Hands Down #1 Feed?

[HillBeagles]

I'm currently feeding SportMix 24/20 hounds look great when ran 2-3 times a week but if I run 5-6-7 days they are gutted I double the feed but no change, is anyone running this much with no weight problems? If so what are you feeding? Are you giving anything extra?

[S.R.Patch]

When we run hard you have to sweeten the feed to get some to eat. Don't know how many hr. per day your running but we boil up beef, liver or chicken to add to the feed. We cleaned out the freezer so got old meat to feed right now, last night they each had a hand full of liver and roast chunks. Also got tongue, heart and oxtail.
Allstar milk replacer is good to sprinkle over the feed and mix in.

[chapkosbeagles]

Pro plan nothing better but u pay for it

[gwyoung]

HillBeagles, Some time ago a store had several bags of instinct rabbit formula dog food for sale due to damaged bags and their not willing to carry it anymore, I bought what they had. I believe it was 7 bags but the bags were small about 20 or 25 pounds . I believe I paid 75 cents per pound which was less than half price If I remember correctly. If a better food is made I wouldn't know how one could prove it. practically no stool, dogs had unbelievable coats and stamina. I only fed it to 2 dogs at the time because I wanted it to last and to see if it made a difference.( The results were fantastic) it did and will add a step to their speed, they will hunt as hard at dark as they will at daylight. This is hands down the best food out there. I don't feed it as I have too many dogs but If I only had one or two I would definitely feed it. I have fed most of the lower cost foods and we can sit around and sing the praises of Black Gold, Diamond, 4 health, old Roy, Purina, Joy, sportmix, etc: all we want and we do just that very thing quite often but all of them are far down the ladder when it comes to dog food and one of these isn't much better than the other regardless of what we like to think. but most of us have to strike a balance between price and performance, that line with me is Purina pro Plan Performance , when the dogs are being ran hard and long, I have found nothing cheaper that will do as well on my hounds, Is it a great feed, No! But I have recently been making it so. Here is how , buy yourself a commercial grinder, Kill all of the deer out of your yard and grind them into hamburger, tenderloins , hams and all ,Keep your freezer full and thaw about three days worth out at a time and feed your dogs a half cup of your choice of dog food then give them about a half pound of the ground burger, ( feed the dry food first) very good feed and you will save a lot of money as your dogs health and performance picks up!

[BCBeagles]

Pro Plan Performance for me as well. They look great and go all day. I had the loss of weight issues when running hard this summer with Black Gold, also poor coats. Switched to Pro Plan Performance and worth the price for mine, they really look and feel good on it. Good luck.

[BCBeagles]

I also forgot to add I do supplement raw deer about 2-3 days per week in season only. I just feed the raw deer with no kibble, then kibble the next day.

I do add Nupro, a supplement, after runs. So they get that up to 3-4 times weekly. It is a GREAT supplement for hard hard running with the cold temps. Love that stuff!!

[gwyoung]

BcBeagles, I notice you live in West Virginia, as do I. Deer are such a menace I did not realize season went out in some portions of the state! I thought if you were putting them to good use,( and dog food is what they are most useful for) that they could be killed at anytime. It is just like the DNR to place a season on what is one of the biggest plagues in the state, I might write my congressman!

[BradWV]

BcBeagles, I notice you live in West Virginia, as do I. Deer are such a menace I did not realize season went out in some portions of the state! I thought if you were putting them to good use,( and dog food is what they are most useful for) that they could be killed at anytime. It is just like the DNR to place a season on what is one of the biggest plagues in the state, I might write my congressman!

I have to say you are doing a pee pour job of killing them. Went by your house the other day and saw at least 8 standing in it.

Ps: go down to the running spot and get rid of those fox

[gwyoung]

Brad, I started on the ones out in the yard first, The ones you saw are next!

Loaned my caller out and never got it back, sold all of my traps and the dogs wont run them!

[HillBeagles]

I'm averaging 25-30 hrs a week on my hounds, that may be the problem! Me and my pack

[gwyoung]

HillBeagles, 25-30 hours a week isn't all that much of a strain on well fed and housed hounds,, I would say it is your dog food. Keep them well housed and well fed and the modest amount of time you are putting on them wont show with weight coming off of them.

[gwyoung]

BradWv, Finding any Hare? We are hunting pretty hard for the rabbits we are finding. Everywhere I go has been receiving some hunting pressure, about all that is left is holers. Ran 12 today, seems like a lot but we were at two different places and we covered several miles. Holed 9 and killed three , one of the others did run for about a half hour before holing but most went straight to hole. Been thinking about running some Hare or getting some Deer hounds but as neither are fit to eat I am having a hard time deciding on what to do!

[Tsa la gi]

I feed Sportmix 24/20. Have been for about three years now. Run 3/4 nights or, and days a week all year long. Hounds have plenty of stamina look good and stay hard as a nail.
Wouldn`t feed anything else. They use a lot of energy up when they run, N they ain`t pitter potter dogs,they flat most times.

[HillBeagles]

Like I said I havnt had any trouble till now and only with dogs that's getting the extra time! Is there a good additive? What is the nupro? Who has it?

[BCBeagles]

Nupro is a supplement to add to dry feed. Google it and you will find it. I like it and would recommend it. It is a powder you put on the food, it really seems to give them an edge.