Chicken Carcass Frames How To Feed?

[julesluvscavs]

So I bought some chicken carcass frames for the first time, and Im wondering how am I supposed to give it to my puppy (Cavalier), shes now just over 15 weeks old. Do i give it as a whole frame, or cut it up somehow ? is it meant replace one meal ? and how often would you give them one ? eg once a week?

Ive read on dol heaps about people giving them to their dogs and its also in my puppy info booklet, but I'm just confused how its meant to be actually given. The bones seem very fine! Up to now shes been getting bones either in the chicken mince i get her from butcher ( but they are all chopped up) and chicken necks.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[BlackJaq]

For a small puppy I would get kitchen scissors (the ones you would use on a roast chicken) and cut the carcass into quarters. I don't know how big your puppy is but I would only feed maybe a quarter at a time until you know she is ok with it and doesn't try to gulp it all in one piece (yes, my OH's dog will try to swallow lots of things whole but he is a large adult so only gets whole frames to force him to chew them up a bit)

As she gets bigger and needs larger meals I would only cut the carcass in half. Eventually, depending on how much food she needs, you can just give them the whole thing. Healthy dogs do not need everything cut up and minced for them like human babies, it is much better for their teeth to chew things up themselves as long as they do not try to swallow large bones and such whole.

[noisymina]

:laugh:

I hope they all enjoy it Jules - no matter how you "feed" it!

I'd probably break one in half and freeze the second half for a month or so while they work their way through the first one. :D

[julesluvscavs]

For a small puppy I would get kitchen scissors (the ones you would use on a roast chicken) and cut the carcass into quarters. I don't know how big your puppy is but I would only feed maybe a quarter at a time until you know she is ok with it and doesn't try to gulp it all in one piece (yes, my OH's dog will try to swallow lots of things whole but he is a large adult so only gets whole frames to force him to chew them up a bit)

As she gets bigger and needs larger meals I would only cut the carcass in half. Eventually, depending on how much food she needs, you can just give them the whole thing. Healthy dogs do not need everything cut up and minced for them like human babies, it is much better for their teeth to chew things up themselves as long as they do not try to swallow large bones and such whole.

Thanks BlackJag for your helpful reply :)

I don't have any of those type scissors, but Im sure my husband could find something around our house to cut through them lol

Yes its why i want to start her on bigger bones now, shes still very small, but cavaliers have a way of inhaling stuff quite easily

:laugh:

I hope they all enjoy it Jules - no matter how you "feed" it!

I'd probably break one in half and freeze the second half for a month or so while they work their way through the first one. :D

I haven't tried them even for Joey and Renae ever to be honest! first time Ive ever bought them Noisy, they were on special too

Id have to feed them all separately tho, as Renae since shes gotten old, deaf and not well, shes getting very uptight at meal times

My freezer is chocoblock atm full of packed up meals for Miah, Im not doing too bad atm with this raw and natural diet for her considering im a vego ! altho i bought some hearts the other day and thats freaked me out Had to get hubby to cut them up for me ! eeeek ewwww !

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[BlackJaq]

I bought a bunch of glass containers with plastic lids at the reject shop a few weeks ago and keep all my meat in those now as the glass gets a lot colder than all the plastic wrappers. If your freezer is full I would suggest you also get some glass containers, they are easy to clean and our meat has been lasting a lot longer, not to mention you can neatly stack them in the fridge.

They should have those kitchen scissors at woolies and coles if you happen to do your shopping there. Otherwise you can try break them up with your hands but I think that might be a bit messy/gory lol.

If you want to be feeding your pup offal and such I would definitely start now as some dogs really don't get into the taste later-on. If she doesn't like something I would skip a meal or two and then offer small pieces of whatever it is, she should gobble them up happily. Eventually you can just give the whole organ.

My Weimaraner was not at all fussed on liver and kidneys to begin with but using the above technique she got over it pretty quickly and will take a whole kidney or whatever and eat it now. Still not her fave but oh well

Edited March 16, 2013 by BlackJaq

[julesluvscavs]

Thanks BlackJaq, I was thinking about getting some containers to store all her meals instead of using plastic bags. Its all trial and error me us atm. Her breeder did give me some to start her off with.. but i need more :)

I shop at Woolies, so I will have a look next time Im there for those scissors :)

Shes not minding anything raw im giving her, even the hearts (just a few pieces cut off it) my husband cut up for her last night she ate very quickly eeek

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[Crits'N'Bits]

we have an old fashioned butchers cleaver and I use this to cut up the frames into 3 pieces. I am finding its easier to cut them while they are frozen.

we feed out 10 per day ... so I needed to find a system that works well.

trying to encourage the cats to eat the frames as well - so this involves cutting each of the 3 pieces even smaller.

our dogs range in size from greyhound, whippet - to JRT

[julesluvscavs]

Thanks Critsnbits for you reply also :)

So is the general idea to give them them as a meal or an extra to a meal.. is it enough to be a meal? i suppose it depends what size you cut it up into, so it may not be easy to answer ... When i give her a chicken neck, i also give her a smaller serve of one of her normal sized meals..

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[BlackJaq]

Yes, it is very fatty and definitely enough to be a meal. I would not feed a meal + chicken frame

ETA: Chicken necks are also very fatty. Maybe it would be easier for you to go by weight since the serving size obviously determines whether it is a meal or not lol

Edited March 16, 2013 by BlackJaq

[twodoggies2001]

Thanks Critsnbits for you reply also :)

So is the general idea to give them them as a meal or an extra to a meal.. is it enough to be a meal? i suppose it depends what size you cut it up into, so it may not be easy to answer ... When i give her a chicken neck, i also give her a smaller serve of one of her normal sized meals..

My two get the bony part of their meal as part of their daily intake. The get theirs in the morning and in the afternoon they get the meaty part of their feed together with extras such as non fat cottage cheese, or half a hard boiled egg, or non fat yoghurt. When fed raw and natural, the actually need less in quantity and at first, it looks like they are not being fed enough but, because their systems utilize the food given, and there are no fillers involved as in commercially produced, less goes in and less goes out.

[julesluvscavs]

Thats a good idea to go by weight, which is how im going by with her normal meals anyway, I will give it a go, thanks for all your replies, much appreciated BlackJaq

[julesluvscavs]

My two get the bony part of their meal as part of their daily intake. The get theirs in the morning and in the afternoon they get the meaty part of their feed together with extras such as non fat cottage cheese, or half a hard boiled egg, or non fat yoghurt. When fed raw and natural, the actually need less in quantity and at first, it looks like they are not being fed enough but, because their systems utilize the food given, and there are no fillers involved as in commercially produced, less goes in and less goes out.

Thanks also twodoggies, Im still getting the hang of it all.. feeding this way. My other cavs have had raw bones in the past, but ive mostly always cooked their meals(not bones) and or given them dry food,

Her lovely breeder did give me lots of feeding advice, but i just wasn't sure about how to go about giving the chicken frames exactly

Edited March 16, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[Boronia]

Make sure to pull off all those great gobs of fat that are on the frames before you feed them to her. As you haven't any kitchen scissors you can twist them apart(as if you are taking the lid off a jar)...best to wear kitchen gloves for a better grip.

She will love them...mine get a 1/2 every so often and they think they have performed a wildebeest kill on the Serengeti, they become ill-mannered and feral! :laugh:

Edited March 16, 2013 by Boronia

[minimax]

My pugs get half a chicken frame each for dinner, but they tend to be quite meaty.

We cut them with normal scissors (which have become dedicated dog food scissors) as chicken bones are pretty easy to cut. Just make sure you cut the wishbone if It's still intact, as it can be one of the parts to cause issues if they don't chew it or break it properly because of the shape.

Edited March 16, 2013 by minimax

[*kirty*]

I swap 1 chicken frame for 1 cup of dryfood - so my big dogs get 2-3 frames for a meal. :)

Edited March 16, 2013 by *kirty*

[Sayreovi]

Your little Cavs wouldn't need more than half a frame at the max, you would still be feeding more than one meal a day? If so I personally would cut the frame down into about 4, feed a 1/4 in the morning and a 1/4 at night.

I feed my adult male Tollers (who are extremely active and do sports) a whole one with all the fat cut off, my little adult girl who weights about 14kgs and also very active and does sports only gets half a frame :)

Mine get theirs about 3 times a week as their meal, the other days they get red meat and one night they get offal or sardines and egg. Works for me and them :)

Edited March 16, 2013 by tollersowned

[oakway]

I use the gardening secateurs' to cut the chicken frames, so much easier. My Italians can eat half a frame if that is any guide for you. (also depends on the size of the frame)

I just cut through the neck and along the spine.

[Dame Aussie]

I give my guys a full frame each as a meal. Mosley could probably have two but I like to keep them lean.

I reckon a quarter for your wee ones would be fine, just make sure it's big enough so that Miah has to chew and can't just gulp it :)

[twodoggies2001]

My two get the bony part of their meal as part of their daily intake. The get theirs in the morning and in the afternoon they get the meaty part of their feed together with extras such as non fat cottage cheese, or half a hard boiled egg, or non fat yoghurt. When fed raw and natural, the actually need less in quantity and at first, it looks like they are not being fed enough but, because their systems utilize the food given, and there are no fillers involved as in commercially produced, less goes in and less goes out.

Thanks also twodoggies, Im still getting the hang of it all.. feeding this way. My other cavs have had raw bones in the past, but ive mostly always cooked their meals(not bones) and or given them dry food,

Her lovely breeder did give me lots of feeding advice, but i just wasn't sure about how to go about giving the chicken frames exactly

My boys are mini schnauzers and when I get the chicken frames, I cut them into 3 pieces. They have one of these pieces as their meal. Other mornings they have either chicken necks, baby veal ribs or rabbit. I have stopped feeding mine chicken wings because the skin is too fatty for Minis. You don't have to be too pedantic if one day they get a bigger portion and the next day a smaller portion, but it is important to remember if your are intending to feed raw, the bones that you feed make up their calcium intake. I have never supplemented their calcium in other ways.

[Gretel]

My adult Cavs eat a whole carcass as a meal about once a week. :)