EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Time to swap food and I know this has been beat to death on here, but alot of the brands you feed are not available here in the boot. I was using Diamond High Energy but I want to get away from the corn and by-products without hitting $30+ a sack. My choices are...

Black Gold Ultimate Adult:  25% Protein - 14% Fat
Corn Free, Soy Free, and Wheat Free formula. The single source protein is chicken meal. Contains: rice, barley, whole eggs and naturally preserved chicken fat

Victor (not sure what mix to get)

Or

Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Adult Dog Formula
The 26% protein and 16% fat formula will provide your dog with the nutrients necessary for optimal health and an active life. Guaranteed levels of vitamin E and selenium ensure that your dog is receiving optimum antioxidant nutrition, and crunchy kibble helps clean teeth and reduce plaque.

Protein: 26% Fat: 16%
Calories: 3,708 kcal/kg (368 kcal/cup) Calculated ME
Sizes Available: 40 lb. and 6 oz. sample

I've been feeding the Victor 24/20 for the past couple of years and love it. Fed Diamond Hi-Energy for many years, then Sportsmix 24/20 after the Diamond scare for several years.

I am feeding the Diamond Chicken & Rice.  My dogs love it, and I think they look great.  My dogs are 55-65lbs and get 2 cups of feed per day.

Thanks fellers. I know the protien and fat help for muscles and energy... But what is the importance of the certain percentages? Also other than not being natural substances, what are the drawbacks of high corn content and by products instead of natural grain and real meat?

I know the corn can cause skin problems.  Most of the other things are just filler.  Empty calories is how I understand it.  
I do remember reading somewhere that beets are about the best filler.  Also I believe the first three ingrediants listed are the main ingrediants.  If corn is in the first three ingrediants listed I would not feed that.

Ingredients

Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, dried plain beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

This is the Diamond Chicken and Rice.  I am paying $28.99 a sack.  It's probably a lil cheaper at tractor supply, but I like my local feedstore.

If you can find sportmix dog food close to ya, the 24/20 is very similar to blackgold. Blackgold for me the last time I got it was $27 a bag and heard about sportmix on here so I started feeding it for $19-$21 and they look as good as when the were on blackgold but if those 3 are your choices I'd have to go with the black gold, 3 cups for 50lb curs and 4 cups pits 80-90 lbs is what i fed and they looked better then when i fed 6 cups of diamond.

The hight corn content in hig energy could be leading to sores on my dogs??? 3 of the dogs I have been feeding the longest have a few sores on them here and there. Mostly on the. Outside of the legs. It is scabs about the size of pencil erasers only in the skin... Could the corn be doing that? Or maybe alergies to corn?

depends on how you are keeping them. are they on concrete or small quarters. I noticed when I had mine on diamond they would crap nasty half solid yellow crap and crap alot. when I got away from the high corn as the main ingrident the crap less and more solid for easy clean up.

I only feed 4 dogs so I can go over 30 but why do it if I can feed good for less

Prices for me are: black gold (not sure) victor about 28 and diamond chick and rice is about the same... 28-30. All are near the house and resonably priced I just want to help fight the stool problems which I have narrowed down to feed, and the sores. Plus it helps to get away from the excess corn and un natural by-products

My personal opinion on that which I haven't tried victor just cuz I can't get it but I'd go with the blackgold if I only had 4 dogs. been over 2 years since I was down to 4 lol.

Stakes with tie outs on dirt. I have to shovel every other day. Sometimes a pile or two per dog, every other day is 4-5 piles and the solidity is in consistant

i have diamond lamb and rice and a bag of sportsmix, but the dog likes the diamond better

Sportsmans Pride Premium

Made in Springhill Louisiana.  Look them up.  Bout $26 a bag.  Very little goes a long way. 

Let us know what you decide to go with and how it works out. 

sportsmix 24/20 and the dogs look good with less feed.

Gonna finish out my high energy first, should be mid week next week or weekend. I will keep yall updated.

If Victor ever makes it close to home I would like to try it.

If Mike likes it I am sure my dogs will too :o ;D

Reuben, it's good stuff. But, I will go back to Sportsmix if it gets out of hand. Quality and ingredient wise, you can't beat it... unless you go to those $$$ fancy foods. ;D

First two ingredients in sportsmix are the same two in Diamond High Energy that I am trying to get away from. Corn and Chicken by-product

It may work but for now I am going to test out something without corn and by-prod's

I think loyal had been the best for me but is expensive. Diamond is good and little cheaper.  But I have to say Victor is best overall  due to quality combined with price. I paid $24 a bag for adult/puppy. 30-24. Has all the vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids also.

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Went with Diamond Chicken and Rice. Black Gold was a little steep, they were out of Victor and she tried selling me some Perfect Balance but I didn't get it because of the nutrients being diluted. I would have had to feed 5-6 cups instead of the Chicken and rice at 3 cups. Dogs reactions to come in a week.

I have always been kind of a freak about dog food and ingredients. I have spent a ton of time reading about dog nutrition and dog foods, and I feed sportmix 24/20 also. My dogs look better than ever....Reading the label on this food, i dont know why it works, Meat Meal is the first ingredient which is typically something i avoided in the past as well as the second ingredient...corn. But the dogs love it, they look great, have plenty of endurance and you can clean the pens with a pitching wedge. Add to that the cheap price and i cant help but feed it.

 X2

Does anybody use OUTLAW feeds, I've met this guy a few times. He sells his feed up around Waco I believe, suppose to be excellent feed and designed for hunting dogs..Just curious, I can't get it here except by the pallet and I don't have that many dogs

Cody,
How are they looking?  Did the stool/skin problems clear up?

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Grown dogs still have some a little loose from time to time. The pup still has loose but I found out that he eats grass a lot so I can't blame either food. The spots have reduced in number. There are still a few bumps but I believe that it is from skeeters. Them suckers are out in big numbers since TS lee. As far as shape... Their coat is thicker and shiney, they leaned out but kept muscle. They look healthier. I am pleased but next is figuring out how to put the weight back on during the winter.

I also found out that they like raw gator haha. They all had some saturday and today. One last time feeding gator tomorrow