more at auction. They seem to be easier to keep alive. I think because their birth weight is higher than a jerseys. They are a bigger cow in general so more meat too for anyone wanting to raise a dairy cow for meat. And the holstein/jersey crosses usually sell for more than pure jerseys. The cows themselves are not an unhealthy breed but do seem more fragile as babies.​