I'm way too tired to write out a long post about the basics of it..
But for pricing, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than kibble-if you know where to look.
We order 40lb boxes of chicken from a large commercial chicken company here, averaging about $0.60/lb. I like this stuff, because you get it in bulk, it's carcasses so there's organ meat attached (for the about 3 times a week chicken is fed, it covers your organs for the week right there). I can get chicken necks, beef liver and beef bones for about 10 cents. I average about $1/lb CND. But, some more expensive meats- fish, elk, bison aren't fed as often because they cost a lot more, but with some expensive meats, and some dirt cheap meats, it all works out.
For what I buy in stores, anything on sale. Pork, beef, chicken and turkey, I won't buy unless it's less than $2/lb and that's pushing it. In fact, I won't buy chicken any more from stores because it's so expensive. When they drop the price on certain packages of meat, it's usually because it's nearing the expiry date. It's the same quality, and trust me, the dogs won't care.
I don't feed veggies, grains nor do I supplement. Grains are out of the question for me, but the veggies I would feed in moderation (aka not half the meal every day, but maybe a bit 3 times a week) IF my dog would eat it. He won't touch them. I'm working on getting some green tripe as an alternative, but it hasn't been successful yet. Heck, I might just end up buying patties from Urban Carnivore, it's such a small part of the diet it wouldn't bother me. If you feel you must supplement, kelp and alfalfa (especially together) are the way to go.
For how much to feed, take your dogs weight (I have a puppy that on his last weigh in, weighed 30lbs.)
He would be fed about 3% of his body weight.
So 30x0.02 is 0.6lbs. Multiply that by 16 to get it into oz and you have approx what you need to see on your kitchen scale when cutting your meat. I usually stick with anywhere between one oz more or less than this amount. It doesn't have to be exact.
I don't grind anything. Well, I would blend if I fed veggies, but that's because it has to be, to mimic the partially digested vegetation found in the preys stomach. Otherwise, it can't be digested. I don't really see the point in grinding, but I respect those who do it. Tyson loves his bones. It exercises his jaw and neck muscles and best of all cleans his teeth. A dog with clean teeth, is a healthier dog. There's no yucky toxins from periodontal disease creating damage on their organs and destroying their teeth.
I think this is all I'm going to be typing tonight..I might add more in the next few days. ↓
|
|
| Name: T-rabbit | Date: Apr 27th, 2007 11:23 PM |
Meats to feed:
chicken
beef
turkey
fish
pork(optional)
veggies:
kale
swis
s
chard
collard greens
spinach
peppers
broccoli
brussel sprouts
zuchinni
summer squash
egg plant
carrots
turnip
aspara
gus
jicama
daicon
Basically
anything that catches your fancy, avoid the starchy stuff and it MUST be pureed or they can't digest it.
Fruits:
Anything but grapes and avocado
Additions:
kelp & alfalfa(vitamin mineral supplement)
omega 3(fish) oils 3:1 ratio to the omega 6
omega 6(borage is best if you can find it) oil
eggs(shell and all)
whole fat yogurt(organic is better, less sugar)
cottage cheese(4% fat) if they will tolerate it
garlic(whole clove not powder)
Meaty bones:
neck
shoulder blade
ox tails ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Apr 28th, 2007 3:40 AM |
If you have not done research on raw food for pets, I highly recommend that you spend some time reading the following books before switching your pet to a raw food diet:
"Give Your Dog a Bone" by Dr. Ian Billinghurst
"The Ultimate Diet" by Kymythy R. Schultze
"Reigning Cats and Dogs" by Pat McKay
"Raw Meaty Bones" by Tom Lonsdale
"Raw Dog Food: Make It Easy For You and Your Dog" by Carina Beth MacDonald
There is more involved to feeding a raw food diet, you need to be aware of your pet's complete nutritional requirements. All of these authors offer variations on the same theme. ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Apr 28th, 2007 4:20 AM |
| These meals are specific to what breed dogs? ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Apr 28th, 2007 4:33 AM |
| Rain I remember once you said you was looking for a raw diet recipe for your Chow. Here are a few, they do look pretty good! Some people will use the manufactured vitamins instead of the real products. I dont like that, I would rather use the ingredants for the vitamins such as ...the fish oil and eggs with shells ect.. Thanks T for the info! ↑ |
|
|
