a little help with raw/barf diet please.

[roc0511]

ok, we have two GSD's one is about 5 and she is about 70lbs and our puppy just turned 1 and he is a little over 90lbs. I have had my puppy on a barf diet ( mainly chicken quarters and green beans ) for about 4 months now for every meal. Our female gets chicken and green beans just in the evenings and dog food in the morning.

My issue I am having is COST!!!!! Can anyone give me any good suggestions on a cheaper alternative on meat? The local grocery store carried a 10lb bag of chicken quarters for $6.40 which was ok still racked up after a while though. They have recently raised the price to almost $10 per bag!!! An almost 100lb GSD can go through a 10lb bag of chicken in less then a week! So what can I do so I dont go broke feeding my dogs?

Also I was wondering around how much I should be feeding my dogs?

Is there any dog food that I could give them that might be pretty close to as nutritional as BARF?
Thanks

[Holmeshx2]

without sounding rude but if you're just feeding chicken and green beans then that is not nutritionally balanced so any dog food would be about the same nutritionally they need way more then that for a complete diet. The biggest part of feeding raw is they need a lot of different protein sources now sometimes thats hard (I only have 4-5 I can choose from) so using a multivitamin to fill in any gaps is a HUGE thing. The fact your 1 year old has been eating this for months now is a little worrisome since pups are still growing and need balanced nutrition even more.

I would look for other places since $1 lb for chicken is a bit insane. A HUGE money saver is to get an additional freezer for the dogs then buy in bulk. I was spending well over $150 a month in just meat for 1 dog however I spent $50 on a used freezer and then spent $28 for meat that has lasted me months now and not quite halfway gone. A huge part of feeding raw is just finding good resources. Wholesalers that will sell in bulk are great finding farms willing to work with you, look on yahoo and join a rawfeeding group in your area is a HUGE help. You can find people to help tell you where the deals are and also have people to go in on large orders with you. I had no clue how people always got these great deals and thought I was destined to pay a fortune but after a very short time I have started getting the cost way down without much work however that chest freezer made the difference. Heck just the other week they clearanced out pork at the store for $1 a lb (I can never get pork at that price) so I bought all they had and just threw it all in the freezer and don't have to worry about it for a few months. As soon as I make a dent in the freezer I find another great deal and end up filling it back up lol. I commend you on trying to feed the right thing but you REALLY need to take a step back and get a well planned diet going so it is balanced and you didn't mention supplements I highly suggest getting them on some as well as adding different proteins, organs, and making sure you have a proper bone ratio I know leg quarters are too much bone for my girl but it depends on what you have but if thats their entire source of meat I'd say not enough meat and too much bone which is bad for your pups growing bones.

[gsd_newbie]

If you can contact local poultry farms and/or slaughtering houses, I am sure you can get cheaper supply meat for your GSDs, things that not qualified as human grade but still okay for dog, ie fetal calf and/or chicken that die from accidents (not sicken). I bought a freezer and buying in bulk for whole month, costs me $1.5 per GSD per day on average plus vitamins supplement.

[Wild Wolf]

You need a wide variety of sources, and should go all raw if you want to feed raw. Call meat distributors, butchers, meat packagers, farmers, etc. Order large bulk order for good deals, join a raw co-op in your area and avoid the grocery store.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by roc0511

I have had my puppy on a barf diet ( mainly chicken quarters and green beans ) for about 4 months now for every meal. Our female gets chicken and green beans just in the evenings and dog food in the morning.

Ok, first off - that is NOT a balanced raw diet. A balanced raw diet needs to consist of a variety of protein sources. Chicken is fine (and it's cheap) but you also need to feed beef and pork and fish and lamb and turkey and ...

I suggest that people feed at LEAST 3-4 different protein sources each week. More is better but 3 would be the absolute minimum I would recommend.

Green beans are nothing but filler. Only good if you want to have your dog lose weight but still feel like they are eating the same amount.

My issue I am having is COST!!!!! Can anyone give me any good suggestions on a cheaper alternative on meat?

The local grocery store is going to be the last place you look for food. Nice and convenient but way too expensive.

Since you have 2 GSDs you will need to get a freezer for dog food. That way you can find a place where you can buy in bulk and that is the way to save money.

[roc0511]

ok thanks for the info. I also didn't mean for it to come out as though i only feed them chicken that is just the bulk of the food. I give the puppy talapia and salmon too. As far as other meat sometimes they will get ham (no bone) and if I can come across a good enough deal red meats like steak. I have also been trying to get with guys that I know that hunt and whenever they can spare get deer, duck, goose rabbit etc... Green beans and peas seem to be the only veggie they will eat. I have tried spinach, potatoes and carrots. They just play with them and then leave them on the floor for me to clean up.

What kind of multi vit do you suggest?

I will try and get ahold of local butchers however in my area there are not a whole lot of options for that or farms. I can try bj's or another food warehouse maybe.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Ham is cooked and VERY high in sodium. Raw pork is better.