Has anybody here been able to negotiate a better price for items like chicken wings or backs with their butcher or grocery store meat counter?
For me, backs are 59 cents a lb. whether I buy one lb. or 40 lbs.
It'd be nice to get a price break for large orders, so I'm just trying to see if anyone else is getting a deal...

And man, do I wish that wings were cheaper....*grumble*

The butcher we use does offer a price break for larger orders.

Will, are you ignoring me? I PMed you and got no response so I went to your web site and emailed you and got no response. I guess if you are ignoring me you will not answer this post either.

-Jason

At ingles I wait for a sale and stock up on whole fryers when they're $0.59 a pound. Chicken backs aren't available at the grocery store, and we don't have any butcher shops. I also buy the 10 pound bags of chicken quarters from Sam's for like, $7 or $8 something. Wings I don't buy, because there isn't a lot of meat on them and because they are too expensive since hot wings have become so popular. I also look for other meat like pork and beef that's going to expire that day or the next, and can usually get the person behind the meat counter to mark it down an extra $2 or more depending on what shape it's in.

Nope, got your PM this morning, just need my Diet Coke to kick in to wake me up..
( Diet Coke...no sugar, plenty of caffeine equals black coffee to us non-coffee drinkers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ).

So....how much of a price break, and how big does the order need to be?

do you have a processing plant anywhere within reasonable driving distance?

There's a Pilgrim's Pride plant here in Dallas and they sell necks for $10/40 lbs.

they have quarters and wings in bulk, too - but i've never noted the price.

just a thought if you haven't looked into it already.

I thought Sam's Club would be the place to go, I made a beeline there when I started feeding RAW.
And then I looked at the prices and thought...hey, wait a minute! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
I can get chicken wings there for $1.79 a lb., same as at my local Publics. Then to make it stranger, my in-town Wal Mart had four lb. packs of chicken wings at $1.39 a lb.
I ended up paying about $1.30 for ground turkey at Sam's Club, but it was $1.09 a lb. at Wal Mart and packaged in these nice one lb. handy packages like frozen sausage.

I haven't feed other fresh meats yet due to price, and no organ meats so far ( I've only made the switch about five weeks ago ) I did feed horse meat when I lived in Florida as it was readily available to the Greyhound kennels ( I'm not saying that to hurt that other poster's feeling from the horse meat thread, just being truthful here ). I split up a can of mackerel or pink salmon once or twice a week and an egg now and then also.
It takes a bit more attention when feeding but it's worth it to see the dogs enjoy their food so much.
That, and tiny clean poopies... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't know about down there, but here, organ meats are going to run you a little higher than rmb's. My budget for rmb's is at or below $1 a pound (that's why I really stock up on the whole chickens when they're so cheap - one chicken is about 4-5 meals for my pit/chow). But for things like gizzards, livers, hearts, tongues, etc. I allow up to $1.50 a pound because they are more expensive anyway.

There's a place in Hendersonville, which is about 45min away, that processes venison and stuff during hunting season, so I'm going to *try* to contact them and see if I can get anything from them when hunting season starts. I don't know what they will charge or anything though, but it might be worth it.

The only thing I'd caution about would be feeding the canned fish too often. It contains a lot of sodium.

My financial rule of thumb is: Don't pay over a buck per pound for any raw products. I can get whole chickens and parts for around $.79 to $.99 per pound at the local grocer provided I wait for the stuff to go on sale and buy a lot when it does. I have a full standing freezer that I stock when the opportunity presents itself.
Tripe is always a buck a pound from a meat processor.
Decent kibble cost more than than the above prices. If I can match or beat kibble prices, I think I'm way ahead.

I think that kibble is cheaper to feed is because a cup of kibble is not a pound. I don't think two cups of kibble is a pound. So twenty pounds of dry food will go further than twenty pounds of raw.
I spend about $50 to $60 per month, per dog for raw food.

I got connected to a poultry products wholesaler who works with local restaurants. They deliver Tuesdays and Fridays. I have to order 400 pounds, but the convenience is worth it. .49 a pound for necks and backs, .59 for turkey necks, and .79 for pok neks! I order from them about every 6 weeks and it runs me around $200. I split that order with others and I give them the same price I get, they just have to come here to pick theirs up.

I found this through a yahoo group in my area and talking to other raw feeders at club.

Also, on HB. Sams club sells boxes of pre-pattied 100% beef. They are either 4 oz or 6oz and the price is cheaper than buying it fresh. It also makes portion control very easy. I buy ground turkey in 1 pound chubs at a local discount grocer for .79 each.

Don't forget to check out the ethnic grocers in your area. You will be amazed what you will find.