Quote: tim curtis

 Quote: theresa macdonal

Haven't checked kibble prices in years; but at those prices, raw sure is better, all the way around!!
I'm paying .30 a pound, for raw = bone, muscle meat, organ.

That's a very good price/lb! I source my raw locally and I don't think could get near .30/lb...

What's your source, or what's your strategy for sourcing the food?

I'm lucky, I guess, I live next to Amish communities!
The Amish Meat market, they butcher their own local raised beef, hogs; so I feel fortunate that it is locally grass/grain fed also.
I get a ground beef type mix, called "beef dust", that is from a pan they put under the cow as they cut the different cuts of meat; so steak meats, roasts ect, fall into pan, sold for raw dog feeders. Was .25#, but they raised the price to .35#.

I also can get whole heart, liver, kidneys; pork is .29#; when I ordered cow for the first time, is when I found out a cow heart weighs 5# each, & a cow liver weighs 15# each!!
Puts a new spin on how much is paid for cow liver in the little pkgs in a grocery store!

I repkg into smaller for freezing, & it only takes me about an hour to repkg 100# of meat.
I spent about $70 in Sept & I am just finishing up feeding what I had bought

I get chicken breast bone from a local higher end meat market; they sell grass fed beef, organic, no hormone, ect meat.
On the chic breast, they cut off breast meat for sale, but sell the breast bone, large, with alot still attached, for .30#.

I add variety, turkey necks, pork necks, for cheap; 10# bag chicken leg qtrs on sale for .29-.39#; & donated venison; makes feeding raw cheaper than kibble for sure.

Oh, & I am feeding 2 dogs!! A 90# GSD, & a 22-25# Cairn Terrier!

 Quote: Jeffrey Hill

Yeah after shes done cleaning them out I noticed they firmed up pretty good, after one sitting i toss them

What is a good meaty bone that I don't have to worry about her choking or breaking a tooth?

Chicken qtr's, sold in 10# bags, are pretty cheap, & easy on teeth raw meaty bone.
I feed turkey necks, with added muscle meat, heart or venison.

If you know any hunters, ask them for freezer burnt, or last years meat, when they clean out there freezer in the fall.

But no weight bearing bones, even turkey legs are a little dense, some feed, I don't.
I have fed deer necks, pork necks, with added muscle meat.

When I first started, I couldn't find many sources, & all I called didn't sell for dog food. But after asking around, other raw feeders, suppliers were available.

We also have a local place that sells to all the restaurants, grocery stores, 40# cases of chicken backs were $10.

Would veal or buffalo neck or knuckle be suitable

 Quote: Theresa MacDonal

We also have a local place that sells to all the restaurants, grocery stores, 40# cases of chicken backs were $10.

I am working at a chicken plant and could get chicken breast bone for $6 for 40# and same I think for back bone. It is just the no freezer that keeps me from doing raw...

 Quote: theresa macdonal

I'm lucky, I guess, I live next to Amish communities!
The Amish Meat market, they butcher their own local raised beef, hogs; so I feel fortunate that it is locally grass/grain fed also.

That's awesome! How about pig tails? I always felt like I "scored" when I found pig tails at the asian market. The dogs LOVED them!!

Tracy

 Quote: elizabeth anderson

 Quote: theresa macdonal

We also have a local place that sells to all the restaurants, grocery stores, 40# cases of chicken backs were $10.

I am working at a chicken plant and could get chicken breast bone for $6 for 40# and same I think for back bone. It is just the no freezer that keeps me from doing raw...

You can look on Craig's list for a freezer; I know when I was looking to buy a freezer, that the used seemed to cost as much as the new, in my area!
I purchased a small, top loading freezer, for about $60, on sale at a box store.

But Yes, really need a freezer for bulk; & actually, my freezer is small, I also at times "use" a shelf of a friends Uprite, large freezer. He is glad for the storage, as he feels it makes his freezer more energy efficient, being filled!

I would not purchase veal under any circumstances for any reason. (Due to animal welfare concerns)

 Quote: jeffrey hill

Would veal or buffalo neck or knuckle be suitable

I hope the "more" experienced raw feeder here will chime in, as I do not know about the above.

I personnally would put buffalo in the cow, cattle, catagory, & I don't feed those bones.

Also, I have a "soft" spot for veal, as the way they are raised, have never fed, but also cannot afford!

I also don't feed knuckle bones, but others may; I worry about the teeth, so I stay with the softer, chicken bones, turkey necks, & the pork/deer necks kinda scared me, but my GSD handles them fine!

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

I would not purchase veal under any circumstances for any reason. (Due to animal welfare concerns)

Ditto Here, Exactly Betty!!

I just wonder because I can get bulk bones cheap from a place online, but they only have veal, buffalo, cow. and the only one with marrow bones is beef. The other two just have neck and knuckle, so like I said usually once she has cleared the inside out of the bone, I toss it to keep her from chewing on it. Now If I found a bulk place to do the others i might have to switch, i always worry about turkey necks and stuff like that for choking reasons