Dog Food ??

[Tsa la gi]

They have been on this food over a month now.Feed once a day then if I run them I give them a little more to replenish what they have burned up. I know I have to have more after I`ve worked hard. How often do you guys feed. I feed a little before I hunt also.

[RunninHard]

I agree with dogrich , I do however feed Black Gold and love it

[Lawsonsbeagles]

You may be feeding to much. I feed sportmix in the black bag and stool is hard and dry. No mess watsoever. I only feed once a day and i feed my dogs 2 cups and if im running them every day i up the feed to about 2.5 cups. Anytime you switch feeds dogs may get loose stool from my experience.

[BCBeagles]

In timing of feeding, I have heard it is optimal to feed 8-12 hours before exercise for dogs. It interferes with there digestion to be out exerting energy as I have been told. My brother read up on this on the purina website, I believe. I have stuck by it and dont notice my dogs not getting the loose stools while out running, not saying they may in the pen occasionally, but I have fed them before running, even in short periods and seen them humped up crapping several times and then filling the pen after the run when fed before a run of any duration at all. Sorry if that sounds confusing!

[Tsa la gi]

I fed sport mix in the blue bag 26/18,they ran out and started feeding the Diamond, that might be the problem.My hounds are oversized and I feel like 1 1/3 cup is not enough but i`ve been holding at that. All reply`s are very informative and will take all advice into consideration I have not seen the sportmin in the black bag around here. Does TSC carry it?

[packmaster]

Ive been feeding the sportmix 24/20 in the black bag with great results.I get mine at TSC.

[bucks better beagles]

Charley, you have been feeding dogs longer than most of these guys have been alive. You and I have tried every food out there, them cold Irish potatoes (back in the day when dogs ate whatever was left from the table). One of the boys suggested "Exceed" and it is great but kind of pricey for guys on limited income like myself. "Pride" is like "Sportmix", affordable but they will excrete more than they take in when it is mixed internally with water. I find "PMI" to be a low stool producer along with anything else that has no corn in the first 3 ingredients and stays about 26/18. Course, I pay $27 for 50 pounds of PMI and a great deal more for some of the others.

Here is my final bit of hillbilly wisdom, when I am feeding "poop producer" food, I clean my pens at least twice a day and run the dogs every day. This keeps everything clean and the dogs happy.

Your old friend,
Buck

[S.R.Patch]

The quickest way to straighten your hounds back up on their stool is to withhold food for one day and then, start back up with half portion the next day(feeding dry).
I feed each hound a 2 cup measure when hunting, I only feed wet when the water starts to freeze. Most times too much fat or recycling will cause soft stool.
If I get one going soft, I'll give him a beef bone to chew on for a day or two, then put him back on food. I think the chewing and the saliva set his stomach right again and the time allows him to clean out.
The easiest way to help keep your pens clean is to turn hounds out after feeding and give them a chance to clean out before going back to kennels, another turn in the morning will keep pens literally waste free once they become accustom to the routine, hounds really don't want to live in their waste and if given a choice, will take it to the hedgerow instead...

[Tsa la gi]

I agree with you Buck,I have been payin 29 for the Diamond. I`m goin back to the feed I was feeding before, their stool was firm most of the time, they were healthy and did good on it.Think I`m headed that way middle of Dec. We need to get together and run. You need to bring a face warmer and d~icer to keep the tears from freezein on your cheeks from these funny colored dogs leavin ur ol dogs in the rooster snow tail

Love ya ol friend. Ya know there is only two of us left from the old days so your gonna be a real ol fart when ya go cause i`m gonna be around for a loooooonnnnnnnnggg time

[bucks better beagles]

Charley,

Thanks to your post, I went out and got some more of the good stuff because I had been trying some cheaper food. We aren't going to live forever so I can feed my dogs better food and let the kids suffer when I am gone.

I've got lots of warm hats and cold beer. I also have 6 pretty good dogs now. All under two years old but able to keep up with anything that ain't too white.

Did you guys ever get that registration problem you were talking about this fall, straightened out?

Buck

[cojax]

HEY CHUCK HOPE UR RUNNING THEM HARD BUT HERE IS MY 2 CENTS ON THIS TOPIC. THERE IS ALREADY A LOT OF GOOD ADVICE AND A LOT OF IT WILL HELP U GET YOUR PROBLEM FIXED. I USE THE SPORTMIX HI-ENERGY FEED AND I LOVE IT. I FEED 2 CUPS A DAY DURING HUNTING SEASON AND IT KEEPS THEM FROM LOOKING LIKE I DONT FEED THEM AT ALL BUT DONT GET THEM FAT. IN THE SUMMER I FEED THEM 1 CUP A DAY BUT LIKE THIS YEAR WE DIDNT RUN MUCH BECAUSE THE HEAT. NOW SPORTMIX IS ITS OWN COMPANY SO THEY MAKE DEALS WITH TSC,FARM CO-OPS AND MOM AND POP STORES. I HAVE SEEN SPOTMIX PRICED AROUND HERE FROM $22-$27 A BAG. NOW I WENT AND TALKED TO THE AREA/REGIONAL SALES PERSON THAT SELLS TO THE STORES IN THIS AREA AND HE POINTED ME TO A CO-OP THATS WITHIN 15 MILES OF ME THAT WOULD WORK WITH ME ON THE PRICE BASED ON QUANITY. I ENDED UP PAYING $18 A BAG FOR A 50 POUND BAG AND ME AND A PARTNER BUY 20 AT A TIME TO GET THAT PRICE. HE TAKES 10 AND I GET 10. RIGHT NOW IM FEEDING 10 ADULT HOUNDS SO IT SAVES TRIPS TO THE STORE AS LONG AS U CAN STORE IT SOME WHERE. HOPE THIS HELPS BUT IT DOES A GOOD JOB WITH THE CLEAN UP AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WEAR THEM OUT TAKE CARE HOPE YOUR DOING WELL JIM

[dave g]

hey chuck, i dont have the years of feeding as you guys but i have tried many different brands of food. most of it sucks and is nothing but filler and poop maker. i actually prefer the cheap dog chow over any diamond or sportmix or pride. summer months i feed dog chow because it is cheap when it starts to cool off i switch over to purina pro plan chicken and rice. every time i try something new i always go back to the purina brands to get the dogs straightened back out. if you have had good luck with kibbles and bits then stick with it. good luck and if you head on up let me know.

i also agree with s.r., dont be scared to skip a day feeding. i actually try to do that once a month unless it is bitter cold out.

later, dave

[Tsa la gi]

Thanks Dave, Buck and all the rest. Think I have it mostly under control.

[jfields]

Pride Orange when im running hard and Pride Black during the summer when im not running as hard. The Black is suffecient enough for year around but the orange is a better quality so I like to feed it during the cold and hard running.

[Ky. Hunter]

I feed Pride black bag year round and the dogs hold up good on it and have lots of energy and the waste isn't much. I have fed it for over 2 years now.