Multiple Large Dogs

[Cairo1]

Hello All,

I would like to change over to BARF but am wondering if it really IS cheaper when you feed multiple dogs. I have 3 GSDs and two Shelties. I pay a fortune for bones ie $5 for one shin bone so I buy them fortnightly but the dogs do get chicken frames/necks and other meaty bones like mutton and beef ribs etc. I am feeding a mix of Advance and Supercoat as their dry component. Oh and I do have a freezer so storage isn't a problem. ;)

So I am wanting to hear from folk with multiple large breed dogs who feed BARF and how they go about it.

Looking forward to some advice

Cheerio

Cairo1

[Cairo1]

Anyone??

[Crisovar]

It really does depend upon being able to source your RMBs and Meat at good prices. We have no pet meat outlets unless we drive to another town so we rely upon specials at the supermarket and driving around several butchers to source our stuff. It all became somewhat silly at one point so we have been forced to develop a much more relaxed attitude to feeding the mutts. If you can get boxes of frames and necks and other RMBs in bulk it does work out very cost effective even with a few big dogs. Supplements such as oils etc I find I have to buy online. We have been trying to get bulk turkey necks for months with no luck, so are relying on woolworths and have to fight for them

[KateAndDuke]

I think it all depends on your supplier. I only have one large dog, but have considered the costs food-wise when I get another.

With large dogs, the pre-packaged stuff (Dr Billington's, etc) can be rather expensive. I make mince patties (local supplier with chicken and roo mince) and portion up chicken or duck frame based meals. I've averaged it at costing me around $60 a month for one dog. A second dog would cost me more time than anything else.

Search around your local butchers or chicken shops for frames (which are relatively cheap). It takes a while to get a routine together, but once it's there, it's easy.

Others here may have better suggestions as I've only had my dog on BARF for about a year.

[cazxxz]

Have you shopped around? I agree with KateAndDuke, it just takes time to get into a routine.

I have been feeding my dog raw for four years or more, and just switched another two dogs that I'm now living with to 100% raw. My plan is to keep the freezer stocked with some bones, and buy the "extras" regularly. I guess the two dogs are easier to feed, though, because they are older and can't really handle bigger, harder bones. They're limited to kangaroo, chicken, and fish.

If you have an industrial area nearby, and there's a meat processing place, they might have reasonably priced stuff.

Shin bones are too hard for daily consumption anyway, aren't they? So maybe they could be an infrequent treat.

[New Age Outlaw]

I get meat directly from an abattoir (friend of a friend who works there gets it)...I have to buy in bulk (eg whole box of ox heart is about 27kgs) and I cut it up and bag it for the freezer. It's worth it though...I pay around $1.65 kg for hearts and $1.40 for ox kidney. I have 4 big dogs so I get through quite a bit of meat (I don't feed any dry food). So, it might be worth contacting local meat processing and/or poultry processing plants to see if you can get stuff direct.

[dogslife]

Until recently I had two rotties and a Dane and I made all their food. It cost me about $6 per day to feed the three combined.

They smelt better and they have coats to die for.

I would never go back. I would buy cheap human grade meat...whatever was on sale, or chicken frames etc. Add rice and vegs...whatever was in season.

Plus my dogs LOVE fruit.

.

[Cairo1]

Thanks for your input

I used to be able to get Turkey necks but my contact has moved on so that has fallen in a heap. . . . I have no access to an abattoir but there is a chicken processing plant not to far away. I will have a chat to them but I do think that I need to feed red meat too. I have a supply of Roo tails but the carcasses go to the local wildlife park to feed the devils! Guess I can't argue with that one

I was curious about the cost of feeding raw because people say it's generally very cheap but I am resisting going all the way because I don't believe it is that cheap at all. . . . I remember when a bag of bones was free!! I was pretty resentful when I found out the cost of marrow bones . . .

Thanks for the advice tho' I appreciate it.

Cairo1

[dancinbcs]

You need completely edible bones as the basis of a BARF diet. Lamb necks are cheap and readily available from most butchers and great to feed alternated with chicken frames. The marrow bones are more for chewing exercise than forming the main part of the diet.

[Mason_Gibbs]

If your dog can eat chicken and beef and u can find a pet meat supplier it can be cheaper. I use only lamb roo and goat so its more pricey than kibble imo.

[espinay2]

Yep, best bet is to find suppliers and buy in bulk. Having a good size freezer (at least a small chest freezer or similar) can help. How much you spend will depend a lot on your sources.

Best tip otherwise is to keep things simple. For example:

Chicken frames are cheap so feed them as your main RMB.

One fish type meal a week - home brand cans of salmon or sardines or even home brand sardine cat food (check the label - buy the one that is pretty much sardines only).

Feed other RMB and meats that are more expensive for one or two meals per week.

Or find a butcher that does a good 'pet mince' that includes organ meats to use as your main addition to the chicken. Either feed this as a separate meal once a week or so or add a little to the chicken frames each day. That is probably the cheapest way to do it.

Healthy leftovers, an egg or two a week and the only supplement I really bother with (unless a dog has particular needs) are fish oil capsules which can be bought for under $20 for 400 capsules from a discount chemist.

Feeding raw to multiple big dogs is not expensive as long as you don't 'over complicate' the process. A few more bits and pieces on my website here

[fifi]

:thumbsup: Great page Espinay, thank you for sharing it.

fifi

[Nekhbet]

I tried it and ended up having to feed way too much compared to dry food. Mine all lost weight despite getting over a kilo of food each a day.

I stuck with a good dry food which I worked out to be under $2 a meal, then whatever meaty bones were cheap or free.

[fifi]

Yes, mine get a combination of a good kibble, dairy, fish and RMB. We couldn't maintain weight on the big guys on purely raw.

Our littlies and cats are soley raw though.

fifi

[espinay2]

In dogs energy that is used most efficiently comes from protien but moreso from fat. Feeding things like turkey necks, rabbit and roo meat provides very limited fat content. Chicken is better, but as most of the skin and fat is generally removed (most of the fat is just under the skin) these also do not always provide adequate fat particularly if you have dogs that are very active and 'burn energy'. Note that kibble often has a higher fat content which is why some find that if they are feeding the above raw foods and then switch to kibble their dogs maintain weight better. It also contain carbs which provide 'fast' rather than long term energy (scientific studies have shown that dogs fed a low or no carb diet maintain energy better than those fed a diet containing carbs). Lamb is probably the best food going when it comes to adding better fat content to the diet and putting weight on high energy dogs - particularly flaps and offcuts etc. Raw fat is also in a much more digestable and 'healthy' form than cooked fats. I will warn though that the 'exhaust fumes' from lamb can be deadly if it is fed often . As a result what I usually do is feed it intermittently every couple of days rather than several days in a row if I am wanting to put weight on a dog. Of course as you probably already know and have likely tried (I see you have), feeding more can sometimes work too which is a no brainer really as losing/gaining/maintaining weight is purely about the equasion energy in versus energy out ;) . If feeding more doesnt work then the above applies - i.e. feed a higher percentage of 'energy dense' foods such as high quality fat and protein.

Edited September 16, 2011 by espinay2

[Cairo1]

A useful post Espinay! Thank you. . . . :D

Will investigate your link and look at it more closely.

Cheerio

Cairo1

[trinabean]

Cairo1, I'm also considering switching to raw. I only have one dog though but am following this thread with interest. I have also been trawling through lots of old threads on raw feeding.

Espinay2 your website is well-written. I like your 'keep it simple' advice about raw feeding too. Thanks.

[JRzipper]

I have five big dogs and have been feeding a totally raw diet for more than a decade. As others have said, the total cost depends on finding a cheap source of meat and being able to buy whatever you can in bulk. I have found a chicken processor and an abbotair that supply bulk meat at good prices. Neither of them are all that close to me but I have a BIG freezer and make my meat buying trips worthwhile. Also find out what day your Supermarket discounts their meat the most. Here, Tuesday mornings are a good time to pick up a heap of cheap offal that can be frozen for use over the next few weeks.

Overall I think it can be cheaper than feeding commercial but it is hard to compare as you don't buy everything every week. For example I might buy kelp only a couple of times a year, or a friend might give me a heap of roo meat or fish heads which can save a buying trip.

I'm a firm believer in people doing whatever works for them and their dogs. I talk to quite a few people who like the idea of feeding raw but can't be bothered with learning how to put together a quality diet, spending the time to make/defrost raw meals, or doing the research to source good quality, cheap ingrediants. In those cases they are probably better off staying with a good quality kibble IMO.

I find it hard to evaluate raw feeding on costs alone. I don't actually know any raw feeders who keep tabs on the cost of feeding their dogs. Perhaps it's because for many raw feeders, feeding raw is part of a dog keeping system that reduces your reliance on commercial flea and parasite control, vaccinations and vets so the costs involved in feeding raw can be considered an investment in reducing many of the other dog related costs.

The other interesting thing I find is that some friends who feed their dogs a commercial diet often also supplement with many of the things included in a raw diet - sardines, eggs, yoghurt, fish oil etc, but they don't tend to include those things when adding up the costs of feeding their dog.

JR

[Hafhafa Hounds]

I feed 2 lazy Salukis, 1 highly active/high strung Kelpie and 2 small, elderly terriers on a prey model diet for about $120 per month. That's about $4/day.

I feed chicken frames, beef/lamb meaty meat, lamb's hearts, tongues & liver plus sides of lamb (ribs+meat+fat) once a week for the 3 big'uns.

I believe that's cheaper than a kibble/wet can food diet for me, cos the Kelpie and Salukis would need heaps of that (IMHO) crap to stay decent.

People often remark on the small size of the meals I feed the dogs, but they can clearly see that the dogs are in good nick.

I source all this through my local butcher, who gives me a pretty good deal. Plus I buy bits and pieces at the local supermarket (turkey necks, chicken bits & pieces) when they're on special.

My dogs are fed once daily (big dogs) or twice daily (small dogs).

ETA I don't feed ANY kibble or wet/can food.

Only supplement the older dogs with fish oils caps.

Edited September 18, 2011 by Hafhafa Hounds

[Odin-Genie]

I have two large/medium dogs. I feed them Dr B's barf patties along with kibble, raw bones, salmon heads and canned sardines. That seems to work very well.

However, my elkhound tends to put on weight easily so he's on a low protein kibble (Holistic Select: anchovies) while my golden retriver who tends to lose weight very quickly is on a slightly higher protein diet (Canidae: Salmon).