Raw

twiggy2

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I am trying to find somewhere local that I can get raw meat for the dogs.
I am finding the options fairly expensive, am I missing something?
I need to source a large chest freezer (and find it a home) first.
At this time of year I can get deer offal and green tripe, if I go beating I will most likely be able to get shot game too, at times there are other bits I can pick up too.
The biggest problem is that when sheep go to slaughter I can seem to get all the extras from the farmers as they need an extra licence/certificate to be able to bring the bits back.
Does anyone know what this is and any idea on how much it costs?
Sunday musing, I am sure the dogs would love the odd sheep's head etc and I am struggling to source them at the moment, people think I am mad when I ask for them 😀
 

Leo Walker

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I get RAW locally. Its between 50p and 75p for 500gms, whereas Natural Instinct and the like is 2 or 3 times that. We feed 2 dogs and cat for less than £30 a month. This is for 17kg dogs but they are both fed as if they were 25kgs. We dont economise in any shape or form. The stuff we use is Bulmers and Landywoods. You can buy in bulk from both direct. My dogs love it. Their favourite is Economy Mince which is 55p for 500gms. Its minced heart and lung so actually really good for them anyway. They get cheaped tinned sardines and mackerel in tomato sauce once a week or so as well, and eggs quite a lot depending how much the chickens are laying.

If you can get tripe, offal and game then you are halfway there! I'd want to add some sort of lamb and turkey, possibly fish as well, into the mix to ensure theres plenty of variety. We also get huge bags of chicken feet/carcasses. The feet are £3 for a couple of kgs and the carcasses work out about 30p each.

My friend goes to the local abbatoir and buys huge sacks of offal and waste products for not very much money. It would be worth you contacting the abattoir direct to see if they do this.

If you had the space it would be relatively easy to hatch and breed your own chickens for them. Minimum cost and if you feed them whole then minimum work as well. I'm soft and silly and my chickens are pets with names so i cant do it. it does annoy me that I cant do it though!
 

Clodagh

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. They get cheaped tinned sardines and mackerel in tomato sauce once a week or so as well,

THe tomato sauces are full of salt, I feed the ones in oil.

If you had the space it would be relatively easy to hatch and breed your own chickens for them. Minimum cost and if you feed them whole then minimum work as well. I'm soft and silly and my chickens are pets with names so i cant do it. it does annoy me that I cant do it though!

A friend does this, if you get a reasonably meaty bird (she has wyandotte bantams) all spare males go to them, and any substandard females. She feeds them whole and in the feather.
 

Cortez

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I get scraps from the butcher, he's delighted to get rid and there is always some lovely meat in there. According to him, people nowadays won't eat anything other than the "posh" cuts, so a large part of what I'm feeding to the dogs is perfectly good meat which would otherwise have gone to waste (or more likely, meat pies; but he's a small local butcher who doesn't sell waste on).
 

twiggy2

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I feed the game birds (and some Road kill) in the feather, i am not plucking birds for the dogs, I figure it's more natural anyway.
Currently no room for chickens but a thought for the future maybe.
Need to venture to the local butchers for a chat-its almost 20 miles away and in a city so I may be out of luck though.
 

Blazingsaddles

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I am trying to find somewhere local that I can get raw meat for the dogs.
I am finding the options fairly expensive, am I missing something?
I need to source a large chest freezer (and find it a home) first.
At this time of year I can get deer offal and green tripe, if I go beating I will most likely be able to get shot game too, at times there are other bits I can pick up too.
The biggest problem is that when sheep go to slaughter I can seem to get all the extras from the farmers as they need an extra licence/certificate to be able to bring the bits back.
Does anyone know what this is and any idea on how much it costs?
Sunday musing, I am sure the dogs would love the odd sheep's head etc and I am struggling to source them at the moment, people think I am mad when I ask for them 😀
Get yourself a rabbit obsessed Lurcher. Job done.😀
 

Leo Walker

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I feed the game birds (and some Road kill) in the feather, i am not plucking birds for the dogs, I figure it's more natural anyway.
Currently no room for chickens but a thought for the future maybe.
Need to venture to the local butchers for a chat-its almost 20 miles away and in a city so I may be out of luck though.

I dont fancy your chances sadly. I used to have a friendly butcher who gave me all the waste. Everything from carcasses to steak. I fed my dogs pretty much for free and he didnt have to pay for disposal so it was a win win. Now near a big city and no chance of finding anyone to do that, although the local polish delicatessen will sell me bones and carcasses cheap. its not worth the hassle of driving into town and paying parking etc when I can buy them cheaply elsewhere without that hassle.
 
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