[wyx]

We feed once per day in the morning and fast our guys about once per week.

3-5x per week: 3 pounds of RMB for the 9 mo GSD (half a rack of ribs or half a largish frying chicken) and 1/2 pound for each Corgi.
1-2x per week 2 pounds liver, a pre-ground organ/tripe blend or muscle/organ blend for the GSD and 6oz for each Corgi
~2-3x per month something special to work on like trotters or beef gullet.

On the RMB days they get a random bit of green tripe (tennis ball size wad for the GSD, golf ball wad for the Corgwyn), raw egg (2 for the GSD), leftover meat from our meals, homemade pickles and/or a splash of cod liver oil.

[lizalots]

What is RMB?

[Curbside Prophet]

RMB = Raw Meaty Bones

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

ok so here is us for the moment. what I feed depends on what I can get.


I recently found a tienda that sells fatty chicken backs for twenty cents a pound.

So that is the bone component of their meal.

I hooked up with some deer meat through a raw feeders list fifty dollar for eighty pounds of venison and then SO went hunting and bagged a buck so I have quite a bit of venison and deer organs at the moment.

each meal has been a chicken back plus a pile of venison cuts and a slice of deer heart or liver. When the backs run out they will get deer ribs.

Question:

I have all the deer organs from the buck SO got. Is there anything I shouldn't feed?

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by zimandtakandgrrandmimi

I have all the deer organs from the buck SO got. Is there anything I shouldn't feed?

Bladder and intestines ... everything else is good to go including the head.

EDITED TO ADD: Congratulations on the deer stuff. If I could only feed one meat OR if I could get enough of it, venison would be 100% of the diet.

[Stitch]

I would love to start Chewie on a raw diet (right now I just mix Bil Jac with Iams), but it sounds so expensive. Does anyone mind revealing the weekly price tag on such a diet? I just wanna know if raw feeding is out of my price range.

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by Stitch

I would love to start Chewie on a raw diet (right now I just mix Bil Jac with Iams), but it sounds so expensive. Does anyone mind revealing the weekly price tag on such a diet? I just wanna know if raw feeding is out of my price range.

The cost of feeding raw varies greatly depending on what you feed and where you live. The longer you feed raw, the cheaper it gets because over time you find new sources and you learn how to buy. I feed raw to 2 Great Danes and 2 cats. It costs around $70/month. I have been doing this for 6 years so i have sources pretty well lined up and I know where and how to buy.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Stitch

I would love to start Chewie on a raw diet (right now I just mix Bil Jac with Iams), but it sounds so expensive. Does anyone mind revealing the weekly price tag on such a diet? I just wanna know if raw feeding is out of my price range.

you kind of have to be a coupon wielding bargain warrior to get the best prices.

Through a raw feeders list and a big big sale at the grocery I spent sixty dollars on more than a month's worth of food. and got another monthplus worth of food for free when SO went hunting.

Raw feeders lists are proving invaluable at keeping my dog food budget low and their menu varied. through the list I met a young man who is a regular hunter and will call the list whenever he has extra venison.

So how cheap it is depends on your area and how much effort are you willing to put into it.

[Stitch]

Cool thanks RFD and zimandtakandgrrandmimi. Now I have a second question (or 2) which is; is it necessary to switch the menu from day to day? Or can I stick with one entree (i.e. chicken in the morning and ground beef at night)? And what are the benefits of switching up their diet?

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by Stitch

is it necessary to switch the menu from day to day? Or can I stick with one entree (i.e. chicken in the morning and ground beef at night)?

There are 2 answers to that question. In the beginning you want to stick with one protein source for about 2 weeks and then add a new protein source a week for a few weeks. This is to help the dog's body adjust to digesting real food.

And what are the benefits of switching up their diet?

Different meats have nutrients in different concentrations. I don't know if it will affect the health of your dog just to feed chicken and ground beef. Probably not. However it is recommended by most every knowledgeable raw feeder I know to feed a variety of meat, bones, and organs. You definately want to feed some organs in any raw diet. There are nutrients in them just don't get enough of in meat and bones.

EDITED TO ADD:However, on the other hand,
"When I ran a busy veterinary practice, many of my clients fed almost exclusively chicken backs and frames -- whether to adult dogs or litters of puppies -- and their animals showed excellent health."
Dr. Tom Lonsdale "Work Wonders" Page 25

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

I would start with chicken. How big is your dog?

basically you want to feed around two percent of your dog's body weight a day.

like my one dog is Forty eight pounds and gets a little less than a pound a day. my other dog is forty five pounds and gets right about the same amount..just a smidge less.

And just call me Zim.

I switch whenever I have new food sources. I have deer and chicken right now...when that runs out it will probably be chicken and beef again until I find some more deer or some rabbit or bison or duck on sale

if you do decide to feed raw it is cheaper usually to buy in bulk. a chest type freezer would be a good investment. I got mine off craigslist for fifteen dollars.

[Stitch]

Originally Posted by zimandtakandgrrandmimi

I would start with chicken. How big is your dog?

basically you want to feed around two percent of your dog's body weight a day.

like my one dog is Forty eight pounds and gets a little less than a pound a day. my other dog is forty five pounds and gets right about the same amount..just a smidge less.

And just call me Zim.

I switch whenever I have new food sources. I have deer and chicken right now...when that runs out it will probably be chicken and beef again until I find some more deer or some rabbit or bison or duck on sale

if you do decide to feed raw it is cheaper usually to buy in bulk. a chest type freezer would be a good investment. I got mine off craigslist for fifteen dollars.

Chewie is around 55 to 60 lbs and he's a yr old english bulldog/black lab mix (if that helps). And $15 for a chest size freezer!!! What a deal! Needless to say I'm going to Craigslist when I'm done posting here.

Now back on track. Since he's in the 55 to 60 range I'm guessing a pound and a half of food a day. Does that sound about right?

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Stitch

Chewie is around 55 to 60 lbs and he's a yr old english bulldog/black lab mix (if that helps). And $15 for a chest size freezer!!! What a deal! Needless to say I'm going to Craigslist when I'm done posting here.

Now back on track. Since he's in the 55 to 60 range I'm guessing a pound and a half of food a day. Does that sound about right?

one point one to one point two pounds day is about right.

and yep fifteen bux...remember what I said about being a bargain warrior..my freezer was originally listed as fifty dollars but I talked her down to fifteen.

I make a game of it. I challenge myself to find the very best deals and then beat that with better deals next shopping trip.

Good places to check are ethnic markets(they will have more organ meats than regular grocery stores) farmer's markets and of course the raw feeders lists. I don't have the link on hand but Briteday gave me it...I will find it for you...

So start with chicken for a week or two and then add another meat source. and so on...

[Kathyy]

That would be feeding at nearly 3%, 2% would be about 18 ounces. 57x16x.02=18 ounces. I pay about $.70 a day for my dog's measly 10 ounces of food. Really I think I am spending not a whole lot more and I really trust human grade food more not to mention all the processing kibble goes through.

[rosemaryninja]

Originally Posted by Stitch

Now back on track. Since he's in the 55 to 60 range I'm guessing a pound and a half of food a day. Does that sound about right?

It sounds fine to start off with as an approximate amount. Amount should be the least of your worries. Your dog's build will tell you very quickly whether you are feeding too much or too little. Honestly, a lot of the "panic" issues people have about raw (what do I feed? how often? how much? how expensive? how to prepare?) are smaller than they seem Do some research, then just take the first step. It all falls into place from there.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Kathyy

That would be feeding at nearly 3%, 2% would be about 18 ounces. 57x16x.02=18 ounces. I pay about $.70 a day for my dog's measly 10 ounces of food. Really I think I am spending not a whole lot more and I really trust human grade food more not to mention all the processing kibble goes through.

your right...whoops..brain fart....sorry Stitch I have been a little off kilter lately...it has been a rough week...I just went back and re weighed what I portioned out when I got the stuff thinking I must have boobood there..no I boobood here....my girls get average sixteen ounces...

[4dogs3cats]

Ok I revamped it.. tell me what you guys think,

7 days in a week..(good so far)

5 days a week they get chicken
2 days a week they get beef, every time they get beef it is 73% and it has a raw egg mixed in.
Once a week in their beef they get calf liver mixed in
3 days a week they get fish oil pills

Whenever I can find beef heart again I will give them this 2-3 times a week.


?

[Agent 001.1]

Hey guys sorry to be a newb.

I've started my new puppy on a raw diet, he's a Shepherd/Husky mix. Had him for about 3 days and have been switching to raw from the start. He's 7 weeks old.

I started off with char fish because of being rich in the omega supplements and he loved it after trying it, but i recently have read i should stick to one protien source for about 2 weeks. With that said i started feeding him small raw chicken legs, which he has taking to pretty well.
i am going to make a stop to the butcher tomorrow and wanted to know if there were any recomendations on what i should buy to feed such a young dog, or any sketch weekly menus to aid me other than the ones posted, or is it prettty much the same for any age of dog. Thank you

[4dogs3cats]

For the first two weeks or so you should stick to one source. Most choose chicken. When I switched my three dogs, I gave the 65 GSD 2 chicken quarters a day, I gave the 30lb beagle an 8oz chicken thigh a day, and the 25 pounds beagle who was overweight(shes meant to be smaller than the other beagle) a 4 oz. chicken drumstick a day.

[inmommyheaven]

I am trying to build up a supply and figure out exactly what to feed. I picked up some pork neck bones with meat on them. Is that okay? Also my neighbor said he would save me any waist muscle meat that they won't eat from the dear they get. . . for example the areas around where the bullet goes in. Is that okay? I wasn't sure since humans tend to not eat it. I also picked up some fryer chickens, chicken necks, and ground beef. I am going to start with the chicken necks and then work from there.