# Non RMB Meat



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

We really are getting down to the last week of kibble! Yay! I have been stocking up on chicken backs and chicken legs. 

I haven't been able to find full chicken quarters at the store (I have only checked Whole Foods and Trader Joe's though, I obviously need to do some more hunting). But anyway, I bought legs (w/o back connected) from Whole Foods instead. They have a lot of meat on them. What is the difference? The legs look big enough that they shouldn't be a problem for my dogs as far as wanting to swallow it whole. Are legs okay? I will just need to feed more of them, right?

Also, when I am NOT feeding RMBs, what kind of meat do I feed? Ground lamb, turkey, chicken, etc. meat from the store? Or a boneless chicken breast? Or what?

Thanks!!!


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I never feed boneless chicken. It's really expensive where I live. You won't be needing boneless meals for awhile, and when you do, you should already be feeding pork and beef and turkey and you can get big roasts and feed that as boneless. I occasionally give ground meat, but not often.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I honestly don't care about cost, I will most likely be feeding my dogs only organic, when possible, so I know that it will be costly. 

Convenience is what is most important to me. I don't have much freezer space and I highly I doubt that I will ever buy a whole roast. To be honest, I don't cook meat so I don't even know what a whole roast looks like.

Whenever I do feed boneless meat, I would prefer to buy it at the grocery store, already packaged if possible. So, would I choose any boneless cut of the protein source I am feeding? Or will I have to buy a whole roast or a whole bird and just feed the meat? How does it work?!

Also, how long will it be before I feed boneless meat? And once I do, how often?

Sorry for the rather naive questions..


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

The boneless meats I regularly feed are beef heart, I just started buying pork picnic roasts (they're bone in but I've been stripping most of the meat off and feeding it separately), when I buy whole birds they'll get the boneless breast meat as a meal, and then odds and ends like tripe and trachea, which I feed on fish days.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Maybe I will be able to do that after I get more used to this. But honestly, I think I might gag if I had to strip any type of raw meat...

That's why I am wondering if it would be OK to feed any type of boneless meat from the grocery store, ethnic market, etc. as long as it is the correct protein? And as long as I am at the point where it is okay to feed boneless meat.

Any takers on the chicken leg vs. chicken quarter question?:biggrin:


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Honestly, you can do it in whatever way works for you. If you want to buy pre-packaged, pre-cut boneless meats, you certainly can. It's just so much more affordable to buy in bulk or buy whole items and deconstruct them yourself. If cost really isn't an issue to you, do it however you prefer!

To answer your roast questions, the picnic roasts I buy come from my wholesaler. A case weighs about 55lbs and contains six roasts. They're vacuum sealed, two together. I open each package, toss one roast into a container and freeze individually. I have five dogs and four cats, and one roast is the perfect size to feed all of them for a day. When it's feeding time I just divide the roast up between everybody and toss the meaty bone back in the freezer for another time. However, you can buy single roasts from your grocery store. You could just cut off a meals worth of meat, feed it, stick it back in the fridge and do the same the next day. 

PMR is something that you can make as simple or as complicated as you want to.


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

Chicken quarter:









Chicken leg:









The quarter is the leg + thigh.

I have given Ania a couple chicken legs before. But it was only because it was the only thawed meat I had. She did okay with it. I know her chewing style, though. Some dogs wouldn't do well with legs.

Have you checked the frozen section for the quarters? I rarely see them fresh in the meat cases. But they almost always have them frozen.


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

I'd keep an eye out for things like boneless pork ribs (pre packaged) and similar cuts. I get those from the co-op I belong to, and they come in a big package that looks like a roast. They are super easy and somewhat fatty so they have to tear into them a bit. I don't have to cut them up though, they are already separated. They really love them.

I have also given Flip lamb shoulder chops (sans bone) and parts of steak, etc on special occasions.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Ania's Mommy said:


> Chicken quarter:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmm..the "chicken legs" that I have from Whole Foods look exactly like the quarters you are showing. Is there a difference between a leg quarter and a chicken quarter? (stupid question..sorry). The "leg" that you are showing looks just like a drumstick. That is not what I bought. Hmmm..


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

The bone in meats I feed are chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken quarters, chicken backs, turkey necks, turkey wings, turkey legs, turkey backs and pork ribs. When ever I butcher a chicken or a turkey I also feed it all cut up into those cuts (legs, back, etc). I also have whole rabbits, so those will be a bone in meal.

The bone less meats that I feed are llama, beef, pork, lamb. I also feed bone less chicken and turkey when I butcher one.

I just buy what ever cuts of meat that I can at the cheapest price. If they are suitable to feed bone in, then I feed bone in. If they are not suitable to feed bone in, then I trim the meat off the bone and feed only the meat.

Like others have said, if cost isn't an problem, then you can buy whatever cuts you want to feed. It really just comes down to what you feel most comfortable with doing.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Hmm..the "chicken legs" that I have from Whole Foods look exactly like the quarters you are showing. Is there a difference between a leg quarter and a chicken quarter? (stupid question..sorry). The "leg" that you are showing looks just like a drumstick. That is not what I bought. Hmmm..


Chicken quarter and chicken leg quarter mean the exact same thing.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

saraj2878 said:


> The bone in meats I feed are chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken quarters, chicken backs, turkey necks, turkey wings, turkey legs, turkey backs and pork ribs. When ever I butcher a chicken or a turkey I also feed it all cut up into those cuts (legs, back, etc). I also have whole rabbits, so those will be a bone in meal.
> 
> The bone less meats that I feed are llama, beef, pork, lamb. I also feed bone less chicken and turkey when I butcher one.
> 
> ...


Where do you get LLAMA? I bet my dogs would LOVE it!!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Where do you get LLAMA? I bet my dogs would LOVE it!!


We get whole llamas butchered through our co op here in Colorado. Its usually between 1.50-2 per pound but the girls love it. A good rich, red meat that is all natural, antibiotic and hormone free. There are a few llama ranchers here that will thin their herds twice a year and butcher the older animals. They offer them up to all the members of the Colorado Carnivores group. Try and find one in your area.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I get my Llama through my co op too. It is all natural, antibiotic fee and hormone free too. I also get my lamb and beef through my co op, as well as the rabbit. If you haven't all ready, I would look into joining a co op. They are totally worth it! :biggrin:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

This is what I bought. Is it a leg or quarter?

Also...another silly question because I rarely handle raw meat...

This meat was SMELLY! It was from Whole Foods, does not expire until Nov. 24th, looks fresh..but smells kinda nasty/rancid? Is this normal for raw chicken? Ick!


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

The meat also felt kind of sticky. I just went and smelled it now that I have frozen the legs and they STILL stink!! Should I try and return these? Are they bad?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Yep! thats a chicken leg quarter. Its just smaller than the ones that I'm used to. They can get smelly if they sit out for a few hours to a few days LOL

I wouldn't worry about the smell at all, dogs can handle past date, smelly meats just fine.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Hmmmm...it never sat out...well maybe for about 30 minutes to an hour while I perused Whole Foods and then drove home. You are sure it won't make them sick? Even if they are new to raw?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Well, it all depends on the dog. Our dogs can handle meat that has sat our for days, is stinky beyond belief, green and all around disgusting without one ill effect, save for a bit of gas. Dogs newly switched to raw should be given the fresher meats if at all possible because the increased bacterial load can pose a problem for them digestively, causing diarrhea. But if you just bought them, they didn't sit out I would still feed them. I've noticed that some chicken smells and feels more "chickeny" than others even if they are fresh. I wouldn't throw it out, but just remove all the excess fat, skin and organ meat for precaution only.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I've noticed too that the un-enhanced chicken I buy from Publix starts to smell alot earlier than the enhanced chicken I use to buy from Walmart. Thats why I buy most of my meat from Publix now, even though it is more expensive.


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## mike487 (Mar 30, 2010)

Sorry to bring this up but that pic Brownie posted is a LEG. Leg = drumstick + thigh (- back). The picture in Danemama's post is a QUARTER because it still has a portion of the back attached. Some butchers cut the back portion off a quarter and then it becomes a leg.


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