I've been feeding raw for 9 months now. I was really surprised at the prices of chicken pieces if you get them at a wholesaler. The place I buy my chicken from also supplies all the police K9s in my area that are on the diet.
Last week I bought a 40lb. box of chicken wingtips for $2 Canadian.
If leg quarters are on sale you can get them for .59-.69 cents a lb.
Necks, backs and breastbones are .34 cents a lb.
If I buy a roast of beef or leg of lamb I just cut some off for the dog.
As far as vegetables goes, If you try and buy in season and on special it's not that much.
I still feed Wellness chicken kibble, a premium human grade food (about 1/4 C. 4-5 times a week in the a.m.).
This bag of dog food costs, with tax, about $35.00 Canadian for 15 lbs.
So, I do believe the raw aspect of his diet is cheaper.
If I factor in the cost of his vitamin E, salmon oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin C powder, alfalfa/kelp powder, glucosamine product, organic apple cider vinegar, and natural yoghurt, it raises the cost a bit.

I can get chicken quarters for $.25/per lb at Walmart. That is their mainstay. Chicken necks at a wholesaler run about $.45/lb and their bones (breast carcasses w/some meat) run about $.20/lb but they're pretty messy. With the addition of some organ meat, vegetables and supplements, it runs a little bit more. I think it's about the same or cheaper than dry and I think they're healthier for it. Their teeth are cleaner, breath's better, more energetic. My biggest problem at this time of the year is keeping off the extra weight during acorn season.

I have NEVER seen leg quarters for 25 cents a pound at Walmart and assume prices MUST be regional on chicken...Typically the best I find is 50 cents a pound on any poultry .. even shells at the processor.

I wind up paying at the processor for the significantly fresher product as i have had some *fowl* surprises in discounted bags.

Leg Quarters do seem to be consistently offered on sale for less than just about anything with turkey necks and wings running low just after Thanksgiving....so I think the sale prices on leg quarters would give someone an idea of what to expect regionally.

Amazing how trash meat down here (necks, pigs feet,tripe, turkey necks, etc )pull down premium prices

Walmart's prices vary within the city. I lucked onto this Walmart. Most of them are a lot higher. Other chain stores will have specials at $.19/lb sometimes but like you said, the quality is lacking (it looks smeared with poop). But, the last batch of necks I got from the wholesaler wasn't very fresh either. I feel very lucky to have found this Walmart. Their ground beef is less than $1/lb so I can intersperse it in their diet.

I think the word is "shop around" -- I can get outdated meat in NC grocery stores but the laws in SC don't allow that so it goes into the dumpster (WHAT A WASTE).

It is worthwhile to find a good source and have a freezer to stock up! Gone are the childhood days of going to the butcher and getting free bones (mom ALWAYS picked up a few raw bones at Franks Butcher Shop for the dog when I was a kid.....sigh..the grocery stores don't even cut their own meat down here...it is probably all irradiated.)

I am lucky enough that the chicken wholesaler is less than a 10 minute ride from my house, so I don't have to drive to Timbuktu to get my meat. But a lot of people don't even know it's there unless you live in the area. I've referred at least 5 people who feed BARF that I know of to this place and they weren't aware of it either. I also posted information about it on one of the Canadian BARF websites/discussion groups. Before I started feeding BARF I didn't even know you could get cases of this stuff (necks/backs, etc.). Now I mention it to my friends who like to cook as well because it (the bones) make great chicken soup (just made a huge pot) for a lot less than a stewing hen.
You might try joining some of the groups through Yahoo.com, post a question and see if there is anyone in your area that has a good supplier and what the prices are. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks to everyone who replied! I think I might switch...

I'm trying to educate myself about raw diets for my dogs. However, I'm trying to find out, what supplements/vitamins do you have to give your dog along with just raw meat? Also, does the meat have to be completely raw for them to benefit or can it be par boiled and if so, for how long? I don't know if anyone of this board can answer this next question. Is the raw food diet the same for cats as for dogs or is their a difference? Thanks to anyone and everyone who can answer my questions.

Science Diet---Look at the ingredients, if the first one is CORN in anything you are feeding that is what is the largest component of the kibble is. I would throw it in the trash, I also stay away from ANIMAL DIGEST, unless it says what kind of animal. THere is a plant about 20 miles from me that makes protein & digest for cheap kibble and you don't want to know what goes up the conveyer belt.

Preservatives--if it is preserved with BHA, BHT or ethoxiquin sp? those are cancer carcinogins, proven to cause cancer.

That said, if you find the right butcher you can get a lot of your bones free or buy bags for a dollar or 2. One butcher even let me stand there and get cuttings before they hit the trash bin for free. I also buy cases of chicken backs when I have the room,. Backs are great, not too much meat, organ meat on the underside and the softer bone / cartlidge. Sardines when they are on sale 2 for 1.00 or macarel, smelts, tuna on sale. It's been a while as we just -a year ago- moved into a new house and I haven't had the time so I feed Eagle to some and Nutro large breed to adults and the 4 pups get regular nutro puppy, not the large breed--too much protein.

Supplements, it varies, Vit C always, Vit e, salmon oil, kelp, a probiotic like fast track or dogzymes.

Denise Puglisi
http://www.nb.net/~kensma

My dog developed a really weird eye problem earlier in the year. He developed dry eye in his left eye which moved over to the right. Turned out it was facial paralysis. He's starting to do better now. The left side is now back, the right he's still working on but it's getting better.

He seemed to turn the corner when I took him off of science diet and changed him to a mixture of Innova kibble, Innova canned and turkey burger. He was also on Deramaxx for arithritis which was discontinued a couple of months ago.

One question I had is whether the turkey burger should be fed raw, or whether it should be cooked? The vet was concerned about saminella (excuse my spelling) and she recommended cooking it. She did say she's aware of the controversy over that. At least she's honest. I have seen Ed's post that dogs can stomach raw meat but I was curious what others thought about the food poisoning side of things. Store bought turkey burger isn't exactly a fresh killed chicken.

I'd also like to know if although I'm not feeding him a complete natural diet if the above diet is the next best thing to an all natural diet? It has to be better than science diet. I'd like to keep him on some kibble more for convenience than anything else.

Anyway, suggestions are appreciated.