[BrennasMom]

I've been feeding 1/2 premade/ground raw and 1/2 RMB but I'm considering cutting out the ground stuff. The problem is, my freezer space is limited so I can't order in bulk. My funds are also limited so the cheaper the better! I just found beef heart at the store today, is that a normal item? There was only one but it was 1.29/lb, not too bad. (At least compared to other beef products) Are there any other good/cheap muscle meats?

I'm a vegetarian so I have no experience buying meat and would love any tips you have. I'm trying to stick to beef, chicken, and turkey since I've heard pork and lamb may be too rich.

Is there a certain day of the week or month when everything is usually cheapest? Also, which is cheaper/healthier, chicken organs or beef organs?

P.S. Sorry for the 9380384 questions at once.

 

[big_dog7777]

Muscle meat is much harder to find under 1.00 per pound (which is what I try to stick to) than RMB's from what I've seen. I seek out ethnic markets (Asian and Hispanic seem to be the best) and look there. I do feed pork to mine, and large pork roasts work well when on sale. I just cut them into chunks. Chicken organs are usually quite inexpensive and can come with whole chickens that I end up butchering for RMB's.

 

[GrandJan]

Beef hearts are excellent muscle meat and a staple in my dogs' diet. Also, chicken gizzards are very good and reasonably priced. I buy 73/27 hamburger in 5-lb. rolls from WalMart, which is a big saving. If you separate it out into quart freezer baggies and press them flat, they won't take up as much room in your freezer.

Look for pork roasts that are nearing their expiration date - many stores will put them on sale for $1.00/pound or less. Simply cut them up into chunks and use that as your muscle meat.

If I feed chicken RMBs, I like to use beef and/or pork as the muscle meat. If I feed pork necks or feet, I use chicken and/or beef as the muscle meat. It provides variety, and just plain makes me feel better!

My dogs won't eat beef liver - only chicken liver, so that's what they get. But I believe Tracy said that beef liver is actually better for them, so if you can get yours to eat beef liver, that's what I would use.

I never go to the grocery store that I don't look in the meat case to see what might be on sale that day. You can really find some good bargains if you are on the look-out.

 

[BrennasMom]

Thanks for the advice! There is an international market kind of a ways away but worth the drive if I can find deals there. I will have to check it out, all I know about it (from my dad's description) is that they sell chicken feet in big bags. lol

 

[tracyc]

My best tip is to shop in neighborhoods you might not otherwise visit. Ethnic grocery stores--Asian, Hispanic, and even small African-American stores often have a better selection of the cheaper cuts, organs, and other less desirable "parts." In my experience, the big supermarket chains only stock the most popular, leanest cuts.

Also--buy what's on sale. Check the newspaper grocery ads. Almost every week some store is using some meat as a promotional item--super-cheap bags of chicken quarters, or buy one/get one deals.

Unless you know your dog cannot tolerate pork (or anything else) I wouldn't eliminate it out-of-hand. Pork--especially pork neck and pork butt are quite cheap.