I spoke to a local butcher and he related he makes up 5 lb bags of Chicken Necks and Beef Heart for a customer who feeds his dog a raw diet.

I haven't seen many posts about Beef Heart, anyone for or against feeding Beef Heart?

Also is there any issue with thawing and then refreezing the Chickens Neck and other butcher meats for the dogs? I'd like to get more than 5 lbs each time and freeze it at my house (gas prices you know!!!).

Thanks!!

Beef heart is an excellent source of Taurine (an amino acid).

Taurine reacts to air and breaks down, so it is not present in sufficient quantities in ground meat.

I think beef heart is a good idea, especially if you feed ground meat and even more so if you have raw fed cats.

I feed beef heart to both my dog and cats and all of them love it. It is considered muscle meat, not organ meat as I mistakenly once thought.

There shouldn't be any issue with thawing and refreezing. I do it with big bags of RMBs all the time.

If I was to get an array of meats, what are the best? Chicken necks, chicken backs, beef heart, etc.? Thanks!

I try and use the widest variety that I can. Chicken (all parts), turkey (necks, backs, wings, legs and breast meat), beef, buffalo, venison, elk, rabbit, pheasant ect....

We hunt here so pheasant is "cheap" and we have a local guy's family that raises butcher rabbits.

I usually grind the turkey up.

For organ meat I use chicken, turkey and beef and when Merle butchers a buffalo he brings me the "guts" so I can pick out the organs and tripe and then we dump the rest for the coyotes and bobcats.

 Quote: William Dutton

If I was to get an array of meats, what are the best? Chicken necks, chicken backs, beef heart, etc.? Thanks!

 Quote: Carol Boche

I try and use the widest variety that I can. Chicken (all parts), turkey (necks, backs, wings, legs and breast meat), beef, buffalo, venison, elk, rabbit, pheasant ect....

This is great advice.

Get what you can get. And then look for something different.

If it eats grass or other plant matter, I'll feed it to my dog.

I feed beef heart regularly. I also have read it's high Taurine content (which I've also read is excellent for pets prone to seizures). I also once thought it was organ, but like Sarah said it is muscle.

I try to add as much variety as I can, but my favorite foods to feed are chicken backs and beef heart. Chicken backs are great rmbs and almost all of them still have a little bit of organ meat attached as well.

Hello,

I feed beef heart as a MM to my puppy. It's a cheap source of meat @ only $0.20/lbs from the wholesaler. And it is high in taurine, so I feed it to my cat as well so I need not bother with supplementing that amino acid.

I also have used chicken gizzards and beef tongue for MM as well.

I feed chicken necks, chicken quarters, turkey necks/wings, lamb necks, pork necks, sardines, mackerel, and duck as a variety of RMBs.

Haven't sourced out any exotics near my area, although there is an ostrich farm about 1 hour away that I am looking into. Rabbit is also another good meat, but I haven't given it a go yet.

I feed ground beef/bone/trachea/gullet/organs chubs too. But she does get beef back ribs for recreational bones, and the occasional nice cut of steak.

I also give her frozen fresh tripe (gag) that has natural source of chondroitin (ground trachea/gullet) in it.

It's fun feeding raw. I get SO excited when I find good deals or a new variety to introduce to her.

My cat is also eating a lot better too. He used to have just chicken, beef, and the occasional duck or goose that we were roasting. Now he too enjoys more variety.

~ Rei

 Quote: rei chee

I feed chicken necks, chicken quarters, turkey necks/wings, lamb necks, pork necks, sardines, mackerel, and duck as a variety of RMBs.

Haven't sourced out any exotics near my area, although there is an ostrich farm about 1 hour away that I am looking into. Rabbit is also another good meat, but I haven't given it a go yet.

Just a quick O.T. note: I'd always reserve (not feed) a novel source for some day if you ever have to do an elimination diet for allergies.

And back to "Chicken Necks and Beef Heart."