Would share your Raw Diet Menu? Please?
- Thread starter Amstaffer
- Start date
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I'm feeding 3 adult bitches. They consume 5 lbs of meat per day on average.
I buy my meat from Blue Ridge Beef, which is nearby me.
http://www.blueridgebeef.com/products.html
My dogs get the following on a rotation basis:
30% fat beef meat
Whole ground chicken (with the bone)
Organmeat mix including heart, kidney, liver, and tripe
green beef tripe
Raw meaty bones
I supplement with some things from Nature's Farmacy, including their Ultimate DogZyme's vitamin supp, CCM+ bone and joint support, and KA Calcium to balance the meat that does not come with bone.
They get incidentals from the table, and whatever is on sale for a great deal at the grocery store....
Turkey necks, chicken backs, pork neck bones, etc.
I buy my meat from Blue Ridge Beef, which is nearby me.
http://www.blueridgebeef.com/products.html
My dogs get the following on a rotation basis:
30% fat beef meat
Whole ground chicken (with the bone)
Organmeat mix including heart, kidney, liver, and tripe
green beef tripe
Raw meaty bones
I supplement with some things from Nature's Farmacy, including their Ultimate DogZyme's vitamin supp, CCM+ bone and joint support, and KA Calcium to balance the meat that does not come with bone.
They get incidentals from the table, and whatever is on sale for a great deal at the grocery store....
Turkey necks, chicken backs, pork neck bones, etc.
*giggle*
im feeding one male doberman. he consumes about 5 lbs of meat a day on average
he gets -
whole chickens
whole turkeys
whole rabbits
beef ribs
pork ribs
whole fish (tilapia, mackeral, anchovies, sardines)
pork tails
pork feet
buffalo tails
buffalo heart, beef heart
chicken carcasses
duck carcasses
turkey necks
duck necks
lamb necks
beef necks
W
To my older bitch,(active) A normal feeding would be one chicken leg quarter, one half to one pound of ground beef or turkey, a quarter to half cup of cottage cheese and 3 squirts of salmon oil
another feeding might be 2-3 pork neck bones, 1/2-1/3 beef heart, 2-3 slices of beef liver, salmon oil and done
Next day would be one can of mackerel (16oz) around a pound of chicken wings a half of beef kidney a couple scoops of organic yogurt and salmon oil.
I only do the organ meat, kindey/liver 2-3x's per week on average and just increase some of the other stuff. Some days I'll scale it way back and she only gets 2 eggs and fish, some days I substitute about a half cup of honest kitchen dehydrated Raw food as well.
I try no tot get too routine in my feeding, keeps them guessing and intersted and go more by the look and energy level of my dogs than a strict feeding routine or how hungry they act. They're always hungry.
I spend about 24-35 bucks a month per dog for Raw
she's about a 65-68 lb (thin) GSD I only feed one time per day, and she gets some treats throughout the day sometimes depending on training or whatever
another feeding might be 2-3 pork neck bones, 1/2-1/3 beef heart, 2-3 slices of beef liver, salmon oil and done
Next day would be one can of mackerel (16oz) around a pound of chicken wings a half of beef kidney a couple scoops of organic yogurt and salmon oil.
I only do the organ meat, kindey/liver 2-3x's per week on average and just increase some of the other stuff. Some days I'll scale it way back and she only gets 2 eggs and fish, some days I substitute about a half cup of honest kitchen dehydrated Raw food as well.
I try no tot get too routine in my feeding, keeps them guessing and intersted and go more by the look and energy level of my dogs than a strict feeding routine or how hungry they act. They're always hungry.
I spend about 24-35 bucks a month per dog for Raw
she's about a 65-68 lb (thin) GSD I only feed one time per day, and she gets some treats throughout the day sometimes depending on training or whatever
I feed like whatz does, going by feel of the dogs and their individual activity level. This is a typical day, but not every day as the food items rotate out depending on what is thawed:
Gunnar (about 85-90lbs and very active)- 1 large chicken leg quarter or pieces to add up to about 1.5lbs, 1lb of muscle meat, 3oz liver or kidney.
Midnite (about 60lbs, not very active senior citizen) 1 thigh portion of a large leg quarter (12oz or so), 8oz of muscle meat, 1 oz of organ meat
Bruzer (25lbs, active) 8oz of leg quarter, 8 oz of muscle meat, 1oz of organ meat.
We give raw eggs several times a week and supplement with salmon oil capsules and vitamin E. They get a vitamin a few times a week too.
I think that I've found the right amounts to give each dog now to help them maintain weight. Bruzer seems to need extra muscle meat or he loses weight real fast. Gunnar eats like a horse and maintains his weight nicely. Midnite is a senior, not very active, and needs less food because of that.
Things we feed:
Raw Meaty Bones- chicken leg quarters, pork ribs, pork neck, turkey legs and wings, turkey neck, beef short ribs, beef neck bones, pork shoulder (when it's been used as muscle meat and there is not much meat left, Gunnar gets the bone).
Muscle meat- beef heart, ground beef or turkey, beef sirloin roast (I get big packs at Sam's and use some for the dogs and some for us), pork shoulder, turkey breast, chicken breast (both boneless and bone in, as there is not much bone in them anyway), beef tongue, lamb, deer meat, old freezer burned hamburger patties (lol!). Really any meat that people would throw away because it's old and freezer burned I'll feed to the dogs.
Organs- mostly beef or chicken livers, beef kidney
Fish-whiting fillets (gunnar hates these), canned mackerel
Whole foods- whole broiler/fryer chickens, rabbits, pheasants when hunter friends give them to me.
Gunnar (about 85-90lbs and very active)- 1 large chicken leg quarter or pieces to add up to about 1.5lbs, 1lb of muscle meat, 3oz liver or kidney.
Midnite (about 60lbs, not very active senior citizen) 1 thigh portion of a large leg quarter (12oz or so), 8oz of muscle meat, 1 oz of organ meat
Bruzer (25lbs, active) 8oz of leg quarter, 8 oz of muscle meat, 1oz of organ meat.
We give raw eggs several times a week and supplement with salmon oil capsules and vitamin E. They get a vitamin a few times a week too.
I think that I've found the right amounts to give each dog now to help them maintain weight. Bruzer seems to need extra muscle meat or he loses weight real fast. Gunnar eats like a horse and maintains his weight nicely. Midnite is a senior, not very active, and needs less food because of that.
Things we feed:
Raw Meaty Bones- chicken leg quarters, pork ribs, pork neck, turkey legs and wings, turkey neck, beef short ribs, beef neck bones, pork shoulder (when it's been used as muscle meat and there is not much meat left, Gunnar gets the bone).
Muscle meat- beef heart, ground beef or turkey, beef sirloin roast (I get big packs at Sam's and use some for the dogs and some for us), pork shoulder, turkey breast, chicken breast (both boneless and bone in, as there is not much bone in them anyway), beef tongue, lamb, deer meat, old freezer burned hamburger patties (lol!). Really any meat that people would throw away because it's old and freezer burned I'll feed to the dogs.
Organs- mostly beef or chicken livers, beef kidney
Fish-whiting fillets (gunnar hates these), canned mackerel
Whole foods- whole broiler/fryer chickens, rabbits, pheasants when hunter friends give them to me.
The Nature's Variety IS expensive, especially when you are feeding large dogs. Have you tried the patties instead of the medallions? They are more cost effective. AND, I should also add that Nature's Variety just came out with their new raw Chub diets which are the same as the medallions and patties, but they come in 2 lb. packages and are suppose to be a better value for people with large dogs or for those that are feeding multiples.
Lots of great information here: http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdietbasics.htm
yes - pick one of the above and its a meal unlike the others, i dont break things up and do a bit of this with some of that and 3 oz of this and 4 oz of that and one cup of cottage cheese (to each their own) - rah eats as whole as possible, and save for meals of heart only (Which i do one to two times a week), he eats the whole animals which have organs in them. one meal would be a whole chicken, then a whole rabbit, then a whole slab of beef ribs, then a whole pork roast.
no, all of these raw meats have bone in them. most of the bones my dog consumes, he occassionally will leave a piece here and there (usually big neck bones) but he consumes 90% of all the bone offered to him. as for raw pork, each person has to do what they feel comfortable with. i know many that wont feed it. i do.
i spend on average 200-300 a month feeding the dog and three cats raw - more when i add in the little extras like spendy rabbit (Which i dont get wholesale, yet!).
and red, hes a growing boy at 85 or so lbs hes backed down to 4 lbs a day now that hes not SO active, but he actually lost 3 lbs so i think i have to up him back to 5 lbs a day once we get back into active training, hes had a few weeks off while i prepare to move.
unlike the others, i dont break things up and do a bit of this with some of that and 3 oz of this and 4 oz of that and one cup of cottage cheese (to each their own) - rah eats as whole as possible, and save for meals of heart only (Which i do one to two times a week), he eats the whole animals which have organs in them. one meal would be a whole chicken, then a whole rabbit, then a whole slab of beef ribs, then a whole pork roast. no, all of these raw meats have bone in them. most of the bones my dog consumes, he occassionally will leave a piece here and there (usually big neck bones) but he consumes 90% of all the bone offered to him. as for raw pork, each person has to do what they feel comfortable with. i know many that wont feed it. i do.
i spend on average 200-300 a month feeding the dog and three cats raw - more when i add in the little extras like spendy rabbit (Which i dont get wholesale, yet!).
and red, hes a growing boy at 85 or so lbs
hes backed down to 4 lbs a day now that hes not SO active, but he actually lost 3 lbs so i think i have to up him back to 5 lbs a day once we get back into active training, hes had a few weeks off while i prepare to move.
cost really depends on a lot of things, though. if you can buy in bulk or buy wholesale or buy "leftovers" from a butcher, you can really decrease your price. i was buying small amounts just from the grocery store and i probably averaged $1.50/lb, maybe a bit less depending on what was on sale, etc. 1 lb/day per dog (45 lb and 55 lb but with differing energy levels) was less than $100/month.
Dang, doberkim. :yikes:
I'm currently feeding 1/2 raw, 1/2 kibble and spending about $20/month on meat for both the boys. I buy what's on sale and take what I can get from the people who hunt around here.
When I was feeding only raw, I probably spent $50-60 per month depending on what we bought.
Then again, I'm only feeding 45lbs of dog instead of 85+lbs, and I didn't buy anything super expensive. Just staples, organ meat, the occasional rec bone and stuff for veggie slop.
I'm currently feeding 1/2 raw, 1/2 kibble and spending about $20/month on meat for both the boys. I buy what's on sale and take what I can get from the people who hunt around here.
When I was feeding only raw, I probably spent $50-60 per month depending on what we bought.
Then again, I'm only feeding 45lbs of dog instead of 85+lbs, and I didn't buy anything super expensive. Just staples, organ meat, the occasional rec bone and stuff for veggie slop.
you guys are missing that i am feeding over 5 lbs a DAY total - the cats alone also eat 1-2 lbs a day.
so thats MINIMUM, 6 lbs a day right now, even if everyone is eating "light" meals, and on heavy meal days my animals can eat close to 8-9 lbs! (ie rabbit day)- youre looking at over 40 (and typically closer to 50) lbs a WEEK of food. thats about 200 lbs of meat MINIMUM a month!!!
so when i say i pay 200-300 a month for raw food, that IS cheaper.
if rah was eating kibble, it would be innova EVO. based on esimates of what he would be eating of that, he would be eating over 200 a month worth ot that kibble.
my cats would be eating canned only. that would be 4 cans a day total minimum - the food i feed is average 1 dollar/can (actually more than that, but we will round down for math sake this early in the am) - thats 120 bucks a month just in canned food.
so MINIMUM if i fed my cats and dog kibble and canned, id be looking at spending over 300 bucks on their food easily.
and now, i know exactly what i am feeding. i pay approximately 1 dollar/lb for all my meat, which is a great deal. when i take out the very expensive things like rabbit and beef (which is incredibly spendy right now), im paying about 60 cents/lb for everything else, since i buy in bulk.
is it a lot of money each month? yes - but its worth it to me to know exactly what i am feeding my animal. i refuse to feed a crap kibble or anything subpar to my animals, and it pays off. and its no more expensive than feeding lesser foods. by the first of next year, ill have 6 raw fed cats in the house and probably another doberman, and our feeding bill will go up accordingly, i expect to easily feed 12-15 lbs of meat a day at that point, which will effectively double our feeding bill.