[FourIsCompany]

I'm switching to raw and looking for meat resources.

We live in a small town with not much variety and I'm a prisoner to the grocery store prices. I'd love to get a resource for goat heads or 1/4 of a cow or something and have it shipped here. OR I'd like to make contact with some local resources (this IS cattle country) but I'm not sure how. I've asked around, but there doesn't seem to be a butcher in the area... I know there are but how do I find them?

Does anyone here do that sort of thing? Or know how to find such companies on line? Everything I've seen is "gourmet" dog food like "tripe and carrot salad" I just want the tripe, or the bones or large orders of chickens or whatever.

I joined the yahoo group and so far, I find it pretty useless, but I will continue to keep it active in hopes of coming across something there. I'm also going to check out the local 4H, feed store and talk to the grocery store meat counters today.

Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Carla

 

[Kathyy]

I checked carnivorefeed-supplier for you, some posts about New Mexico. K-9Kitchen? Have you searched the list for references to New Mexico? As I read the list suppliers get mentioned from time to time. Slaughter houses sometimes allow pet owners to buy from them and sometimes not. You probably have to talk to them on the phone. Once you locate one, that is. Contact a rancher directly, bet they would have some info for you. Read the Lis List carefully, I know I have found but not saved lists of slaughter houses somewhere.

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

look for raw feeding lists specific to your area..

on mine I get regular tips on which grocery store are having what sales.

also. Look around online for a hunter's forum specific to your area. offer to take any excess game meats off their hands..you are bound to find a few takers..I've gotten TONS of FREE game meats in my area..free because where I live it's illegal to SELL wild caught game.

 

[FourIsCompany]

look for raw feeding lists specific to your area..

I have no idea what that means.

Look around online for a hunter's forum specific to your area. offer to take any excess game meats off their hands..you are bound to find a few takers..I've gotten TONS of FREE game meats in my area..free because where I live it's illegal to SELL wild caught game.

Thanks! That's a great tip!

 

[shortstack]

hit up craigslist make an add.. i would stay away from saying you are feeding "raw" as there are a ton of people who don't approve..
Go to your grocery store and ask the butcher (or meat guy) there what he/she does with scrap. can they order anything in for you.. ask about sales.. this is the scary part, i have yet to get brave enough to talk to my meat market, but i am just going to do it.. worse thing they say is you can't have the scrap... i would again avoid telling them its for raw.. perhaps say
"home made dog food my vet has me making to alliveate some issues with my dog" - its not a total lie...

 

[FourIsCompany]

Go to your grocery store and ask the butcher (or meat guy) there what he/she does with scrap.

I did that. There are apparently regulations here that they can't sell scraps.

I DID find a slaughterhouse in the area and they told me the same thing. They will "give" me bones and I will make a donation, but they were very leery about discussing goat heads and such... They said the law prevents them from selling them. I'm hoping that once I get a few bones from them, they'll begin to trust me and start giving me some of their scraps.

I have been in all the grocery stores asking about their fliers and stuff like that. I'll be getting the paper on Tuesday to take advantage of their sales.

I feel like I'm getting doors slammed in my face and I'm pretty impatient with stuff like this, so I just have to persevere.

I will look into the Craigslist thing. I am totally ignorant about that kind of stuff.

 

[shortstack]

Oh im sorry- what a bummer deal! no fun at all! the slaughter house sounds promising! You go girl! you'll do great! you will preservere

 

[BoxMeIn21]

I did that. There are apparently regulations here that they can't sell scraps.

I DID find a slaughterhouse in the area and they told me the same thing. They will "give" me bones and I will make a donation, but they were very leery about discussing goat heads and such... They said the law prevents them from selling them. I'm hoping that once I get a few bones from them, they'll begin to trust me and start giving me some of their scraps.

I have been in all the grocery stores asking about their fliers and stuff like that. I'll be getting the paper on Tuesday to take advantage of their sales.

I feel like I'm getting doors slammed in my face and I'm pretty impatient with stuff like this, so I just have to persevere.

I will look into the Craigslist thing. I am totally ignorant about that kind of stuff.

Check out yahoo's carnivore feed supplier - you might also want to search yahoo for feeding groups in your area.

Also www.dogaware.com has a list of raw feeding co-op's by state.

As for craigslist - I have found lots of free meat that way. Here is my ad that I copied from another member - I place it in the wanted section (free):

My dogs have many allergies so they can't eat regular dog kibble. I feed them an all natural diet and they are doing great on it. Unfortunately, the cost can get a bit high. I am asking for any RAW uncooked frozen meat that has gotten freezer burned that you are just going to throw away. The dogs don't mind the freezer burn at all! The meat must be raw and frozen though....such as raw hamburger, raw beef, raw turkey, raw chicken, raw pork, raw venison, raw lamb, raw liver/kidney/gizzards/hearts, etc (no boxed dinners/etc). Anything with bones in it is fine too, but all of it needs to be frozen. Thank you in advance!

Hope that helps!

 

[FourIsCompany]

Check out yahoo's carnivore feed supplier -

All right! Thanks! I joined. I will also check out your other suggestions. Thank you so much.

 

[lovemygreys]

I did that. There are apparently regulations here that they can't sell scraps.

I DID find a slaughterhouse in the area and they told me the same thing. They will "give" me bones and I will make a donation, but they were very leery about discussing goat heads and such... They said the law prevents them from selling them. I'm hoping that once I get a few bones from them, they'll begin to trust me and start giving me some of their scraps.

I have been in all the grocery stores asking about their fliers and stuff like that. I'll be getting the paper on Tuesday to take advantage of their sales.

I feel like I'm getting doors slammed in my face and I'm pretty impatient with stuff like this, so I just have to persevere.

I will look into the Craigslist thing. I am totally ignorant about that kind of stuff.

The problem is that people might buy the "discarded" meat and eat it themselves...possibly becoming sick b/c the meat wasn't handled to be consumed by people.

They used to have a problem with trainers at greyhound tracks taking home the ground (4D) meat intended for the dogs, which is why it is now denatured with charcoal. A lot of slaughter houses and meat suppliers are catching on to this untapped market of raw pet feeders and will now sell denatured meat to the public. That may be something to ask for, rather than asking for scraps. Or, as if they know of any slaughterhouse that sells denatured beef/chicken/whatever.

Good luck! I can't believe how lucky we got when we started sourcing for raw this time around...the chicken place even delivers the 520 lbs of chicken carcasses right to our house!

 

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

whatit means is that....

I live in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. So I Joined the "Triangle Area Raw Feeder's List". the big list isn't much help...but there are little ones...and if there's not one for your area..hop on yahoo and start one..people will come drifting in.

 

[boon4376]

We live in a small town with not much variety and I'm a prisoner to the grocery store prices. I'd love to get a resource for goat heads or 1/4 of a cow or something and have it shipped here. OR I'd like to make contact with some local resources (this IS cattle country) but I'm not sure how. I've asked around, but there doesn't seem to be a butcher in the area... I know there are but how do I find them?

You could learn to hunt
Hows the wild game in New Mexico?

 

[FourIsCompany]

I could hunt (I wouldn't have to learn. ) I'll have to talk with my husband because I don't want to go alone.

We actually have a ton of rabbits on our property and we don't need a license to "hunt" them, but isn't it dangerous to feed wild rabbit to dogs? Does freezing get rid of the "cooties"?

 

[boon4376]

I could hunt (I wouldn't have to learn. ) I'll have to talk with my husband because I don't want to go alone.

We actually have a ton of rabbits on our property and we don't need a license to "hunt" them, but isn't it dangerous to feed wild rabbit to dogs? Does freezing get rid of the "cooties"?

It can be dangerous to feed small animals becuase they may have eaten rat poison or other things....

But if you have deer or moose around, now thats a freezer full of free prime meat, you could feed your dog for a year lol