so i finally tried feeding some raw meat...

[Chris09]

Very good post Akane remind me not to tic you off on here... LOL


Chris

 

[technodoll]

I don't think I would risk raw meat which may have parasites or worse. Is it worth the risk, when you could just give it to them cooked or some tuna or peanut butter for protein?

Well, I imagine they eat their own poop quite often since they stand in it and their food gets mingled with it on the ground... that's worse than raw meat IMO.

Plus they eat worms and all sorts of bugs, which are in themselves parasites, no?

I'd say feed your flock what you feel (and think) is right, whatever that may be!​

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
Mad Cow Disease was from feeding dairy cattle "Lacto". For those of you who might not know, Lacto is ground up cow pieces parts, blood and anything else left at the end of processing. Lacto was up until the mad cow disease outbreak, an acceptable way to "wet down" feed. My DH was a "feed man" on a very very large dairy farm in FL in the late 90's and it was how they got all the dry feed stuffs mixed together for the cows to eat. Beacuse the Lacto contained all kinds of dairy tissue, there was contamination from sick cattle in it and thus the cycle of infection began - in England.

Cattle are NOT omnivores. They are not designed to digest meat or meat products. However, chickens are omnivores and dogs as well as cats - domesticated or otherwise - are carnivores. They are designed to tollerate higher levels of bacteria that we lowley humans.

My chickens were fighting - yes fighting! - over a dead mouse just last week. They ate it. I didn't stop them. Seemed rather natural way of doing things to me.

Lastly, I too have started feeding my dogs raw. They get raw chicken - bones, meat, eggs and organs twice a day. My oldeer two dogs have more energy and have lost weight. They were both lathergic and porky from years of processed dry food diet. My oldest dog(12) has severe allergies. They are not totally undercontrol, but we have seen an improvement. Our younger two dogs are healthy, active and at a very size appropriate weight. Our youngest is a 7 month old mastiff. He is gonna be a small pony by the time he's done growing! They all have nice clean teeth and the oldest dogs "death breath" is gone - GONE!!!!

Feeding raw isn't a concept for everyone. It's time consuming to prepare our dogs' meals everyday, but I wouldn't go back to scooping dry food for anything. However, it is no more unsafe than preparing a chicken dinner for my family.

Oh, and best part, I have 4 large dogs and you can't find a pile a poo in my yard. I double dog dare you! It breaks down so quickly do to being all protien and is so low odor it's amazing!!!!

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
I would like to know the answer to this too. I have wondered the same thing often. I've heard of chickens eating mice, toads, frogs even squirrels they catch and those are raw (of course) so if they hunt those down, why not other meat sources raw? Very interested to hear this answer. Great question technodoll. When I processed my meaties a few months ago I had to fight off my hens, they wanted the innards so bad. So that let me know they love raw meat and maybe need it? Not sure. So glad you asked this question.

I have a question for technodoll. You said you feed your dogs raw meat. Does that mean you make your own dog food at home?

babydoll, have you ever seen your chickens actural kill Squirrel or any other animal?

No I've never seen mine catch a mouse, but I have seen them eat a dead one. I wrote I've heard of chickens doing this. I'm getting Buckeyes soon and hear they are great mousers, I'll find out soon.

 

[technodoll]

I wish my flock caught and dessimated mice... we're over-run with the little buggers in the coop, the barn, the stable - yuck!

Can't have cats because our dogs are, um, cat killers

 

[Akane]

Risk of parasites from meat that wasn't obtained from wild game is low. It used to be a high concern with pork products but the usda actually lowered their suggested cooking temp for pork recently because the parasite has nearly been eliminated in modern farming practices. If you are getting small wild game or mice then there is a moderate risk but it's not really any higher than them pecking at their own poop, eating grass that may have been infected, earthworms which are actually not suggested to be fed to many indoor pets because of the risk of parasites, and catching their own mice and such. Having to deworm livestock and pets is just somewhat of a necessity. Despite feeding raw and whole prey to my pets though I deworm maybe once every few years and then the problem can usually be traced to something they caught themselves such as a not so healthy looking mouse.

 

[NYREDS]

If you are going to feed you dog or your chickens meat then raw makes the most sense as it's closest to nature. When a Coyote snatches one of your chickens do you reckon they take it home & cook it?

 

[Beekissed]

Restricting chickens to formulated feeds composed of grains only is not really a natural representation of a bird's diet. Animal protein found while foraging is a more balanced and safe diet than feeding formulated feeds containing animal by-products from commercial meat sources, IMO.

My chickens eagerly drink the blood spilling down the tree under my killing cone. YUM!

I wouldn't worry about feeding raw meat....unless, of course, the meat is grown commercially!

 

[fatboys farm]

my friend works at a seafood restaurant @ brought me scraps to feed the chicks. i got a funny tasting egg @ never fed them seafood scraps again. eat more beef.

 

[technodoll]

this morning the flock demolished their "treat breakfast" of warm oatmeal mixed with some leftover brown basmati rice and some raw ground beef.

that was to compensate the weed fest from last night... i did some autumn gardening and emptied an armload of various weeds into the outdoor pen, OMG FRENZY!!

they really will eat anything and everything, LOL!