Mokey Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Does anyone else mix the meat, veggies and extras together before weighing out portions and freezing in ziploc baggies? I've found this to be the easiest solution for mornings, because I just thaw and dump. Saves on baggies too! However, I have come to hate the smell of the mixture while I'm making it. (I've had to eliminate beet root entirely because of its distinctive smell.) Any experienced BARFers have any tips? Thanks! - Mokey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Get yourself a good dose of sinus :D Fixes my smell real good. No, seriously, I don't put meat in it - she gets her meat at night in the form of meaty bones. Used to put kidney or liver in, but have decided it's easier just to freeze a few chunks of those with the bones. If I'm putting sardines in, they are the last thing added. Also, I use 600ml take-away containers from the bits & pieces store. One container does my Dobe three mornings and are re-usable - most of the time. But she gets her toast as well. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooper Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 What are you putting in your BARF mix? Jack's mix just smells like fruit and veg with free-range chicken carcasses ground up in it ... I actually think it smells quite good, compared to commercial dog food! I do find baggies a bit messy, so I buy takeaway-sized containers and keep any Chinese take-away ones. Then wash thoroughly and reuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 How many weeks worth do you all make at a time? I use freezer bags, but its not very "green" but with a month worth at a time it'd be a lot of containers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I just made up a mix for my boys on the weekend and boy does it smell.... There's was a mix of beef and chicken mince (not all the fatty skin just the frames), heart and liver, mackeral, and vege's. I think what smells the most was the puree liver (it came in slices and I couldn't be bothered chopping it up). They guys were at the back door desperately trying to come in but I was inside ready to chuck up The heart pieces on the other hand came up like a nice mince :D I freeze our in cheap chinese take-away containers - the rectangle ones stack better in the freezer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolietas Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I do my veg pulp separately to the meat... the veg pulp is frozen into daily portions in plastic containers that I can re-use...and every month I get 4 kilos of roo mince from the butcher which I separate into meals and freeze those into sandwich bags. The reason I do the veg & meat separately is so that I have veg separate if I want to add sardines etc. for variety. I add the supplements (garlic, brewers yeast, kelp powder, flaxseed meal, eggs, yoghurt etc.) to the meat - and boy do I hate the smell of the kelp powder - yuck!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 How many weeks worth do you all make at a time?I use freezer bags, but its not very "green" but with a month worth at a time it'd be a lot of containers For our Dobe, a month is only ten containers. I fill the sink - makes about 6 weeks supply at a time. The containers come in lots of 5 for about $2.50 per pack. Can use them many times. Chinese containers come free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caffiend42 Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Handy tip - don't do what I did for the first couple of times and mix mince in with the veggies in the food processor - it's a bitch to clean out! I mix all the fruit/veggies in together in the food processor, whack that in a big bowl and add mince + supplements and mix it all by hand. Another handy tip - take rings off first I don't weigh anything - just make cricket ball sized balls and squish them a bit flatter and put them in a big plastic container with waxed paper in between so they don't stick and then freeze. It ends up being about a week's worth of one patty per day each, so all up it's probably about 2 kg of food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokey Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 What are you putting in your BARF mix? Jack's mix just smells like fruit and veg with free-range chicken carcasses ground up in it ... I actually think it smells quite good, compared to commercial dog food!I do find baggies a bit messy, so I buy takeaway-sized containers and keep any Chinese take-away ones. Then wash thoroughly and reuse :D I'm fine with the fruit and veg mix, it smells good! It's when I add the chicken mince and have to mix it around (4 kgs mince, 4 kgs veg) + sardines + egg + wheat germ + brewer's yeast, etc. that it starts to smell unpleasant. I wear latex gloves and mix it around with my hands and the meat is pretty revolting. (I grew up in a vegetarian household, but I haven't been a veggie for years.) I like the idea of the take-out containers and reusing them (plus getting the mix into those baggies is a pain once your gloves get slippery from the fat) but how do you thaw them? Thanks for all the great replies fellow BARFers! - Mokey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I like the idea of the take-out containers and reusing them (plus getting the mix into those baggies is a pain once your gloves get slippery from the fat) but how do you thaw them? Mine has no meat mixed in. That makes it a bit more sloppy, but easier to put into containers, defrost and serve. I take one out of the freezer the day before I need it and put it in the fridge section. The first is a bit frozen, but not hard to get out. If I feel sorry for the doggy, I will put it in the Microwave on med/low for a minute or two. Otherwise it just goes out as is. By the third day, it is well and truly de-frosted (as I give her 1/3 per day). Then we start on the next one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I think I will start doing it in plastic containers, will be heaps easier in the freezer Does anyone here have a mincer that does bones? How much did it cost you and is it worth it IYO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 (edited) . Edited May 19, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 My dog gets to mince her own bones, Shoey. But she does have good teeth. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelbundy Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I think you'll find the unpleasant smell comes mostly from the supplements!! I had a huge problem with the smell of brewers yeast, garlic, kelp etc when I was pregnant... I also use human grade meat, so, no smell there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokey Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 btw, what does kelp add to the dogs diet? I am not currently including it as part of the mix, but will certainly do so if it's needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 (edited) I can't give mine bones that aren't chicken, they chomp them into dangerous sized pieces and swallow, and I spend the next few days wondering if they should go to the vet for an xray Edited September 18, 2006 by shoemonster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I do my vegies seperate from the meat. Vegies are done weekly and frozen in containers for each meals (chinese containers), and the meat I buy monthly and freeze in bags for seperate meals also. This way I just get one lot of each out in the mornings for the nightly feed. Then I freeze the treat bones seperate again from the others in the individual bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazz Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 btw, what does kelp add to the dogs diet? I am not currently including it as part of the mix, but will certainly do so if it's needed. Kelp is a valuble source of minerals in particular Iodine, Breakdown of Kelp - 15% sodium, 13% potassium, 3% calcium and trace amounts of iodine, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, cobalt, chromium and molybdenum. Over feeding kelp as a supplement can be toxic to your dog causing it's thyroid to shutdown. My mix doesn't smell awful at all, I use all human grade ingredients and there's no 'pongy' odour - what particular mince are you using ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokey Posted September 19, 2006 Author Share Posted September 19, 2006 btw, what does kelp add to the dogs diet? I am not currently including it as part of the mix, but will certainly do so if it's needed. Kelp is a valuble source of minerals in particular Iodine, Breakdown of Kelp - 15% sodium, 13% potassium, 3% calcium and trace amounts of iodine, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, cobalt, chromium and molybdenum. Over feeding kelp as a supplement can be toxic to your dog causing it's thyroid to shutdown. My mix doesn't smell awful at all, I use all human grade ingredients and there's no 'pongy' odour - what particular mince are you using ? thanks for the kelp info! I've been using a mince of chicken frames from the butcher that we get our meat from. Our chicken has always been very fresh and good quality. It could just be the beet root I added the first time I made the mix. I was very slow at it and after about 3 hrs the smell started to get to me. (It was mostly processing the veggies in my food processor that took so long.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 If you breed through your mouth instead of your nose you will have lower smelling effects on your body. When I cut onion I just bite on a match or a toothpick and taht makes you breethe through your mouth. Try and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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