# Storage question



## pharmgirl2 (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm debating on what would be easier...to portion my dogs food in ziploc bags or in actual storage containers. What seems to be easiest for everyone? I have 2 large dogs and 4 chihuahuas. Just need some opinions please:smile:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

We have reusable containers because we would go through so many ziplocks it's not even funny. In my experience bags tend to rip and leak more than containers do. The only downside to containers is that they take up more room so you can't store as much compared to stuffing bags everywhere.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I currently use ziplock bags because I only have one freezer for the dogs. I think if I had more than one freezer (more space) I would use containers. I do wash and reuse the ziplock bags until they tear and I have to throw them away.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> We have reusable containers because we would go through so many ziplocks it's not even funny. In my experience bags tend to rip and leak more than containers do. The only downside to containers is that they take up more room so you can't store as much compared to stuffing bags everywhere.


Ditto all of that.

ETA: I used ziplocks at first and wouldn't go back unless every last plastic container in existence disappeared from the face of the earth.


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

I use containers that fit about 4 days worth of food in them for my one dog. The only thing I put in ziplock bags is organs. The reason being is that I only feed one ziplock bags worth of organs every two weeks-ish.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I use Ziploc bags, small ones for meat that is all cut up like llama, beef and venison, also chicken drummies, chicken necks and organs. I use large ones for things like rabbit, turkey necks, emu parts and bones. 

I haven't been able to do the container thing because that would mean defrosting the whole container and the dogs then would have to eat that protein until its gone, I like to give a different protein at every meal.


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## Spaz (Sep 3, 2009)

Just switched to containers!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

I was and am still using Ziploc bags but just ordered a month's supply of storage containers, (small ones), for the cats and dogs meals because while the Ziploc bags seemed more economical at first, they are a pain in the hind quarters to clean.

I found a wholesaler for plastic containers and, as an example, got 210 "tubs" (again, small, meal size for each cat for a month) and lids for about 27 cents each, (combining cost of tub and lid). Way more economical, way easier to portion control/measure and way easier to clean. Also, way easier to store and looks so much nicer than a freezer full of Ziplocs.


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## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

i just switched to tupperware, they stack much easier and you can use different styles to hold different meats. chicken containers , organ containers,beef containers. Sometimes if its in a ziplock,and its frozen,,,it all looks the same.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

bully4life said:


> i just switched to tupperware, they stack much easier and you can use different styles to hold different meats. chicken containers , organ containers,beef containers. Sometimes if its in a ziplock,and its frozen,,,it all looks the same.


Boy do you have that one right. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out to the freezer, picked up a few bags and wondered:

"Ok....wait. Is that pork or is that beef? Or is that the lamb I picked up awhile ago? What IS that?!"

Sure, you can mark on the bags but it smears too easily, wipes off after defrosting...meh. I can't wait for my containers.


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## Tarielle (Oct 22, 2010)

I do a mixture of both.

If I buy meat in a big batch and want to feed a portion of that say every day or every 2 days then I will put in in a container. Enough to last 3-4 days so it keeps fresh in the fridge when it's defrosted.

The organ meat and kangaroo I put in small freezer bags and use permanent marker to label it. I don't feed this every day so just take it out the night before a feed.

Before I freeze, I squish it down so it resembles a big pattie so it's kind of flat. Easier to stack one on top of the other and makes writing on so much easier.

Chicken and other bones go in larger bags (white ones) and I just write on them too.

Unfortunately I throw all of my bags out, they are very thin and I would like to cut that down but will have to wait till I get a separate freezer and then most of the meat will go in containers.

You could use permanent markers on the lids of the containers so you always know what's in them, shouldn't wash off too easily either. Or maybe buy a stack of containers with coloured lids so you use say blue for beef, red for chicken etc.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I used to use baggies, and thought it was easy, until I just sucked it up and did storage containers. 
I can not imagine going back to leaky nasty baggies. Heck no.


Whiteleo: my dogs eat a variety of proteins a day. It's a simple concept really, just put more than one protein in each container. Each box holds about 2.5 days worth of food for my two dogs. 


I have a meat storm once a month. I make a bulk order, thaw everything out, line up my empty bins, and just start throwing stuff in. I dont measure anything, and cut very little. when the box is full, I stack it in the freezer. They tend to last about two and a half days. I think. Depends on how fat or skinny they look that day, I guess. Each one, I make sure has some kidney and liver. Other than that, almost every one has chicken, and from there it's just a clusterfrack (wooot) of random parts and sources. 

When the box I'm using starts to run low, I pull the next out, and set it on top of the freezer to thaw. It takes a day to get completely thawed out. If I ever find myself in a bind, with nothing thawed, I just give a meal of canned fish or something. Or skip a meal. Whichever.


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

I actually have trouble putting more than one type of meat in my containers too. 

Typically, when I buy meat, I buy one protein in a large quantity. On the rare occasion that I buy more than one kind of meat, I DO try to mix up my container. But most of the time, it's just one. 

I try not to put any meat in the freezer unless it is portioned out and in it's container. So a monthly meat storm is not an option for me because of my mild OCD. :biggrin: When I bring meat home, it sits in the sink (or bathtub) until it is thawed and I can portion it out and put it away.

What I do is take out two four-days-worth containers at a time of differing proteins and alternate between each throughout the week. But I switch up the protein each time I take something out. So Ania's variety comes in a monthly form, rather than a daily form.

As they say, there's more than one way to skin a... eh, nevermind. THis is probably the not the place for that particular figure of speech. :tongue:


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Ania's Mommy said:


> I actually have trouble putting more than one type of meat in my containers too.
> 
> Typically, when I buy meat, I buy one protein in a large quantity. On the rare occasion that I buy more than one kind of meat, I DO try to mix up my container. But most of the time, it's just one.
> 
> ...



I suppose the way I order and prepare makes it easier... but i have a lot of freezer space. I have two different order lists, slightly different from eachother, that I will be alternating monthly. I also prepare PMR for a client's cane corsos, and he pays me for that, so my orders are huge. SO, I buy 5 proteins in large quantities, and thaw it all at once, to portion. Operating on a smaller scale might be more difficult to do so.


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Yeah, I have yet to do the massive Harvest Meat order. Someday I'll get around to it!

Ideally, I would like each container to contain one meal's worth of all different proteins and bone content. But right now with our limited freezer space, it just ain't happenin'. So I guess I'm not as OCD as I thought. :biggrin:


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Ania's Mommy said:


> Yeah, I have yet to do the massive Harvest Meat order. Someday I'll get around to it!
> 
> Ideally, I would like each container to contain one meal's worth of all different proteins and bone content. But right now with our limited freezer space, it just ain't happenin'. So I guess I'm not as OCD as I thought. :biggrin:


what about the plastic "pencil box" containers? those would be the perfect size for one meal. AND they stack. 
OR get more dogs so that big container IS one day's worth.:wink:


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

I usually use ziplocs from Dollartree, it works nicely for me especially for my little dogs who only get 1oz meal sizes. I just portion everything out when I get the meat, and then take out 2-3 days worth at a time. If I had more freezer space than I do I would probably use storage containers.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Maybe one day the containers will strike my fancy, but I personally haven't had a big problem with leakage of the ziploc bags as I defrost everything in the sink overnite, there could be lamb, chicken beef and turkey necks then I put it in a container in the fridge to store it in for the few days it will last.

I always wash and reuse the bags and on average I'd say I get 4 uses out of them unless they get punctured from a nasty bone. I also don't have the problem of not knowing what I'm getting as I have the chest freezer with the dividers in it so I know where what protein sources are where. But I imagine someday I'll get to the point of using containers and help "save the environment".


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## pharmgirl2 (Oct 29, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the opinions!!! I'm thinking I'll start off using both ziploc and containers and see what I like best. I'm about to place an order with Harvest so I want to have everything in order. Then it will be time for the big switch!!! Is it useful to have a scale to measure or is it easier just to eyeball the portions?


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

SerenityFL said:


> Boy do you have that one right. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out to the freezer, picked up a few bags and wondered:
> 
> "Ok....wait. Is that pork or is that beef? Or is that the lamb I picked up awhile ago? What IS that?!"
> 
> Sure, you can mark on the bags but it smears too easily, wipes off after defrosting...meh. I can't wait for my containers.


I have three different freezers. One for chicken, one for turkey (both chests), and an upright, and each shelf is dedicated to a different protein. That solved my problem of "what is this?!"

I use ziplock bags, simply because, for the moment, they're cheaper for me. If I ever get money, I'll definitely get containers.


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## bumblegoat (May 12, 2010)

I use normal freezer bags, not ziplocks. I have one small dog, and he eats about 6 oz per day. I usually put food for two days in one bag. It's much easier to fit lots of meat in the small freezer I have when I use bags.

Sometimes I actually freeze thing individually, and yes, that is just as difficult as it sounds. :biggrin: I usually do this with organs, since it's perfect to grab a chicken liver or two if need some more food. Plus he doesn't tolerate eating a whole meal of organs, so I find this easier than putting some liver in every bag.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

pharmgirl2 said:


> Is it useful to have a scale to measure or is it easier just to eyeball the portions?


I used to weigh things at first, but after the first month, my scales went away. 
I eyeball everything, and it works the best for me. A scale can be useful to help you learn what your portions look like. I bought a super cheap $3 Chefmate one at target. I'm sure it wasn't entirely accurate, but at the same time, I don't need EXACTLY 12oz meals. Just kinda worts that amount, ya know?




xxshaelxx said:


> I have three different freezers. One for chicken, one for turkey (both chests), and an upright, and each shelf is dedicated to a different protein. That solved my problem of "what is this?!"


I guess I don't so much have a problem with the "what is this?" factor. 
I just know that every box had three of four different things in it. It's thawed, or at least mostly thawed by the time they eat it. 
And it doesn't matter to me what I feed when. Just that they get variety.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Same here, with weighing. I did it for the first few weeks, then I got good enough at eyeballing. Some meals may be a little less, some may be a little more, but it all evens out over time.


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