Dog Food / Price vs Utilization
Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett
Dog Food / Price vs Utilization
I'm interested in hearing from kennel owners who have to dispose/handle waste. What food can you feed the least of resulting in the least dog crap you have to get rid of. If you pay twice the price for a food you feed half as much of your ahead of the game because you have half the crap to get rid of. What's your cost per 50lb. bag and how much do you feed per dog? also what is the Avg. size of dog your feeding? Can you give the protien and fat content of food?
-
CORNERSTONE
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2004 1:42 pm
-
Bunny Runner
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:14 pm
- Location: NC
Digestability is determined by the quality of the proteins, fats, and carbs in the food. So, the better the food, the higher the rate of digestability and the less feces being deposited. It's not so much a matter of how much "crap" you have to clean up, as opposed to the health of your dog(s). Sure, the fringe benefits of less clean up is great, but feeding a better quality food for healths sake is a MUCH better reason to switch to a better food.
Determining the digestibility of the protein in a dog food is not an easy task, but if you follow some general rules, it makes it easier to figure which food is the "best" buy.
As we know, dogs do much better with meat-based foods, but all meats are NOT created equal. For instance, meat and bone meal can be ANY type of meat with bones added. This meal has very high mineral content which can be hard on the kidneys, liver, and circulatory system. Also, foods with this type of "protein" is inconsistance in it's digestability because different "meats" are digestable at different rates, not to mention the meat source will vary from batch to batch. This is why a dog can do well on a food for a while, then lose condition or coat. A better source of protein would be a specific type of meat meal, such as "chicken meal". According to AAFCO regulations, a listing like this MUST contain chicken, exclusive of feathers, beaks, heads, and entrails. So, you are basically talking the MEAT of the chicken and maybe some incidental attached bone (but not added extra bones).
Cheaper, bargin foods use alot of grains and grain fragments (parts of grains listed separately). The reasons for this is "bulk". Sure, these grains contain protein and I am not opposed to WHOLE grains of good quality, but the food should NOT be using high amounts of grain AS a protein source. This should be left up to the MEAT. Yes, grains do also offer EAA (essential amino acids), but again, they should not be utilized AS protein. Here is where digestability is determined. When there are alot of grains present, there is alot of fiber as well. Fiber is NOT digested (for the most part) by dogs and is usually just "pooped" out. The more fiber, the more "poop".
Here is some info about dog foods and the ingredients they contain.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com
Right now, I feed my beagles, Eagle Pack Original Adult. http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_orig_adult.html
I feed my small dogs and bred/lactating bitches Innova EVO http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d= ... 1246%27%5D
I also add the EVO into my beagles food from time to time, as well as, some raw meats, fruits and veggies, along with other fresh items.
I feed 14 dogs total and not all dogs are the same. One food doesn't fit all, so you must know your dogs and what their specific needs are.
I pay $40.00 for a 33 lb bag of the EVO, but feed only about 1/4 cup per small dog daily and about 1/3 cup for my 13" beagles when they get it added. This food last me better than a month. The EP Original is the beagles staple diet and they get 1cup daily if that is all they are getting. If I add anything, I reduce the kibble amount somewhat. The EP Original runs me about $30 for 50lbs and well worth every penny. It last me 2 weeks.
Determining the digestibility of the protein in a dog food is not an easy task, but if you follow some general rules, it makes it easier to figure which food is the "best" buy.
As we know, dogs do much better with meat-based foods, but all meats are NOT created equal. For instance, meat and bone meal can be ANY type of meat with bones added. This meal has very high mineral content which can be hard on the kidneys, liver, and circulatory system. Also, foods with this type of "protein" is inconsistance in it's digestability because different "meats" are digestable at different rates, not to mention the meat source will vary from batch to batch. This is why a dog can do well on a food for a while, then lose condition or coat. A better source of protein would be a specific type of meat meal, such as "chicken meal". According to AAFCO regulations, a listing like this MUST contain chicken, exclusive of feathers, beaks, heads, and entrails. So, you are basically talking the MEAT of the chicken and maybe some incidental attached bone (but not added extra bones).
Cheaper, bargin foods use alot of grains and grain fragments (parts of grains listed separately). The reasons for this is "bulk". Sure, these grains contain protein and I am not opposed to WHOLE grains of good quality, but the food should NOT be using high amounts of grain AS a protein source. This should be left up to the MEAT. Yes, grains do also offer EAA (essential amino acids), but again, they should not be utilized AS protein. Here is where digestability is determined. When there are alot of grains present, there is alot of fiber as well. Fiber is NOT digested (for the most part) by dogs and is usually just "pooped" out. The more fiber, the more "poop".
Here is some info about dog foods and the ingredients they contain.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com
Right now, I feed my beagles, Eagle Pack Original Adult. http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_orig_adult.html
I feed my small dogs and bred/lactating bitches Innova EVO http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d= ... 1246%27%5D
I also add the EVO into my beagles food from time to time, as well as, some raw meats, fruits and veggies, along with other fresh items.
I feed 14 dogs total and not all dogs are the same. One food doesn't fit all, so you must know your dogs and what their specific needs are.
I pay $40.00 for a 33 lb bag of the EVO, but feed only about 1/4 cup per small dog daily and about 1/3 cup for my 13" beagles when they get it added. This food last me better than a month. The EP Original is the beagles staple diet and they get 1cup daily if that is all they are getting. If I add anything, I reduce the kibble amount somewhat. The EP Original runs me about $30 for 50lbs and well worth every penny. It last me 2 weeks.
Education, Preservation, and Conservation ensures a "WILD" future for our children!
I feed Eagle Pack Power but we run year round.
http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_power.html
I am very impressed with Eagle Pack puppy feed. I can't see a need to try anything else.
http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_puppy.html
http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_power.html
I am very impressed with Eagle Pack puppy feed. I can't see a need to try anything else.
http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/ep_puppy.html
Our Dirty Pond Beagles "Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit,
you would stay out and your dog would go in."
-M. Twain
you would stay out and your dog would go in."
-M. Twain
-
Bunny Runner
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:14 pm
- Location: NC
-
houndsound
- Posts: 452
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2004 7:48 am
- Location: Sheridan, WY
Wow, where do you get it at that price?????jlboomer wrote:purina dog chow $9 for 50lbs feed 2 cups to my 30 to 35lb beagles very little waste only have to clean my kennel every couple weeks most waste falls through my above grounds and very little waste in my concrete lots. oh yea 21%protien 10% fat.
dk
Esse quam Videri
Re: Dog Food / Price vs Utilization
Out of the dozens (literally) of foods I've fed since seriosuly getting into Beagling, the foods that give the firmest and least stinky stools are Iams, Eukanuba or Evolve.GentleBen wrote:I'm interested in hearing from kennel owners who have to dispose/handle waste. What food can you feed the least of resulting in the least dog crap you have to get rid of. If you pay twice the price for a food you feed half as much of your ahead of the game because you have half the crap to get rid of. What's your cost per 50lb. bag and how much do you feed per dog? also what is the Avg. size of dog your feeding? Can you give the protien and fat content of food?
The Iams is about $31 for a 40lb bag, Euk is about $36 for 40#, and the Evolve breeder bag runs me roughly $32 for a 40# bag, but that depends on whether I get a good sale or not. I've tried foods that sold cheaper than that and just wasn't satisfied. With any of these I feed a 15" hound running several times weekly in the worst conditions no more than 1.5 cups. Or a lactating bitch will get about 4-4.5 cups and maintain weight perfectly. So the price does even out in the long run.
Re Dog Food
I feed Exceed from Sams Club. 30/20 dogs do great. I feed one and half cup 15in beagles. Very little waste, It is chicken first not meal. $21.00 for 44#. Pretty close to Purina One but cheeper. Best feed I have fed for the price.
Ced
Ced
When feeding any food, after looking at the ingredients to make sure it is worthy of being fed to my hounds, I will also look at the POLITICS of the food company if it is known. Any dog food company that overtly supports anti hunting organizations such as PETA or the Humane Society, no matter how good the food is, I will not give them my money...Tony 