Raw Feeder (Set Up)

What is your set up for feeding Raw to your dogs? How much does it cost you monthly for one dog? and what are the steps you go through to get the feed to the dog??? Did you buy special large freezers to keep the dog food in??????? Also, if there was a dog food company that offered whole and compleate natural raw frozen meats (feathers/fur, bone, organs, all of the body) at an reasonable price, in sizable bags, (20lbs, 50lbs, 100lbs) would you skip the hassle and pick up your raw food from the store???

 

Cost varies because it depends on how you buy it, and the size of your dog. Times your dogs weight by 16 and then times that by .02 heres an example.
50lbs. x 16 = 800 ounces
800 x .02 = 16 ounces of food every day.
Buying a freezer would be smart just so you can buy larger quantities that way its cheaper.
I dont get what you mean by set up. Where you buy it is just your own personal preference. I would recommend going to like a small local butcher you would probably get a low price, he would most likely know what hes talking about, and maybe he could help you find different people to buy from.

 

A raw feed calculator to get an idea of how much to feed | link

I feed chicken quarters, occasional tilapia, pork/chicken necks, chicken hearts/gizzards, brown rice, oatmeal, eggs, carrots/celery, yogurt.


20lbs of chicken $10 (Lasts 40 days/half pound a day.)
3lbs of Tilapia filets $5 (Lasts 14 days. Given on days chicken isn't given)
5lbs of necks $5 (Lasts 10 days.)
10lbs of hearts/gizzards $10 (Lasts 13 weeks/3per week)
12 large eggs (Lasts a month)


Oatmeal or rice given on different days but these last forever so I don't bother calculating how long.
Add Flax seed oil and a crushed multivitamin

Basically With one trip I will spend about $30-35 and be set for 2-3 months. The only thing I don't get in bulk are the eggs obviously. If I'm out and there is a very good sale I can't pass up then I'll buy a few more to replenish the stock.

I use my own freezer but if I had a separate freezer I would buy more. If a company sold this in prepared bags for less than what I pay I would go for it but finding the meat isn't a hassle for me. I check the sales before I head out the door so I don't waste time.

 

ive been thinking of going raw, but im too lazy and it always seemed helle expensive. but if thos are the prices ill be lookin at i may actually do it! considering i spend the same amount on kibble.

 

I have no idea of costs right now since my supply has been a bit sporadic and get what you can lately. I've got freezers for food, because when hunting season, the expired supermarket beef, the free salmon "scraps", or the cheap chickens, come along, you've got to grab and hold out during the dry season. Frankly, if there were a store where I could buy it, I would in a heartbeat. Hours of killing your own chickens, or skinning/chopping in the freezing cold loses its romance real quick.

 

Do you boil the oatmeal or not? Same with the rice... Being that its called a raw diet. I've read that anything but meat is unnecessary. But if you've been doing so with results I'd take your advice.

 

is that per dog?
if so how big of a dog?

 

I buy in bulk a few hundred lb in weight per month from a raw food supplier and have 2 dedicated freezers for the dog grub, ontop of this i also go to the butchers once per week to pick up bones, fat offal etc. For me it is very very cheap at the moment i am paying 22p/lb of minced chicken then just 10p/lb for bones offal fat ribs etc. i do not feed any carbs whatsoever to the dogs and now i very rarely feed veg or fruit, I feed 1-2lb of food per day depending on exercise, weather conditions and just by using my own eye seeing how the dog is looking. It is much simpler to use a bag of food, but all i do is take the meat out of the freezer the night before let it defrost and feed them once per day unless in a keep the will get 2 feeds.

 

The biggest problem I had with feeding raw was the expense.
The dogs I had looks so good for so cheap on chicken backs, etc, I kept going out and getting more dogs.

 

There's absolutely no need for oatmeal, rice, or anything of that nature in a dogs diet, unless you are specifically trying to fatten a dog up real quick. Dogs have absolutely no need for carbohydrates, they get energy from fats and/or oils. and really the only reason for any veggies is for the added vitamins and/or calcium. just my 2 cents.

 

Mustard greens, kale, broccoli and a little fresh parsley here and there are much better than carrots or celery for your veggies. They have more vitamins and calcium (kale & mustard greens). Carrots i've been told also have alot of natural sugars so they shouldnt be fed everyday, though i'm not sure of this...there are plenty other things better to feed so i just dont use them. A clove of garlic (finely chopped or pressed) once a week is great too. Just tryin to help

 

That is for a single 35lb dog although mine flirts between 33-35. You can use the calculator link to find out how much you should be feeding depending on weight.

LOL

I boil the rice but not the oatmeal. I add water to the feed though. I believe in a balanced diet which is why I add greens but I also add a multi vitamin. I will admit that the rice for the most part is a filler but it is nutritional and doesn't harm the dog so I like to add it. Less if he's getting to fat and a bit more if he's leaning out too much on me.

Thanks. I actually feed the carrots/celery every other day. I also buy those packs of frozen mixed vegetables (sliced carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc..) and feed this as well.

With any raw diet you will figure out what works after a while. I'll add different meat like bison or turkey if I happen to get some from a friend or have it in my fridge.

 

wow that is pretty cheap!!!

I feed chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, raw organic eggs and next week will add chicken quarters.

Chicken legs in a pack of 32 pieces cost about $9-10
Chicken wings in a pack of about 32 pieces also cost $9-10
Chicken gizzards are about $1-2 on a small pack (4 packs last me 3-4 weeks)
Chicken livers cost about $1-2 on a small cup (2 cups last me 3 weeks)
Organic eggs well I just take them from the fridge I feed them every other 2 days usually.

That's not a bad price for me, but the main ingredients (chicken pieces) only last me 2 weeks to 2 and a half weeks.

So on average I spend about $50-60 a month. My dog weights in the 50 range.

 

What would You pay for a 50 lbs freezer bag full of Whole Raw Chicken and Rabbit peaces chopped up (bones, blood and guts) in little sausage links for a mess free raw feed???

 

Great Post!

Thanks!

 

chicken backs and necks are cheap and can be bought in bulk.

 

I would think if someone did this they could get $2 a lb pretty easily considering some feeds are up around there. But shipping cost could be the deal breaker.
I have been feeding raw since the end of summer. My mutts doin really good on it but it is a pain in my ass and its getting expensive only because im not buying in bulk. When i buy a house it will be easier because i will buy a large freezer for the garage. Im thinking about switching back to orijen in the mean time.

 

Feeding raw has been an amazing experience. I bought a freezer last month and its full of animals right now lol. I don't usually feed parts like a lot of people do, though I started out this way, and I definitely dont feed fruits and veggies or any grains. I get them from sites who raise them for reptile feeders or sell specifically for raw feeders.

www.rodentpro.com is a great and cheap one. The only thing that sucks is the shipping price. The only thing I buy for the dog on there is the rabbits though. The smaller stuff is for my cat. He LOVES mice and chicks. Bought from there twice so far. I spent $70 on product and $46 on shipping the first time. $66 and $45 the second time.

The other place I bought from is www.hare-today.com. I bought whole roosters (feathers, beaks, and feet included :p), ground fish, ground beef, duck meat, and mutton bones. Spent over $80 here on food and paid $35 for shipping.

So each purchase was around $115. :eek:

Feeding whole animals is a lot less hassle than going through and measuring certain amounts out and figuring out meat to bone to organ ratios and all that craziness. Its hard to say how much this is running me per month because I'm not buying on a monthly basis. I just bought as much as I could fit in my freezer.

I'm thinking about raising meat rabbits and mice soon. I'd raise chickens but there too loud for where I'm living.

 

There are also raw co-ops by state. You can look into Taylor Pond Farms, though they can be pricey. Yahoo has probably the best raw/B.A.R.F. group - rawdogs.

 

A list of raw co-ops in your state | link
Adding fresh foods to a commercial/kibble diet | link