Bakers

[Dobiegirl]

I used to give my dogs Burns dried dog food, they liked it ok, but a friend fed raw and I thought I would give it a try. The dogs love it and I find it really easy to feed. Used to use Albion meats for my frozen mince, but now I use this company:

http://www.naturalinstinct.com/pages/Our-Ingredients.html

Not the cheapest, but really straight forward and everything is in one container.

I love those dogs, they are all so different, the black one is very much like a dog I had from Battersea Dogs Home who was a wonderful dog.

 

[blackcob]

how much do you think is costs to feed your dog RAW (week or month I don't mind! )
and what is it you feed for that cost?

I recently worked mine out at £8 to £10 per week per 24kg dog.

Stolen from another post: That's including Fish4Dogs kibble (two 15kg bags per year), F4D salmon mousse (purchased when half price, again twice a year), value bags of frozen chicken portions from Sainsburys, chicken wings, chicken carcasses, pork ribs, hearts, liver, lungs, rabbit, pheasant all from the butcher, Prize Choice blocks (mostly tripe as I can't source this anywhere else), dried tripe sticks, pig ears, tinned fish in oil, salmon oil. I get marrowbones for free.



In answer to the ethical thing... if I could afford it I would buy only organic free range meat for them, but I can't - I can barely afford to for myself, so we eat very little meat and buy the vast majority from the local butcher. In season they eat a lot of rabbit and pheasant, pretty much no food miles there and definitely free range. Apart from chicken the greater portion of their diet is fish (do F4D use farmed salmon? I have no idea about the impact of that, I admit) and the offal, tripe etc. is a byproduct and would otherwise go to waste or be processed into other animal feeds.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I can answer a lot of the questions about ethics and cost in one go

I use the local butchers - they are an independent buitchers that can tell where all their meat is sourced from etc and they are far from the cheapest round here. BUT they bag up their bones, offal, trimmngs, -luck etc for me when I ask. They charge a £1 a carrier bagful - the last cosignment was a fivers worth which will last my 2 - a lab and a spangle about a fortnight.

So is the meat my dogs get ethical? the majority is yes as its the same free range/organoc meat I eat. I do get some fromt he bargain bins - so shoot me

How much does it cost? about a tenner a month

 

[martlin]

Just thought I'll say, or rather C&P from Skinners website:
Q. Do you use only British ingredients?
A. Wherever possible we use locally grown cereals. We use British grass-fed lamb in Lamb & Rice Sensitive, Scottish salmon from a sustainable source in Field & Trial Salmon & Rice and the duck meat meal in Field & Trial Duck & Rice comes from Lincolnshire. Some of the ingredients we use, such as rice, are not grown in the UK and these are obtained from reputable sources in other countries. We have full traceability of all the ingredients we use in our foods

so, that is good enough for me. As I said, I don't care much for organic, what I do care about is supporting British farmers and local businesses as well as farm animal welfare.

 

[soloabe]

Just thought I'll say, or rather C&P from Skinners website:
Q. Do you use only British ingredients?
A. Wherever possible we use locally grown cereals. We use British grass-fed lamb in Lamb & Rice Sensitive, Scottish salmon from a sustainable source in Field & Trial Salmon & Rice and the duck meat meal in Field & Trial Duck & Rice comes from Lincolnshire. Some of the ingredients we use, such as rice, are not grown in the UK and these are obtained from reputable sources in other countries. We have full traceability of all the ingredients we use in our foods

so, that is good enough for me. As I said, I don't care much for organic, what I do care about is supporting British farmers and local businesses as well as farm animal welfare.

Email them and see what answer you get.

 

[martlin]

Email them and see what answer you get.

erm, about what?

 

[soloabe]

erm, about what?

Where their meat is from. I got a completely different answer than what is on their website and when i published said email on another site they went a little crazy at me.

 

[martlin]

sorry to hear that you had bother from them
I'm not quite sure what the point is, though... I mean, the claim is there, on their website, if it is untrue, surely you had nothing to worry about?
The fact remains that they are relatively local, family owned company, though.

 

[EAST KENT]

Duh

 

[soloabe]

My point was if people are really worried about what is in their food and where it comes from don't trust so easily.

 

[lexiedhb]

So skinners blatantly lie on their website then?

 

[martlin]

So skinners blatantly lie on their website then?

That seems to be the suggestion

 

[Hedwards]

Errr - on Skinners bags of Salmon and Rice - they have a 'sourced from sustainable scottish salmon' or words to that effect on the bags - there is no way they can get away with this unless its true... I doubt very much that one is a lie

 

[Gladioli]

I read the answer being that only the field and trial meat is from Britain, in the other feed it could be from anywhere?

Is that what their response was KL?

A x

 

[Vizslak]

This is a really interesting thread. Im still waiting to be converted to raw, this thread only backs up my reasons not to feed it
I totally agree with Martlins view. I wont buy cheap meat from supermarkets for myself and therefore wouldnt for my dogs either. Useful if you have a local butcher to supply you I guess, I dont really.
Also some of the descriptions of feeding...bleurgh! I have no interest in giving my dogs raw meat to be strewn about my house and regurgitated and eaten all over my carpets! Yuck!
Thirdly...cost. Raw seems pretty expensive to me. Certainly most of the raw feeders on here are spending more on feeding than I am currently.
My dogs at the moment (and for the last few years) eat Arden Grange in the am. A 15kg sack lasts just over 2 months between 4 dogs at £36 a sack. And frozen tripe in the pm from a local company which I cook in a microwave banished to the shed! A box of tripe is just under £9 and lasts four dogs 2 weeks. So unless my maths is wrong its costing me £9 a week to feed four dogs...under £3 a week per dog...christ I'm way more economical than I thought, thats the first time I have worked that out!

 

[lexiedhb]

This is a really interesting thread. Im still waiting to be converted to raw, this thread only backs up my reasons not to feed it
I totally agree with Martlins view. I wont buy cheap meat from supermarkets for myself and therefore wouldnt for my dogs either. Useful if you have a local butcher to supply you I guess, I dont really.
Also some of the descriptions of feeding...bleurgh! I have no interest in giving my dogs raw meat to be strewn about my house and regurgitated and eaten all over my carpets! Yuck!
Thirdly...cost. Raw seems pretty expensive to me. Certainly most of the raw feeders on here are spending more on feeding than I am currently.
My dogs at the moment (and for the last few years) eat Arden Grange in the am. A 15kg sack lasts just over 2 months between 4 dogs at £36 a sack. And frozen tripe in the pm from a local company which I cook in a microwave banished to the shed! A box of tripe is just under £9 and lasts four dogs 2 weeks. So unless my maths is wrong its costing me £9 a week to feed four dogs...under £3 a week per dog...christ I'm way more economical than I thought, thats the first time I have worked that out!

HOW do you make 15kg last 2 months for 4 dogs? Dex gets through about 2kg a week, + extras, is not over fed, and is a healthy weight.

 

[Vizslak]

Because they only eat it in the am? Its correct I promise, I just opened a new bag last week and marked on the calander the last bag I opened...that was on the 14th June!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Re Skinners, as I have said before, they have always been very helpful and frank any time I have phoned or emailed them.
Admittedly, we were not talking ethics

 

[whisp&willow]

at the moment i am considering changing to feeding 1/2 normal portion of dry plus egg/mackerel in the mornings, and half raw in the evenings and see how we get on. she has refused to eat a breakfast since she was about 10 months old... so no idea if it will even get off the ground!!

im over 80 miles away from supermarkets/pet shops... so total dedication to raw is unlikely to work out for me.

no idea whether she will take to it or not, but going to give it a shot and see how we get on. the theory being that 1/2 raw and cutting dry by half has to be a good thing!

what should i be looking for on the bags of dry food re ingredients? what levels of protein etc? coming to the end of a sack of food, and will be in the big smoke of inverness this weekend. want to change dry over to something less... crap, but within reasonable limits- im not prepared to spend £40 on a 15 kg bag of dog food...

 

[mollichop]

Re the freezer/fridge space, I feed 2 large dogs 100% raw with only one small freezer drawer and one small fridge shelf (I have 2 lodgers and we have a shelf each).

Most is sourced from local farm shop/butchers and topped up with supermarket bargains. Am planning on getting a chest freezer for the outhouse but it can easily be done without.

It is not time consuming at all, prepping and handling the meat/organs is fine and they do not make a mess of the house as anything that might get taken out of the bowl I feed on the patio.

Agree that it is so satisfying watching them eat this type of food and have converted lots of friends onto BARF as they have been so impressed with the condition, teeth and firm poos of mine!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

what should i be looking for on the bags of dry food re ingredients? what levels of protein etc? coming to the end of a sack of food, and will be in the big smoke of inverness this weekend. want to change dry over to something less... crap, but within reasonable limits- im not prepared to spend £40 on a 15 kg bag of dog food...

Maybe look at Skinners or James Wellbeloved. Your first ingredient should be named meat or name meat meal. Avoid large percentages of grain. Remember to switch slowly to avoid tummy upsets.

It is not time consuming at all, prepping and handling the meat/organs is fine and they do not make a mess of the house as anything that might get taken out of the bowl I feed on the patio.

Agree that it is so satisfying watching them eat this type of food and have converted lots of friends onto BARF as they have been so impressed with the condition, teeth and firm poos of mine!

You can virtually see your face in the dark bits of my dogs' coats.

I don't understand why people think it's expensive or a faff? My lot had turkey drumsticks for tea (outside). Very simple.

The poo thing is obvious: when they came from the breeder on commercial crap, they were doing Mr Whippy piles of yukky stuff. Now it's obviously being processed better.

 

[whisp&willow]

thanks cinammon:

i think that it is more that it can feel very daunting to try and get your head around changing to raw-

im sure once you have started it and get to grips with it then i will seen simple!

a bit like teaching someone to drive- its not scary- its EASY.... just do it! (once you are used to it and confident in your ability!!)

 

[Cinnamontoast]

thanks cinammon:

i think that it is more that it can feel very daunting to try and get your head around changing to raw-

im sure once you have started it and get to grips with it then i will seen simple!

a bit like teaching someone to drive- its not scary- its EASY.... just do it! (once you are used to it and confident in your ability!!)

It does seem like a bit of a mystery at first but if you do the reading and most importantly, source what you want to feed, it's very straightforward. I feel your pain living where you do: it's not easy to get deliveries from raw food companies there, I guess! I had issues too until I was given the name of a company that delivers in my area.

 

[whisp&willow]

ive read alot about it- but until you start to physicaly do it its still a bit of a mystery!

just each dog being different and all that!

if i lived somewhere more "civilised!" then i would have gone over to raw to see how betty takes to it ages ago. as it stands, i think a mixed diet is the only way forward for me to be honest.

i'd dont have the time to drive 2 hrs each way to pick up meat: or the space to store enough that would make it economical to do so to feed 100% raw! not to mention fuel... which is astronomical here... )

out of interest- do you feed veg? or just meat and bones. x

 

[Oberon]

80% meat (mostly heart and tripe) 10% bone (free from butcher - not weightbearing beef bones though) 5% organ (kidney/gizzards) 5% liver. Also I supplement with salmon oil.

I just scored a big bag of free bones from a butcher I was passing and 1lb chicken gizzards.... Yay!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I just scored a big bag of free bones from a butcher I was passing and 1lb chicken gizzards.... Yay!

how sad that I am seriously jealous! Last time this happened was Christmas when the butcher threw me several stones of turkey bits: I was in heaven.

out of interest- do you feed veg? or just meat and bones. x

Just meat and bones, although they get thrown bits of anything we're eating, so bits of Chinese leaf, tomato, cucumber and they love carrots! I can't give one to the horse without the pups demanding one too. It's handy to chop one up for their kongs-calorie light! Frozen ones keep them quiet for a few minutes.

 

[Vizslak]

Maybe look at Skinners or James Wellbeloved. Your first ingredient should be named meat or name meat meal. Avoid large percentages of grain. Remember to switch slowly to avoid tummy upsets.



You can virtually see your face in the dark bits of my dogs' coats.

I don't understand why people think it's expensive or a faff? My lot had turkey drumsticks for tea (outside). Very simple.

The poo thing is obvious: when they came from the breeder on commercial crap, they were doing Mr Whippy piles of yukky stuff. Now it's obviously being processed better.

You can see from my post why I think its expensive, and with 4 dogs of all different sizes and needs then it would be a bit of a faff, I dont want to feed outside everyday either its much easier for me to put their bowls down in 'their spaces' in the kitchen at meal times. 2 of my dogs refuse to leave the house when its raining...how do I feed them then?! I dont want to stand in the rain dishing out chicken wings myself particularly either! My dogs also have very healthy poos and gleaming coats...there is more than one way to skin a cat!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Re chicken wings, they never touch the floor here gulp, inhale, crunch, gone

 

[Vizslak]

LOL while that would certainly be the case with the big two, terriers dont do things like that! I'm lucky if they eat kibble IN THE BOWL!

 

[soloabe]

I read the answer being that only the field and trial meat is from Britain, in the other feed it could be from anywhere?

Is that what their response was KL?

A x

There response was not for salmon i have no idea about that one but all of their lamb is not sourced from the UK and that most of their grain is substandard.