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

[tonkatuff]

I think one of the cheapeast ways (if you have the time/space) is to raise your own poultry and or rabbits. I always buy a big batch of chicks every spring, feed all the roos to the dogs... roosters are easy to come by many times free. A month or so after Easter rabbits are plentiful and usually cheap. Next is to source locally as much as possible local butchers, poultry plants, fish mongers.

 

[dainerra]

also look into a rawfeeding co-op.

Buy in bulk - order from a restaurant supply directly or see if a local grocer will order things for you by the case

find a local butcher/processor who will save scraps for you

have hunters save scraps for you

post a newspaper or craigslist ad asking for old/freezer burnt meat.

scour the discount bin at the local grocer and ask them about buying meat too old for human consumption. I used to be able to get hamburger for 30cents a pound

 

[pinkfoxfarm]

agree, freezer burnt and leftover hunt meat are great sources...
dont be afraid of roadkill either, dogs have NO problems with tough and bruised meats, things that humans would thing "eww" are more than edible to dogs.
they can even handle slightly off meats...things that dont smell "quite right" i wouldnt do "rancid" but meat thats been in the fridge a day too many is perfectly fine.
craigslist for extra roos too...even if you have to pay a couple bucks for them its still cheaper than buying it by the lb at the grocery store...
in terms of grocery store finds, always check the "sell now" bin..even if it looks a little dark/off color, again dogs can handle meats that wed personally think were a little "iffy" assuming they are not otherwise immuno compromised...you can pick up big bargains on the clearance meats.

if your grocery store has the meat dept/butcher in shop talk to him, ask him what they do with the chicken backs, and turkey necks (2 BIG parts of raw feeding tend to be backs and necks, and there typically the peices that get tossed when doing boneless breasts ect...) see if theyll hold em for you...dont need em to be sorted, if they just toss em into a big bag you can split them into portions when you get home.

 

[dainerra]

your "road kill" comment made me remember another source!

call your local sheriff's office and see if they have a "deer" list. whenever someone calls to report a deer accident, our local SO calls whoever is next on the list to come pick up the deer. Dogs don't mind if it's a little bruised.

 

[AZ Heat]

Looks like a good time to raise rabbits. You know they multiply like rabbits... which is good meat production.

 

[Chicky-dees]

After you figure out your costs, time, space needed to store and all those fun things involved, make sure it doesn't end up costing more than say, a bag of Science Diet dog food. Just remember you have to include veggies, too! Dogs are not carnivores only - they are OMNIVORES. I may sound like a boring person here, but when you figure out the type of diet and quantity, etc that you are going to feed, run it all by a vet and make sure you have the right order of nutrients and such. Raw diets are great for hunting dogs/pig dogs/working dogs who are lean and need the slow burn of protein and less carbs. BUT! (there is always a but) some of the fun (not so fun) things related to feeding raw diets is your tooth cleaning bill will increase. Out of all the dogs teeth I've cleaned over the years, almost half were pets who were fed raw diets or canned food only. Crunchy stuff really keeps the teeth clean - maybe you can throw in a milkbone after every meal - it works wonders. And the other thing I've seen with raw diets, is that they can be hard on the liver and kidneys if fed incorrectly, that's why it's a good idea to run your plan through a vet. I've run quite a few panels on patients who come back abnormal due to the large amounts of protein and that can turn out bad - pancreatitis is another problem I see often. So, here's some more info to add to your research pile - I wish you good luck! I don't have the patience to prepare the food and store bought raw food for dogs is crazy over-priced, but at least it is parasite free and disease free which is nice. I admit I'm too lazy. A 40lb bag of Science Diet works for me. So - happy meal planning!!

 

[carolinagirl58]

no....dogs are not omnivores.....they are carnivores. They do not need any veggies or grains added into their food. Their teeth get cleaned by eating raw bones. Part of the main reason for feeding RAW is to avoid commercial dog food. It seems like every few months, another brand of kibble is recalled for toxins of some sort. RAW is a very good complete diet for dogs.

 

[halo]

There is so much misinformation in the above post that it would take me too long to address it. All I will say is that dogs are carnivores, not omnivores, and Science Diet is crap food. Theres no comparison between Science Diet and feeding raw. My dogs teeth were awful from eating kibble. I changed over to raw and it saved their teeth. They are spotless now.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
Dogs are carnivores, cats are obligate carnivores, humans, rats and pigs are omnivores, rabbits are obligate herbivores...

the word 'obligate' in this sense means 'gathering no nutrition form other sources, even if another source is consumed'

The word of the day is obligate... remember to use the word of the day.

 

[cuntryuppiechick]

I've asked multiple vets and they don't know anything about raw feed which is why they recommend the processed foods. I've switched from Innova to raw and the coats are now really shiny, teeth that have been a problem even with brushing are now clean, the unidentified limp that has cost $600 at the vet is now gone. They have been on mostly chicken, fish once a week, the chicken's feed as a snack (they help themselves when I'm working), a few leftovers of simple unprocessed natural food, beef a couple of times a week and whatever they catch outside. Innova was $1.50 a pound roughly and I get chicken for a lot less. I baggie a leg quarter and freeze and just throw one out for each dog. It's actually easier than measuring the cups of dry food and I don't have to heft fifty pound bags around or stop at the pet store.