I have 2 boys on the raw diet. Lots of Chicken and burger.
Anyone know of somewhere in Central Florida (between Leesburg and
west Orando where I can purchase these food at a resonable price. We've been shopping at Wal mart, Sams, and Cosco, but there has to be better prices then what they have.

Thanks

Do you have any meat wholesalers by you?

Oma's Pride has a lot of FL distributors:
http://www.omaspride.com/distributors.html#FL:

I get my raw from 3 places:
1. An Ohio company that delivers to SE 1x monthly
2. A poultry farmer that is at a local farmers market
3. A wholesaler

(If anyone in MI is interested, I am actually now selling raw by the case to hopefully make it easier on people to get a better variety of meat at good prices!)

My primary source of stuff is from a small independent grocery store in the "other" part of town.

Whether for economic or cultural reasons, the people who regularly eat the more oddball cuts of meat (read: "cheaper") are minorities. Mainstream and big chain grocers no longer carry things like chicken backs, gizzards, beef hearts, duck necks, etc. because most Americans wouldn't buy them or know what to do with them.

But these cuts of meat are still sold in smaller stores that cater to African Americans, Latinos and Asians. I say all this without a tinge of racism. In fact, I think it's terrific that there are people around who still realize that there is more to meat than boneless skinless chicken breast. (BTW, Chicken feet make the best darned soup you ever tasted.)

So--find a small grocery store in an ethnic neighborhood. In there, you'll find either an owner or a meat department manager (who might even be an actual butcher!) who will be glad to have your business, and you'll be supporting a local mom-and-pop enterprise to boot. If you're buying in smallish quantities, they'll have what you need right there. Or they'll be glad to order it for you in 40 or 50-pound cases.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

My primary source of stuff is from a small independent grocery store in the "other" part of town.

Whether for economic or cultural reasons, the people who regularly eat the more oddball cuts of meat (read: "cheaper") are minorities. Mainstream and big chain grocers no longer carry things like chicken backs, gizzards, beef hearts, duck necks, etc. because most Americans wouldn't buy them or know what to do with them.

But these cuts of meat are still sold in smaller stores that cater to African Americans, Latinos and Asians. I say all this without a tinge of racism. In fact, I think it's terrific that there are people around who still realize that there is more to meat than boneless skinless chicken breast. (BTW, Chicken feet make the best darned soup you ever tasted.)

So--find a small grocery store in an ethnic neighborhood. In there, you'll find either an owner or a meat department manager (who might even be an actual butcher!) who will be glad to have your business, and you'll be supporting a local mom-and-pop enterprise to boot. If you're buying in smallish quantities, they'll have what you need right there. Or they'll be glad to order it for you in 40 or 50-pound cases.

When I get up to San Francisco (not very often, unfortunately), this is always one of my goals.

I purchase most of my 'dog food' from a restraunt wholesaler. You need to be able to purchase (& store-think larger deep freezer) large quantities: all fresh not frozen... 40 lb cases of necks, backs, leg qtrs. 10 lb rolls of ground meats.

As an example, I pay $ .30 lb for necks & backs & $.49 lb for leg qtrs. $.89 lb for ground turkey & $1.89 for ground beef.(80/20). I can't come close to those prices even at stores like Costco, in my area, at least.

These are by far the best sources for raw feeders. Even if you have to drive an hour or 2 to get them. (It's about an hour for me)Just buy enough to last a month or 2. I usually purchase 200 lbs or more at a time & it lasts me about 3 months or so with 2 adult dogs. Even if I add in all the suppliments(salmon oil, Vit E, gags,etc) & other extras(varried meats & fish,veggies, etc), it still costs me less then $40 a month, to feed to adult GSDs. Most high end kibbles are more then that.

Call around for wholesalers. Many wholesalers will sell to folks without business licenses if you buy in quantity. (I have one, but was never asked if I have one.) Most restraunts use backs for stock. You might even talk a local restraunt to purchase extra cases for you when they order.

Thanks to everyone for the good ideas. My big problem is I do not have the room for a large freezer. But, I think I will try the ethnic grocery stores in the area.

Geri

Tracey is right about where to get those "odd" meats. Another way is to find a Kosher butcher shop, just tactfully ask somebody who looks Arabic or Indian where to get kosher meats...seriously! They are often glad to tell you. My neighbor is from Tunis, they go to a farm to get young lambs for Holy day, Ramadan etc...she gives me guts for Logan every now and then.

She also made the Tunisian version of haggis that was awesome. I got to try a lamb's head, that was really good too.

There is company in GA that delivers raw dog food
to the WPB area once a month
Give them a call very nice people
The company is Blue ridge beef

Spoons

Shem hetep
Nuk au neter

Geri, I have a friend that didn't have a spot in his home for a freezer so he had a friend keep one in his garage for him & he stored his food there. He paid him a few dollars a month to cover the cost of running the freezer.

Just another thought.