Well.. we have officially completed our 1st week raw! We started small and nervous (me-anyway) and worked our way up to just dropping the whole leg quarter right into the bowl - Connie said we would get there, and we certainly did!!! Thanks to everyone's advice here, I feel pretty darn confident at feeding and frier butchering time. But... now what... ?????

They have been eating Chicken fryer parts (no wings or extra organ meat) with yogurt on top (plain, sugar free - 2tbsp) twice a day. Typical meal is chicken back / neck (or other rmb like a leg quarter) mixed with breast meat, and yogurt totalling 8oz 2x daily. The dogs look AWESOME! Nobody has lost any weight (noticable), no diahrea to speak of, and their teeth and eyes look shiny and bright...So what do I add in next? I find myself feeling down right giddy when I start approaching the meat department anymore. We have access to lots of wild game, or I can stick to grocery store. I am thinking though that we are "safe" to start our next protien source. What about greens and supplements. I am trying to add slowly so that I can know right away if something doesn't agree with their system. I figure the golden is only 18 months.. he has his whole raw life to look forward too !

On sort of side note.. I was at Walmart today and they had 10 pound bags of leg quarters on sale for $4.33 - .40cents a pound!! My girlfriend gave me the wierdest look when I threw 3 bags into my cart HEY! 30 pounds of dog food for $13 - you can't beat that! The sale will last the week so I may have to go back and grab some more! Anyway....back to the original question ... now what!!!

Thanks in advance everyone!

Kris

Fish oil and E would be next for me.

Then a tablespoon or so of produce mush (or maybe baby food green beans for an easy start).

Then a slooooow intro to organ meat. Organ meat is where many folks add too much too fast and trigger a bit of diarrhea.

Happy dogs, I betcha!!

 Quote: kris karney

I figure the golden is only 18 months.. he has his whole raw life to look forward too !

Exactly! Your slow approach will pay off huge. Keep this pace. Perfect!

Are you leaving all the skin and fat on the 1/4er's? If not, you can start leaving that on little by little 'til you can leave it all. Sounds like you are already leaving it, though, so you are ahead of that game.

What about the organ bits that already come attached to backs and 1/4er's? If not, start leaving them little by little. If you are leaving them, then you can add more organ as Connie suggested. I would normally capitalize "slowly on organs", but you've obviously got a feel for the pace of a successful switch.:wink:

Get the organs to the desired 10% or so portion of the diet, and THEN start working on another protein source.

 Quote: kris karney

I find myself feeling down right giddy when I start approaching the meat department anymore.

The quickest way to the meat department at the grocery store that I frequent is straight down the dog food aisle. Never gets old.:smirk:

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Then a slooooow intro to organ meat. Organ meat is where many folks add too much too fast and trigger a bit of diarrhea.

Believe me, this cannot be stressed enough...slooooooow...

Got it... SLOOOOOOOOWWWW on the organ meat! Right now they are only getting what is attatched and doesn't slide out when I tip the bird upside down. I am just putting those aside and freezing them for a later date.

I haven't left much skin on, but when I cut up the two friers tonight for meals this week, I wasn't AS cautious as I had been about removing everything. There was some (small amounts I couldn't easily pull off) skin left on the drum ends and thighs. Is the skin nutrious / vital or just convienent to leave on?
It is suppose to pour down rain here all week, so I am going to take to adding organs pretty slow - not really all that interested in staring at dogs & diahhrea in the middle of a rain storm - just sounds WAY more messy than needs be. I guess mother nature will help keep us continue on the slow path!

I am going shopping for fish oil & vit. E tomorrow (again add slowly this week).. can I buy human grade - it seems a little less expensive than doggie stuff. I have used it before with other dogs (kibble), and no ill effects that I know of. Just curious.

Again, I can't thank you guys & gals enough. Our lives are so busy anymore, and to take time out of your day to answer someones questions - whom you wouldn't recognize on the street if you bumped into them, it is really nice to expierence.

 Quote: kris karney

Is the skin nutrious / vital or just convienent to leave on?

Both. Fat=Energy. Fat is a must have. As with anything in life, just not TOO much. Dogs use it where us human folk use carbs.

 Quote: kris karney

I am going shopping for fish oil & vit. E tomorrow (again add slowly this week).. can I buy human grade - it seems a little less expensive than doggie stuff. I have used it before with other dogs (kibble), and no ill effects that I know of. Just curious.

Yes, human fish oil and vit. E is fine.

Look for d-alpha vit. E. It will be the brands labeled "natural".

Do you know dosages for each?

For vit. E, small dogs will get around 100 IU daily. Medium dogs, 200 IU daily. Large dogs, 300-400 IU daily. X-large dogs, ask somebody else.

For salmon oil, give 1000 mg for every 10 lbs. of the dogs weight.