[onyx'girl]

I am having a hard time getting turkey necks. The price went up, and now the store can't get them from wholesaler(I special order #30box) I can get chix wings in 40# for $1 a lb. What opinions on the difference for nutrition? Wings must be fattier,as the skin is there.

 

[tracyc]

I seldom feed chicken wings, because for whatever reason they are the most expensive piece of the chicken, except for boneless breast meat. Leg quarters are the staple at my house, and I bet if you buy in quantity you can get them for .49 to .59 a pound easy.

 

[onyx'girl]

Thanks Tracy, I do feed leg 1/4 as well, just wanted to give them something different. Hopefully the turkey necks will be available soon!

 

[natalie559]

Referencing the mean values taken from 8 samples per 100 grams in Segal's book 'K9Kitchen'

Here are the biggest differences I see:

turkey neck calcium % 1.84
chicken wing calcium % 0.92

turkey neck phosphorus % 1.0
chicken wing phosphorus % .55

turkey neck zinc ppm 42.72
chicken wing zinc ppm 16.49

turkey neck iron ppm 10.90
chicken wing iron ppm 21.46

turkey neck fat % 3.75
chicken wing fat % 19.63

turkey neck calories 116
chicken wing calories 244

How these changes would affect the diet as a whole you would only know if the rest of the diet's nutrients were calculated.

 

[JulesMichy]

You can probably get turkey wings, especially if your area has a Meijer.

 

[tracyc]

Or buy whole turkeys. That's what I do. Then you get all that muscle meat too. I've even been known to cut off the breast meat of turkeys for the people in the family, and dogs get the rest.

Whole turkeys are pretty cheap.

 

[Cooper&me]

the wings are too boney. Not much there but my dogs love the turkey necks.

 

[JulesMichy]

Necks are pretty boney, too. I definitely use them as a RMB meal instead of a muscle meat meal.

 

[onyx'girl]

Well, today the store still can't get them from the wholesaler...I wonder if it is because of the season? I was getting Tom turkey necks, meaty ones for .79# and then it went up to $1.09 now I can't get them at all( I'll call another store that was getting the hen necks and charging more, just to see if they can get any. I won't buy wings as I agree, not much meat and lots of $ for what you get.

 

[3K9Mom]

I much much much prefer necks. My guy tends toward SIBO and all that skin and fat (yes! wings have a lot of fat on them!) is too much for him. Necks are much better in both regards. Plus, he LOVES turkey necks. They're one of his absolute favorites.

For balanced meals, I tend toward drumsticks. Thighs have a ton of skin and fat, so I stay away from quarters too.

Try another store. My grocery store stocked turkey necks for Easter LAST year, but since I pretty much bought up all their stock, the meat manager keeps ordering them. He says a few people buy them and are thrilled that he sells them. The vast majority, I buy, and he thinks one other person, because they'll sit in the cooler for a day or so, then Boom! They're all gone. Another raw feeder, I'm sure...

So, talk to the meat managers at your local stores. Someone will be happy to have keep you neck-deep in necks.

 

[onyx'girl]

I've called around, and really it is the wholesale that is the problem. There was a fire in a barn at a huge turkey farm about 6 weeks ago and maybe the supply is down locally. I won't give up, my dogs love them too!

 

[Crookedcreekranch]

How much leg quarters do you feed a day to say a 75 lb. dog?

 

[mspiker03]

You would feed between 2-3% of your dogs weight in raw food; so for a 75 lb dog, that would be between 1.5 lbs and 2.25 lbs, depending on your dogs activity level (and assuming your dog is full grown). Some dogs need more than 3% and some need less than 2%, but that is a good starting point.

 

[Bellidansa]

Tonga eats primarily chicken quarters, 1 pound a feeding 2x's a day...and I will add another meat/organ to make up the difference.

He leads a rather seditary lifestyle.....during the summer, like now, I will increased his meals. He is more active during the season. For being 102 lbs, the vet says he's still lean....

I am watching his weight like a hawk !

 

[Brightelf]

Is a chicken quarter just a whole chicken leg-- thigh and drum? Or something more?

 

[tracyc]

That's right, Patti. Chicken Quarter/Chicken Leg Quarter = chicken leg with thigh. They are often butchered in the U.S. to also include a bit of spine and bonus attached organ meat. For whatever reason, they are super cheap in the states, often sold in 10-pound "family size" bags for 49, 59-cents a pound.

We had a member from the U.K. on here once that said over there this piece is called "Chicken Maryland." (!)

IMO, they have an ideal ratio of bone-to-meat. Not too bony. Nice soft bones that any size dog can handle. Big enough that they can't be gulped. Good stuff.

Not enough to make an entire diet out of, for sure. But at my house they are fully half the diet.

 

[3K9Mom]

Originally Posted By: Luca_stlNot enough to make an entire diet out of, for sure. But at my house they are fully half the diet.

Especially now, with food prices increasing like crazy, Camper's been eating A LOT more chicken.

(...waiting for him to develop allergies to chicken....

)