Raw Diet and soaking vs. dry food

[hogaholicswife]

I was looking around the net this morning and came across a company that sells a 'hamburger' consistency meat in bulk (8 - 5# tubes) of USDA Inspected and Approved horse / beef meat.

I have never bothered with a raw diet as I do not have the time to process the meat and I haven't found anyone who would be interested in selling their left overs but I thought this might be a good idea since it is already packaged in that I could just weigh out each portion.

How much do you feed by weight of the dog? 

On another note (I do not want two topics to follow), I have been soaking dog food lately as some of our older dogs are all but toothless.  I have noticed a lot less mess and they do not require as much feed as they do when it is dry, do any of you soak your food and have you seen the same results?

I started soaking my old horses feed too, she too has turned into quite a powder puff and probably the best shape she has been in years but I had to cut her feed back just a little as well so she doesn't become an over weight pasture ornament.

[Reuben]

I don't know about feeding soaked feed to dogs and horses...but we soaked the corn overnight and sometimes let it sour when it was time to fatten up our hogs for butchering...it made then gain weight pretty quick...

[SCHitemHard]

i have to soak the feed for the inlaws dogs casue one has no teeth, i call her pudding

[halfbreed]

hogaholic  i am a firm believer in soaking the dogs foog in the heat of the summer . it helps them to digest it easier while not pulling so much moister from their bodys . in the heat the dry food would have them drinking a ton of water everyday and after soaking the feed their water intake is cut way down . just makes good since to me .

[cantexduck]

Buy your meat from Walmart. Cheaper then any pre package stuff. Chicken is .59 a pound. Hamburger is more but buy the ten pound rolls.

[matt_aggie04]

Mike I know you and some others here have been feeding raw for a while.  What price point per poud do you feel would be "good" for raw chicken?  A friend and I were tossing this around and I would be interested in knowing where raw becomes the financial no-brainer for dog food.  Thinking of a bucket of frozen chicken quarters, probably 10-12lbs of quartered chicken inside.

[ELIBOLIO]

I feed raw, my protein base source I use is chicken with the bones,  but there have been certain times, when I use hamburger beef. When i do use I use the 73/27 also I would use Jack/Mackrel, some spinach,flax seed oil/or wheat germ oil etc... The groud beef meat come and go depending on the weight as that is primarily a source of fat. They all have differing benefits and absorption rates. The goal is to try and have the body absorbing some of the protein at a slower rate so intake is ongoing throughout the time after the dog is fed.
 
I don't weigh any of my food. I never have. I just give it the eyeball test. I've used it often enough that I have a good idea on what adds weight, etc etc.. with time, and repition, Im sure you will get to that also.

I did prepackage in freezer bags, 1 months worth. I go through 90 lbs of chicken /bones and organs, @ the cost of 13.50-14.50/month..  Its a whole lot cheaper, and alot less poop, the poop crumbles nicely and returns bacl to the soil.

[ELIBOLIO]

Mike I know you and some others here have been feeding raw for a while.  What price point per poud do you feel would be "good" for raw chicken?  A friend and I were tossing this around and I would be interested in knowing where raw becomes the financial no-brainer for dog food.  Thinking of a bucket of frozen chicken quarters, probably 10-12lbs of quartered chicken inside.

Matt, I know u asked Mike, but here in Houston, there is a poultry house that sells 35lbs of chicken backs w/ some organs attached for 6.50/35lbs. Thats my daily feed for the dogs, along with the ocassional spinach or what ever I have avail.

[matt_aggie04]

That is good information there, thank you for that!

[hogaholicswife]

Buy your meat from Walmart. Cheaper then any pre package stuff. Chicken is .59 a pound. Hamburger is more but buy the ten pound rolls.

I never thought of Walmart!  I despise the place and their meat is just about dog worthy (no offense to those who eat it) so I think I may give it a try as it is much cheaper than where I shop for us.

Thanks ya'll I will probably give this a shot slowly and see how it evolves from there as I am sure the benefits are probably numerous over kibble.

Do you grind the chicken or just give it to them 'whole'?

[ELIBOLIO]

I give them to my dogs whole, sometimes even halfway thawed. For the ones who like to swallow ther food whole, I did used to grind that up, but it got tiring.lol  ...and there are many benefits feedin RAW, such as. they seem to have more energy, overall appearence looks healthier, alot less poop as alot is absorbed more , than just going straight through them like a cheap filler food. 

[Doggie]

Eli where is this chicken house in Houston located at if you don't mind me asking.

[ELIBOLIO]

near I-10/N.Sheperd area, ( 11th and Rutland)  the place is called Lonestar Poultry.. I recomend to call in advance for big orders.. hope this helps.

[cantexduck]

.70 cents a pounds is where I draw the line for meat. I pay .59 now. Feed a little more the ten pounds a day. Feed it whole,bones and all. I tried chicken backs and necks years ago but I feel there isn't enough meat on them. I would try them again but there isn't a place close to me that sells them. I don't weigh anything ,just eye ball it. 2% of body weight is a good place to start. Some dogs need more,some less.organ meat a few times a month.