Feeding big dogs, multiple pets. Sources for raw

[wolfsnaps88]

Where do you get your food for feeding raw? My local grocery store had a sale on chicken quarters at $0.59 a pound (which is better than kibble prices!). I think $1.00 a pound for a decent kibble is a good price so less than that for raw is great. I bought thirty pounds of it but it wont last long :(


I am going to call my local meat market and price chicken backs and necks if they can get them. I am currently poor So under a dollar a pound is what I am looking at. I don't have any asian markets. I wish I did.

Long term I am planning on breeding rabbits for meat. weird right? I plan on eating it myself. Anyone ever try rabbit before? I figure I can give them rabbit as a supplement to chicken and whatnot. They definitely can have the heads and organs of all the rabbits I keep for myself.

Any tips? I am looking into going into some sort of Co-op but to be honest, I am a hermit and prefer doing things on my own. Is there a better time to find marked down meats at the store or any ideas you can share?

I appreciate all your suggestions and your time for reading my posts.

Also, do your dogs relish eating raw? I remember a few years ago when I started, my two dogs were not thrilled with chicken and I seared it a little bit. I don't want to have to do that again though. Will they grow to like it? I know its good for them but if my dogs hate it...that's just sad, right?

Ok. I am done bombarding you guys about raw. LOL

[Scarlett_O']

Where do you get your food for feeding raw? My local grocery store had a sale on chicken quarters at $0.59 a pound (which is better than kibble prices!). I think $1.00 a pound for a decent kibble is a good price so less than that for raw is great. I bought thirty pounds of it but it wont last long :(

I buy from my local raw feeding co-op, as well as in bulk from a restaurant warehouse supply store, as well as buying TONS when I find stuff on SUPER sale at local stores!! And unless I splurge(like I just did for bison necks and kidney/liver)I NEVER spend more then $1/lbs!

I am going to call my local meat market and price chicken backs and necks if they can get them. I am currently poor So under a dollar a pound is what I am looking at. I don't have any asian markets. I wish I did.

Long term I am planning on breeding rabbits for meat. weird right? I plan on eating it myself. Anyone ever try rabbit before? I figure I can give them rabbit as a supplement to chicken and whatnot. They definitely can have the heads and organs of all the rabbits I keep for myself.

Rabbit is GOOD, we use to raise meat(and a few pet) rabbits when I was younger, it was all for human consumption though!
HOWEVER buying and keeping breeding stock isnt going to be cheap...I would HIGHLY suggest waiting till your in a more stable financial situation before considering it further!

Any tips? I am looking into going into some sort of Co-op but to be honest, I am a hermit and prefer doing things on my own. Is there a better time to find marked down meats at the store or any ideas you can share?

I sugest going to the thread that has co-ops listed, find one(or how ever many you can) that is within decent driving distance to where you live and join...also Natalie always suggests a few google search key words...I cant think of them just now....but Im sure she will tell you!!

I appreciate all your suggestions and your time for reading my posts.

Also, do your dogs relish eating raw? I remember a few years ago when I started, my two dogs were not thrilled with chicken and I seared it a little bit. I don't want to have to do that again though. Will they grow to like it? I know its good for them but if my dogs hate it...that's just sad, right?

Ok. I am done bombarding you guys about raw. LOL

NOW...YES, they all ADORE food time......HOWEVER, when we started each of them neither Leo nor Dixi were that excited...it took them a while!
But tough love is some times what is needed to get into those picky/stubborn eaters!
Offer food...if they dont eat it within the 10-15 minutes allotted then pick it up and THAT is exactly what is offered at the next feeding(at least 4 hours later, but I suggest-for adults-at least a 6 hour gap.) They dont get anything new until they have finished what had been offered to them previously....and then continue feeding that for a few more feedings so that they get use to it!


(The rest of my answers are up in bold!)

[Chocx2]

I get some from an Italian Market and the butcher orders stuff for me he is very nice. The rest I get from a Co-Op and I driver and hour to pick it up, don't know if I'm saving any money by driving but some stuff I can only get this way. I even get my chicken from BJ's by the case its .81 a pound and sodium is 70 per.

I was paying about 1.90 a pound three years ago for kibble, have four dogs....so anything under that is a savings for me...but compared to others here I am relatively new..

I have labs, they love food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...

[AveryandAudrey]

I've been a vegetarian for years but before that, yes I've had rabbit. I got some rabbits for my dogs. My husband said let's raise our own animal and kill them for the dogs but I cant do it. I get easily attached to animals, it would hurt me too much. So my husband hunts.

[shellbell]

I have labs, so they relish anything they can eat, LOL.

$.59/lb is the cheapest I've seen for chicken quarters around here. You can also ask the meat dept at your local grocery store about ordering in bulk for you, mine will. The only thing I've actually had to have them order for me are turkey necks, which I place an order for about every six weeks or so...

[monkeys23]

The only thing I'm currently feeding that I bought is the green tripe I got through the WA/OR co-op people. Usually I will buy some kind of poultry RMB like chicken quarters or whatever, but been feeding a lot of whole ox-tail lately because its free....

My dogs eat a mainly beef, elk, deer, and lamb. My family raises beef/lamb and my little bro hunts. I'm poor as dirt so this is a big yay for both me and the dogs.

Rabbit is great! Just make sure you are ready for that commitment financially though!

A co-op or searching for a distributor would be good. Actually just talking to people often results in a win there. You never know what kind of connections you'll make just randomly mentioning that you feed raw.

My dogs will relish anything, lol.

[CorgiPaws]

Co ops
Meat wholesales
Restaurant suppliers
Meat processors
Butchers
Locally owned grocery stores
Ethnic stores

Are all good sources to find meat at decent prices, and generally in bulk. It never hurts to call and ask, or even go in if there is the slightest chance you could work something out. The place I get my stuff from is a meat processing place that makes jerky, processes kills, makes party platters, and sells premium cuts. Looking at their website, you wouldn't guess they could/would be able/willing to order me cases of chicken backs, turkey necks, beef hearts, etc. I get my whole mackerel from an Asian store whose entire fish section consists of one freezer full of small packages, but hubby asked anyway, and lucky me, they can order me fish by the 50lb case!! I order one or two every month.
Also, placing ads on Craigslist or similar sites can be productive. Sometimes it takes a long time to get any responses, but all it takes is one good score to totally make the minimal effort worth it. I hadn't gotten anything in like 6 months and then a while back scored more than 600lbs of game meat from a hunter who was moving and couldn't take his freezers. I tried to buy the freezers from him, but they were sold. Haha.

While cost is definitely a factor everyone has to consider, the money saved on raw goes beyond the initial food tab. Being self employed, some months I make double what I make other months, and money is something I tend to stress about even when I really have no reason to. (had a $3500 hospital bill Friday, I'm sure the meltdown is coming soon...) but, when it comes to cutting costs out of our budget, raw had been put on the non negotiable list, for sure. I'm afraid of the vet bills that are sure to follow a diet of processed foods, and what i would have to spend on yard odor control, grooming, supplements, etc. Our meat orders are anywhere for $600-$850 every month, depending on what I get, but it's soooooo worth it.

[ciaBrysh]

NOW...YES, they all ADORE food time......HOWEVER, when we started each of them neither Leo nor Dixi were that excited...it took them a while!
But tough love is some times what is needed to get into those picky/stubborn eaters!
Offer food...if they dont eat it within the 10-15 minutes allotted then pick it up and THAT is exactly what is offered at the next feeding(at least 4 hours later, but I suggest-for adults-at least a 6 hour gap.) They dont get anything new until they have finished what had been offered to them previously....and then continue feeding that for a few more feedings so that they get use to it!


(The rest of my answers are up in bold!)

I have to ask...how the hell do you manage to pay no more that $1 a lb on food???? Most of the stuff around here other than chicken backs/quarters and turkey necks are at minimum 1.99/lb!

[Scarlett_O']

I have to ask...how the hell do you manage to pay no more that $1 a lb on food???? Most of the stuff around here other than chicken backs/quarters and turkey necks are at minimum 1.99/lb!

From grocery stores the only thing I generally buy are whole chickens which are a constant $.99/lbs...unless other stuff is that price or less I dont buy it.

From our warehouse I get pork hearts at around .85/lbs-60lbs case, turkey hearts for .65-ish/lbs-40lbs case, Chicken leg quarters for .89-ish/lbs for 40lbs case...and other random things!!



But Im lucky to have the restaurant supply warehouse, thus getting these kickA prices!

(Where are do you live??)

[ciaBrysh]

Long Island, there isn't even a co-op close to me thats active =(