Feeding Raw vs Kibble

[bucks better beagles]

madcatter: would that stool be all Meat? LOL

[PLATEAUBEAGLER]

Well i experimented with a couple of hounds feeding raw to kibble.
Raw out done it for sure by 100%. Cost was lower and the time is not that big of a deal.
Every weekend i prep all my stuff to feed for a week, then just dip into a bowl.No problem.
My hounds have made 180 degree turn in performance and looks.
And yes i done it like the little black book said to and it works, i also got the videos and he shows how to do it. Pretty simple not much waste at all, solid stool, nice looking teeth, slick coats, and trim fit hounds, with energy to burn.
I know they have made kibble for years but, like he said in the book and DVDS is they cook all the good out of the kibble which make sense.

Don't get me wrong I'm sure there is something out there in kibble that can work as good but the average houndsmen could not afford to purchase it. This is the best and cheapest route for me and i will continue to feed this to all my hounds especially whelping females until i am proven different.
Just compare with 1 beagle to another in the feeding process and you will see a difference i a week or sooner
JMO......

[klrconcrete]

The answers or response to this poll is kind of a surprise I didnt think that many people used raw feed- either all raw or a combination! I said somewhere along the line that I felt I had an advantage to others on this subject, the others who are those who havent tried or refuse to try raw. I am not trying to be arrogant just stating a fact, I fed all kibble for many years and was never completely happy with the results all kibbles lacked something whether they were ten dollars a bag or thirty it isnt a complete diet, just think about it and compare a bowl of kibble with a bowl of meat and veggies side by side- if you say the kibble is better its out of spite, nothing more nothing less. I have become completely closed minded on this subject, my opinion is that raw is the way to go and its formed by trial and error, not by a vote of what others are doing, just as with dogs I have never been a flavor of the month beagler, the latest and greatest stud dog that has won unlimited amounts of trophys are not as impressive to me as solid well rounded gundog. It seems that I go against the grain -both in my feed and my methods, but I am content with what I have and if you dont want to here from me dont ask for a response to a question that you have already answered for yourself. Once more I will say-dont change a thing you're at capacity!

[mybeagles]

Kurt,

You need to run for office in Michigan. I liken dry kibble to government run health care. Im in the Army and know all about how they run things. I want my steak and veggies back.....lol.

Dogs are the best ones to answer this question.......

Put down a bowl of kibble.....and put down a bowl of RAW.......

I think we dealing with a situation of a term the Bible calls "WILLFUL IGNORANCE".

Mybeagles

[cspot]

craig yes you can,and if you are gonna travel you can carry them in a cooler.a nice hamberger sized patty with a bunch of goodies like egg,chicken leg with bone,some greens,a chicken liver ,some fish oil and yougurt--etc or even some total cereal(to help solidify the stool)add some rice etc.
blend it up and grind--shape--freeze
alot of folks are just lazy,some dont want to bother,others think dry is better.
i have tried it and had poor stools,watery,smelly---tuff to clean up.so now i just feed raw a couple times a week or so,seemed to help keep them solid enuff so i can toss them into the street for the neighbor hood kids to walk through

its the great debate

How do you grind up the bone?

Does anybody else have any recipes that you use?

[madcatter]

feeding raw chicken the bone dosent need ground,just freeze the thigh/drumstick as is.as long as the bone isnt cooked they can eatit without it splintering

when i do it without chicken thats when i add a raw egg and leave the shell in.they need thier calcium and phosphorus to be balanced,
otherwise its chicken with the bones

[PLATEAUBEAGLER]

feeding raw chicken the bone dosent need ground,just freeze the thigh/drumstick as is.as long as the bone isnt cooked they can eatit without it splintering

when i do it without chicken thats when i add a raw egg and leave the shell in.they need thier calcium and phosphorus to be balanced,
otherwise its chicken with the bones

[Bunnyblaster]

So what meat do you guys use the majority of the time? Or do you try to mix it up and use different stuff?

Can you give me another example of say if you're feeding chicken how much of what do you put in each dog's bowl? One chicken thigh with the bone in and that's it???

[klrconcrete]

I use both beef and chicken, the beef I buy is like a course ground burger it is very very lean so I also buy straight beef fat and add this to the mix when running alot. The chicken is right from the grocery store and is usually the less desirable cuts like leg quarters (the drumstick and thigh together) or wings, backs, and necks (the backs seem to hold the most fat) All the mentioned choices are lower in price and are on sale seemingly all the time. I feed all with the bone in just as purchased. I also buy chicken gizzards and livers for natural treats- they are inexpensive and again seem to be on sale alot. Turkey is another good choice its usually cheaper than chicken and a turkey leg quarter (thigh and drumstick) cut up will feed my three dogs. The turkey giblets are also excellent treats or as part of the mix in the daily feed. With all that being said beef is my personal favorite I usually have a couple hundred pounds on hand and thaw out say 10-15 pounds at a time and I always mix daily to try and accomodate each dogs requirements a little better. I have an eleven year old that gets small amounts of fat and she gets fish oil daily compared to a four year old that gets much more of both the beef and fat and no fish oil. Just an example of why I dont mix everything well ahead.

[Bunnyblaster]

If I went to just chicken and beef how do I know what they are lacking?? Like calcium??? Or this is where you guys are saying to get a good book, check the web, etc and read up on it? I picked up some beef scrap yesterday but it comes with quite a bit of bone so I'm not sure how that's gonna work out for me. I'm just starting to dabble a little bit with it so keep giving the info.....I might need to start taking better notes.

I probably missed it earlier too but when you feed the beef, how much do you give to each dog? I know there are all probably a little different but how much? And how much chicken either say by lbs or size, like one thigh per dog? And is that all they get per feeding once a day?

[mybeagles]

Bunnyblaster,

How do you decide how much dog food to give?

Its the same idea. Dogs vary from one to another. Ive always been a twice per day feeder. Raw diet digests twice as fast as kibble, doesnt absorb near as much water and allows for greater nutritional benefit. For 13" beagles 1 Cup each feeding is generally more than enough.

The more fat content, the more carefull you will have to be or you will have 50lb beagles.

Its been my experience when you first start feeding a RAW diet they eat a bit more, but when their metabolism adjusts to the meat diet you can cut way back and they require less.

To ensure balance, I offer variety. In the fall they get plenty of ground salmon, venison. Through the year I use chicken, beef, turkey, green veggies, and left over rice (My wife is Korean, so there is always rice around). Im looking to purchase a commercial meat grinder that will allow me to grind up whole fish, smaller beef and venison bones and package for freezing.

Mybeagles

[PLATEAUBEAGLER]

ok here we go.

1 30 lb beagle

1 thigh or chicken leg
1 cup rice w/grease(bacon grease)
1 2 min egg w/shell
2 table spoons yogurt(fat free)
2 table spoons of veggies(spinach celery carrots)minced
1 table spoon of pure lard
1 vitamin in lard
treat w/ 4 gizzards, livers,beef liver.either or 2 of each
if you have a lactating bitch who is acting nutty after whelping add 2 TBS of cottage cheese this will calm her back down to norm.

This is what i do which works good for me.i prepare my eggs,veggies and rice a week ahead and put in frig, then dip out as needed.

pretty simple once you do it for a day or 2, kinda comes natural. i feed 12 beagles takes about 5 mins to fix all bowls then deliver, collect bowls when done.

If feeding pups i do chop up the thighs or legs into small bites to make it easier for them to chew up.

[cspot]

ok here we go.

1 30 lb beagle

1 thigh or chicken leg
1 cup rice w/grease(bacon grease)
1 2 min egg w/shell
2 table spoons yogurt(fat free)
2 table spoons of veggies(spinach celery carrots)minced
1 table spoon of pure lard
1 vitamin in lard
treat w/ 4 gizzards, livers,beef liver.either or 2 of each
if you have a lactating bitch who is acting nutty after whelping add 2 TBS of cottage cheese this will calm her back down to norm.

This is what i do which works good for me.i prepare my eggs,veggies and rice a week ahead and put in frig, then dip out as needed.

pretty simple once you do it for a day or 2, kinda comes natural. i feed 12 beagles takes about 5 mins to fix all bowls then deliver, collect bowls when done.

If feeding pups i do chop up the thighs or legs into small bites to make it easier for them to chew up.

Thanks for the info. I have a couple of questions though.

What is a 2 min egg?
What vitamin do you put in the lard?
Is the rice raw?
Do you mix or grind everything together or just put it in a bowl?

Thanks

[S.R.Patch]

Raw does not digest faster than kibble, as a matter of fact...many packs only feed everyother day when feeding raw in the off season because of the slower digestion time.


I only wish my wife fed me as good as some of you feed your hounds...

[kybeagler]

To be honest you should never ever feed raw food. Your dogs will not live that long and healthy life you may think it will live. Raw food normally carries parasites, bacteria, and viruses. That is why we cook it is to kill those things. Im sure if your dog is worth anything you wouldnt want it to digest something you wouldn't. Dogs have stronger enzymes but they won't fight against these organisms I mentioned. I could go on and on about the dangers of raw food. Ask your local Vet they will tell you never to feed raw food. Trust Me spend a little extra for a good kibble dog food and it will save alot of Vet Bills down the road. Only reason I can think of someone feeding Raw is to save a little money. It probably will be even more expensive feeding a raw base food by the time you buy Chicken, Eggs, Rice, etc... Plus alot more trouble preparing.