# Freezer Space and Moving



## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I am finally making headway with the hubby for us to switch to raw. I am totally using the whole "we can save a lot of money" route. It's working. I can see him starting to crack...LOL. Not too much longer, everyone. :biggrin:

However, I do have a few concerns:

In our house that we are in now there is really no place for an extra freezer. Our garage is too small and there is really no place in the house. Bummer. Do any of you feed raw just out of your freezer that you have in the kitchen? Do you find that you can get a little meat supply saved up? Do any of you just go shopping every week or every other week for meat? We have a side by side fridge/freezer so our freezer space isn't too big. 

I would be feeding two dogs raw. A 50 lb. GSH Pointer and a BRT pup. Who is currently 4 months old and about 40 pounds. Adult weight of 140-150 pounds.

Another thing is that within a year we will hopefully be moving to the Portland area. Those of you that have a freezer full of meat what do you do? How do you move it all? Lots of coolers?

We travel some. Sometimes we stay in hotels for a week or more at a time. Would I just take a cooler full of meat? Is that what you guys do who go camping/traveling?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

We didn't have room for our second freezer in the house, and we had no power to the garage so we just stuck it out on the side of the house that gets the least amount of sun. We propped it up on bricks and it does just fine. I would suggest finding a place outside for a freezer. It'll be hard to do it efficiently and cost effective out of your personal freezer....you can usually find a good deal on one off of CL.

We are going to be moving in the not too distant future as well. I would just not unplug the freezer and load it up until you're about to leave. Make sure it stays well sealed for the trip. It should stay frozen or mostly frozen for a day or two if you don't open it. This is what we will do.

We just got back from a two week road trip. We packed a cooler full of frozen meat and then went shopping a week later for more along the way. Worked out just fine without a hitch :biggrin:


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Cool...thanks.

I was just now looking in our down stairs laundry room. I am thinking I could fit a small chest freezer in the back corner after moving some things around. Do you think this would work okay until we moved? Possibly enough freezer space to get by for a few months?

In our next house a place for a second freezer will be a must. So, once we moved we would still have the small chest freezer plus another.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

It will definitely be better than not at all. By the time you move and are situated in your new place I'll bet you have at least 3 freezers.:biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Oh, I'm sure that will be fine. Since you will transition slowly starting with just two or three protein sources, you wont need as much space to store up to like 6-7 different protein sources. I think that would be a good place to start!


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Awesome! Thanks you guys. :smile: I'm getting excited.

whiteleo-you'll need to show me the ropes with joining the co op. I don't know how they work....?

I know that I should start out with chicken backs, but I don't know how easily I can find them. Is there a place where I could order them? I will be traveling back and forth to Portland, so maybe I could find a place in Portland. 

I can get bags of chicken quarters at Walmart for 23 cents a pound or less. So I know I can get a lot of those cuts of meat. Would it be okay to start with quarters?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Holy cow! 23 cents a pound???? I'm jealous LOL

You're in luck...there is a brand of the meat distributor that we order from out in Portland. So I know that they should have chicken backs.

Harvest Meat Company - Sales Contacts

Call and ask if they have a raw feeding program or if they sell to the general public. 

I'm sure that the PNW co op should offer chicken backs too.

It is find to start on quarters, but you may have to trim skin, fat and organs and some extra muscle meat off to increase the bone to meat ratio. Just depends on how your dogs make the switch. I have a feeling that Duncan will take right too it but Lucky may not know what to do with it at first. Only time will tell though!


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

We had a giant big freezer that died a few years ago and decided to downsize. We got a real good deal on a little chest freezer at Best Buy. It holds a surprising amount of food and doesn't take up much room at all in the garage or use much energy. I've found meat in the bottom that I forgot I had stored in it. Now that we are going to start the dogs on 'real meat' I can dig all that frozen meat out of the bottom of it and use it up! 

Check out their chest freezers......they have a better deal then Lowes or Home Depot, at least here they did. It was like $145 new and fit in our Tahoe.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Also, check out the appliance repair shops that resell items that they get in on trade or pickup from people who buy new items. I just bought a 21 cubic foot upright for $120.00 and it has a 120 day warranty, works like a charm.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Awesome...thanks again guys. :smile:

It does look as if the Portland branch of the meat company does have chicken backs. I am going to email them and see if I can get some kind of reply. So I would basically be buying a box/bulk supply of chicken backs? Right? I am going to Portland sometime this week and could pick up a box....or two....

I checked craigslist and there is nothing really good near me right now freezer wise. I do have a Sears in town and can check there. 

So if I start at the low end of things, 2% of Lucky's weight (~50lbs) is about 1 pound of meat a day. 

I am still a bit confused about how to figure Duncan since he is a pup. He currently is 4 months old and weighs 40 pounds. His adult weight is probably 140-150. I know I need to do 10% of something until sometime and then do 2%-3% then after....help! LOL... I am thinking he will need about 3 pounds a day...maybe?


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Feed 10% until it reaches 2% - 3% of expected ideal adult weight. You have already reached that so feed your 3lbs for now. :smile:

ETA: Always adjust for body build ... up or down depending on whether he is fat or thin.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Okay...sounds good. :smile:

I still have a bag of LBP Orijen and a bag of Acana to feed, so I have some time to find a freezer and get a supply going. Once I get a freezer I'll start looking for the good deals. I have emailed the meat supply in Portland....I hope to hear back about their chicken backs.

I'm excited because I feel that we are several steps closer to finally feeding raw! :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I'm happy for you and your furkids! They will thank you everyday during meal time!


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Thanks! I am really getting excited. :biggrin:

I think I have about 3 weeks to a months worth of kibble left, so that will give me time to get a meat stash going! I am going to go by Sears tomorrow to see about their small chest freezers and I will still keep an eye on craigslist. 

I actually think that hubby might be a *little* interested and excited about this....LOL. :tongue:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Once you get started and you see the benefits with your own eyes, it's hard not to get excited :wink:


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

saraj2878 said:


> I actually think that hubby might be a *little* interested and excited about this....LOL. :tongue:


I think that guys like having raw fed dogs. They get to tell their friends, "My dog eats raw meat! Aaarrrrgghhh!!!" It's very manly! :biggrin:

Great to hear your working towards PMR!


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Hahaha! Yeah, manly for the boys....:biggrin::biggrin: Love it.

So I re-joined the Or/Wa co op. I had actually joined several months back, but had forgotten exactly which co op it was that I joined. Turns out it was the "good" one! The meat supplier they use looks as if they have awesome prices and a nice variety! I will be able to get chicken backs (and lots of them) very easily for the transition.

Now do most of you do a chicken meal for one of your daily meals? I will start out feeding Duncan 3 times a day as he is a pup. When older I will feed 2 times a day, and will feed Lucky twice a day. 

So, I feed chicken backs ONLY for about 2 weeks, see how they do, and if they do well start adding in another protein source at that time?

When you guys get a bulk order of a lot of meat do you let it all thaw out, divide it up into whatever portions you want and then re freeze it?

I'm going to go and read the page RFD has up about beginning raw. Natalie or Jon-could you post up the link to your page? I wanna read it too! :tongue:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

> Now do most of you do a chicken meal for one of your daily meals? I will start out feeding Duncan 3 times a day as he is a pup. When older I will feed 2 times a day, and will feed Lucky twice a day.


Most people do chicken as one of the meals per day because its cheap. Since we feed only once a day, our dogs get chicken maybe once or twice a week. It really depends on how you do it and what you can afford.



> So, I feed chicken backs ONLY for about 2 weeks, see how they do, and if they do well start adding in another protein source at that time?


You can start this way, but I would assume that your dogs will eventually get very dry, powdery stools if you feed nothing but chicken backs for two weeks. I would say that you feed chicken backs for at least a few days and keep an eye on stool bowel movements. You may need to start adding in chicken quarters alternating with chicken backs about a week into raw.



> When you guys get a bulk order of a lot of meat do you let it all thaw out, divide it up into whatever portions you want and then re freeze it?


This is exactly what we do. We order 400 or so pounds at one time and thaw it out, portion it up and then re thaw it when the time comes to feed it.



> I'm going to go and read the page RFD has up about beginning raw. Natalie or Jon-could you post up the link to your page? I wanna read it too! :tongue:


How to get started | Prey Model Raw

That is just the "getting started" page, but there is a lot more there to read on the main site :wink:


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Just bought my first two 10lb bags of chicken quarters from Walmart for when they get done with only backs. 

Woot! Woot! :biggrin::biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Awesome! Keep us all posted on their
progress!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

since you joined our co op...you should be able to get meat from willamette valley.

under the files section, there is an updated price list...especially when you move to portland.

the database for rabbits JUST opened up for oregon....let me give you the link for that group too....we're like sister groups....

PacNWRaw : PacNWRaw

check out their files and databases and intro yourself...there are many oregonians on that list and the wazzu_oregon list....

you're gonna have fun


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Re, your a little behind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:biggrin:


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Thank you for all the help and support everyone! I am so excited and can't wait to get started. I want to start NOW, but my pocketbook is telling me that I can't justify throwing out $70 dollars worth of Champion kibble! LOL. And, I do think getting organized and a good supply of meat going before I start will make things much easier. I am still needing to get some rubbermaid containers to place 2-3 days worth of food in.....



magicre said:


> since you joined our co op...you should be able to get meat from willamette valley.
> 
> under the files section, there is an updated price list...especially when you move to portland.


Yup...I am going to be in Portland soon and I will place an order. I am going to buy my backs and chicken feet from them to start with. I can get quarters at my Walmart for about the same price per pound, maybe even a tiny bit cheaper. They have a nice selection and I will definitly be getting some other proteins and organs from them once we are a bit further into raw.



> the database for rabbits JUST opened up for oregon....let me give you the link for that group too....we're like sister groups....


Thanks for the link! I will also join this group!


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

So, I'm in Portland and will place a meat order on Friday before coming back home.

I guess hubby is all in. He has now told me to look on craigslist here in Portland for a big up right freezer. He said if we are going to do this, lets do this...none of that tiny chest freezer talk....we're going bigger! He's has even moved some shelves in our laundry room to make space for a big freezer! Score! :biggrin::biggrin:

Wish me luck!


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

Yay!!! That's awesome. It's great when you get your partner on board for something like this. We actually REMODELED our laundry room to accommodate a freezer! LOL!

Congratulations! Sounds like you guys are getting 'cited! :biggrin:


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

oh...yay for you....

it's a good feeling when both of you are on the same page.....


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

That's awesome Sara! I'm so excited for you :wink:


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