Any health / feeding questions - remember this is no substitute for the Vet!
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hawshill wrote:we have recently moved over to a raw food diet for 22 dogs. There have been a few teething problems - getting the quantity right is a learning curve. It does take more time to organise than a dry food but I believe it's time well spent. So far so good, early days though.
Jonathan
Haws Hill
How much does that cost you? I've heard of 6 dogs being fed raw but never 22! But then there are breeders in America who have 9 or so dogs and throw them a carcass.. well I've seen one anyway
I tend to buy the whole month as a 80:10:10 balance - so their months are balanced - it doesn't need to be balanced daily. I couldn't imagine 22 dogs though.. wow! Amazing!
Elmo has Nature Diet, but is keen to feed himself raw food! We had a dead sheep that was put out for the hunt to collect, the other day and he came trotting back through the yard looking very pleased with himself, with a leg in his mouth! (The wild beasties had made a start overnight) The next day, he presented me with a live mouse!
I feed a raw diet consisting of chicken carcasses, wings and legs with the meat stripped off, lamb necks and ribs, pig trotters etc. Occasionally they'll have sirloin steak and topsde of beef!!! I've a very friendly butcher whom I collect from every week. I don't feed any veg at all and haven't noticed a problem.
Have fed my dogs on raw for over 5 years, happy, healthy dogs, no skin problems, fabulous teeth, all in great condition.
Feeding bones and raw meat, veg really important to the balance overall of diet Inc garlic which I enjoy preparing. Eggs, pilchards in tom sauce, natural yoghurt..... The list is endless. Additives - Billy no mates for ticks, and some dorwest herbs keepers mix.
hawshill wrote:we have recently moved over to a raw food diet for 22 dogs. There have been a few teething problems - getting the quantity right is a learning curve. It does take more time to organise than a dry food but I believe it's time well spent. So far so good, early days though.
Jonathan
Haws Hill
How much does that cost you? I've heard of 6 dogs being fed raw but never 22! But then there are breeders in America who have 9 or so dogs and throw them a carcass.. well I've seen one anyway
I tend to buy the whole month as a 80:10:10 balance - so their months are balanced - it doesn't need to be balanced daily. I couldn't imagine 22 dogs though.. wow! Amazing!
It doesn't cost a lot - I have local butchers whom I collect from regularly (important not to let them down). I feed tripe 1-2 a week @34p/lb - thats only real cost. The main issue is prep/collection/storage. They all seem to be getting on well - nice clean teeth, well fleshed and bright eyes.
I have an 11 month old springer and we are BARF converts.
She had problems with itchy skin, sore itchy ears with discharge, anal gland problems and worst of all colitis.
We had tried several foods in the kibble range, most of the higher end ones and nothing helped, I kept reading about raw feeding but didnt know where to start and was worried about bones etc etc (not to mention that my vet was really against raw feeding).
Eventually after all her colitis tests came back clear for nasties I decided to just go for it and we havent looked back, been a few months now and already she is a different dog with absolutely no health issues at all and clean ears for the first time in her life! She loves the food where as kibble was never finished and she has a great coat, muscle and is growing well.
I was so nervous about starting her on raw that I started by buying the natures menu complete frozen blocks but have now moved onto doing it ourselves, I still use the frozen blocks if I am short on time or away.
hawshill wrote:we have recently moved over to a raw food diet for 22 dogs. There have been a few teething problems - getting the quantity right is a learning curve. It does take more time to organise than a dry food but I believe it's time well spent. So far so good, early days though.
Jonathan
Haws Hill
How much does that cost you? I've heard of 6 dogs being fed raw but never 22! But then there are breeders in America who have 9 or so dogs and throw them a carcass.. well I've seen one anyway
I tend to buy the whole month as a 80:10:10 balance - so their months are balanced - it doesn't need to be balanced daily. I couldn't imagine 22 dogs though.. wow! Amazing!
It doesn't cost a lot - I have local butchers whom I collect from regularly (important not to let them down). I feed tripe 1-2 a week @34p/lb - thats only real cost. The main issue is prep/collection/storage. They all seem to be getting on well - nice clean teeth, well fleshed and bright eyes.
My Local butcher is a bit rubbish, he lives two doors down but his shop/s have the meat already carved etc so there are no carcasses or anything and the only thing I can really get is trotters. But my friend gets loads from her butchers - Chicken carcasses, turkey carcasses, pigs heads - the whole lot - so when her freezers full, she gives me what she can't fit in - which is nice. And it's free.
Do you have a walk in freezer? I still think it's amazing! lol
We are lucky to have 'proper' butchers - ones who deal with whole carcasses and therefore have lots of waste. No walk-in freezer, 3 large chest freezers and a large fridge. It does take some organising and forward planning.
(The wild beasties had made a start overnight) The next day, he presented me with a live mouse!
...all them myths about feeding raw aint true then 