Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus?

Dog Food Advisor Forums Raw Dog Food Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus?

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  • #10546 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    As everyone probably knows, I’m going to be totally obsessed with this new raw food topic area 😉 – anyways I’ve been checking out other forums for some good discussions to get going and got a great idea from the German Shepherd forum. They have a topic area where raw feeders can post their menus. I think this would be a great tool for newbies to see what experienced raw feeders feed their dogs and also a great opportunity for knowledgeable people to comment about what others are feeding and make suggestions (maybe they’re feeding something they should, not feeding something they should, etc.). I know when I first started raw I was always looking for menus – the only place I was able to locate a good menu was on Leerburg Kennel’s website.

    • This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Mike Sagman.
    #10551 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I’ll get things started. I generally make a one week menu up and feed that menu for 1 – 2 months. I then make up a new menu with some new protein sources, switch up some ingredients in my supplement and make up a new menu for the next 1 – 2 months. I started this menu at the beginning of December and I’ll probably feed it through to the end of January (then the dogs are going to break into the venison stash from hunting season 😉 ).

    The a.m. recipes are for 3 servings (I divide evenly among my three bloodhounds – lucky for me they all eat the same amount of food! 🙂 ). The p.m. recipes are what I would feed each dog.

    SUNDAYS

    a.m. -Whole Prey Rabbit

    p.m. -24 hour fast

    MONDAYS/WEDNESDAYS/FRIDAYS

    a.m. -1 lb. 90% Lean Grass Fed Beef
    -1 lb. Green Tripe
    -1 lb. Beef Organ Blend (Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Lungs, Trachea, Gullet)
    -2 C. Urban Wolf Pre-Mix
    -1 C. Full Fat Cottage Cheese
    -2 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    -1 tbs. Sardine/Anchovy Oil Blend
    -1 tbs. Coconut Oil
    -800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule (mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols)

    p.m. -2 Turkey Necks
    -8 oz. Turkey Hearts

    TUESDAYS/THURSDAYS/SATURDAYS

    a.m. -3 lbs. Ground Lamb Supreme (from MPC – 50% Breast Meat with Ribs, 25% Heart, 15%
    Green Tripe, 7% Liver, 3% Kidney)
    -1 C. Whole Milk Kefir
    -3-4 oz. Pouches Organic Fruit & Veggie Baby Food
    -2 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    -2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement*
    -1 tbs. Reduced Vitamin A Cod Liver Oil
    -1 tbs. Omega 3-6-9 Oil with Flax, Borage and Evening Primrose
    -800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule

    p.m. -Chicken Back
    -Chicken Foot
    -2 oz. Chicken Gizzards
    -2 oz. Chicken Hearts
    -2 oz. Chicken Livers
    -Whole Egg

    *Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement:
    -4 oz. Kelp Powder
    -4 oz. Alfalfa Powder
    -4 oz. Wheatgrass Powder
    -4 oz. Spirulina Powder
    -4 oz. Chlorella Powder
    -4 oz. Bee Pollen Powder
    -4 oz. Turmeric Powder
    -2 oz. Garlic Powder

    #10617 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Hi HDM,

    That is a great menu! I am still feeling my way through this process, so here is what I have:

    I feed the Darwin’s naturals for one meal, a different protein everyday. Dante eats a pound per meal and Booker eats 1/2 a pound per meal.

    The other meal is a a change up between various hare today grinds, Llama, Goat, Duck, Turkey, Beef, and very occasionally Chicken. Booker can’t tolerate Chicken for two many meals in a row.

    With the grinds, they get eggs twice a week, one tbs of coconut oil every other day. Fish oil on the opposite days.

    I add minced garlic two times a week.

    A tbs of organic Oikos yogurt three times a week.

    I was adding Tumeric, but it seems to set off Dante, he gets inflamed from it.

    I am going to order some of the Mercola Super Green for the whole food supplement.

    How balanced am I?

    Ordering chunks from my pet carnivore this weekend instead of the grinds.

    #10627 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Alexandra –

    Looks good to me! Because you’re feeding the Darwin’s for one meal every day I don’t think there’s any need for you to be overly concerned about supplements. All the hare today grinds have the appropriate ratio of muscle meat, organ meat and bone – so no need to worry about calcium to phosphorus ratios and organ meat amounts. And the fish oil and green supplement will be great for a little extra nutritional assurance.

    #10642 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Thanks HDM!

    Just wanted to make sure they were getting everything that they need.

    #10651 Report Abuse
    InkedMarie
    Member

    The Whole Dog Journal did a series on home made diets for dogs, I think they had raw in there too but am not positive.

    #10738 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Hi HDM,

    In your opinion, am I better going with the grinds the chunks? My thought is that chunks would be closer to prey.

    Thanks

    #10740 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Alexandra!

    Good question. Nutritionally speaking – as long as both contain appropriate amounts of muscle meat, organ meat and bone – they’re the same. However there are some pro’s and con’s to both. RMBs and chunks of meat more closely mimic the consumption of a whole prey animal and provide the dog with dental benefits that ground meat doesn’t. RMBs and chunks of meat are much less likely to be contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella (although with a healthy dog, this shouldn’t be much of a concern). RMBs and chunks generally have a cheaper price per pound (versus ground meat) as well. The downside is that cutting up your own meat is definitely more time consuming and I also find that it’s much easier to combine veggies and supplements or a pre-mix with ground meat. I personally feed ground in the a.m. with either a pre-mix or veggies and supplements and RMBs and “chunks” of meat (whole gizzards, hearts, livers, etc.) in the evening. Because you’re feeding the Darwin’s for on meal a day you could certainly add your supplements to this and feed chunks and bones for the other meal, then you’d be getting the best of both worlds.

    #10758 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Thanks again, HDM!

    Work is hectic, so I don’t get much time for the site during the day. 🙁

    I offer RMB’s about three times a week as “snacks” . I wish I had a before picture of Bookers teeth, they are now sparkling white! You can’t tell he is four! 🙂

    Would you be inclined to say that the chunks may not be as well balanced as the grinds? I wanted to get them closer to prey, I don’t know if I could do a full prey animal. So I was thinking the chunks would allow them to crunch and tear, etc.

    I also wonder if the chunks could slow Dante down a little bit, he inhales, even with a pacer ball….

    #10771 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Alexandra –

    As far as the “chunks” sold on Hare Today, my only experience is with the “Rabbit Pieces” (the larger version of the chunks). I would say they’re likely not as balanced as the grinds. With the grinds you know you’re getting an evenly mixed ground prey animal – with the chunks it’s more of a surprise (at least in my experience). As it says in the description “bone included, may include heart, liver, lung and kidney.” I’ve ordered the rabbit chunks 3 or 4 times and sometimes there were only one or two little pieces of organ in the bag, sometimes there was quite a bit. However, considering you know your dogs are getting one meal a day that’s completely balanced (the Darwin’s) you’d probably be fine with the chunks – if there was a little too much or too little organ meat or bone it wouldn’t be a huge deal.

    The whole prey animals really aren’t that bad. I started out with the dressed quail and skinned rabbits and finally got the courage to move to the real deal – feathers, fur and all. If you want to try it, I’d start with the whole dressed quail – very low gross factor.

    As far as slowing Dante down…not sure if the chunks would do it. Gertie was a fast eater, I started using a portion pacer and it worked like a charm – it now takes her over 5 minutes to finish her meal. Mabel on the other hand – I’ve never seen anything like it. Looking at her eat you’d honestly think she hasn’t eaten in a week. I use a portion pacer and she still somehow manages to finish her meal in about 30 seconds flat. When I give her gizzards and hearts she just swallows them whole, no chewing. So if Dante is as bad as Mabel chunks may not even help him – unless they’re huge chunks lol

    #10776 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Lol! HDM sounds like he could race your Mabel! Booker gets half the amount that Dante does and is fed first since he is the oldest, and Dante’s food disappears before the bowl is in the stand…all of this while Booker is STILL eating…. 🙂

    Do you just sit the portion pacer on top of the meal or do you bury it in? Maybe I am not using it right?

    Dante has removed it from the bowl and then carried around like a toy…

    I think then I will give MPC a try and order some grinds and see if I can do a prey animal….if I do that they should fast for 24 hours right?

    Thanks again! 🙂

    #10803 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I just set the portion pacer on top then press it in a little.

    It’s not necessary to fast if you feed a whole prey animal. Obviously, if you feed something large like a 4 lb. rabbit you wouldn’t really want to feed another meal for awhile because that’s a lot of food, but the quail run about 8-12 oz. and you could just feed one or two as a meal with no need to fast.

    The reason I fast my dogs once per week is because approximately 80% of a dog’s immunity is found in the gut. If a dog is constantly digesting food a lot of resources of the immune system are focused on digesting and it’s more difficult for the immune system to function at its peak. Periodic fasting once a week or so give the dog’s body a change to focus on strengthening the immune system. Going without food puts a mild stress on the cells and as a result the cells become better able to cope with more severe stress if they ever need to (such as when they’re battling off sickness). This is why I choose to fast my dogs for 24 hours once per week. I’ve read others that only fast once or twice per month but don’t feed anything at all for an entire day (so it’d turn out being more like a 36 hour fast).

    #10823 Report Abuse
    dowsky
    Member

    How do you feel about Bravo! raw. Both blends and balance.

    #10829 Report Abuse
    Alexandra
    Participant

    Hi Dowsky,

    I think they are ok. I have used them before. But the store I get them from has them priced pretty high in my opinion and compared to the other suppliers I use.

    #10910 Report Abuse
    momofmutts
    Participant

    hello,

    I feed raw, and lurk on dog food advisor often, but hardly ever post. I love the new forum. I think it’s going to be a hit.

    HDM, how do you cope with the dogs during fasting day? 2 of mine are bugging me for their food an hour and a half before meal time. I can’t imagine if they had to go another full day before their next one. My husky cross would often do a self imposed fast every other week or so, but once she was on phenobarb for seizures, she eats every meal. I only feed them once a day, so technically they are going 24 hours between meals already.

    They had bear meat for the first time this week with no problems whatsoever!

    – karen

    #10915 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    Not HDM, but she feeds twice a day normally, on her fast days she feeds once a day. That’s my understanding. Yesterday, I spoke with someone who fasts his dog a few times a week, but he feeds huge meals and then fasts until time to feed the next huge meal, like how a wolf would eat.

    #11829 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,

    I really like your whole food supplement recipe, what do you recommend if a dog is allergic to turmeric? I don’t know if mine will but I read somewhere that a dog was allergic. I have Dr. Karen Becker’s recipe book and will use the recipes as a guide, but really want to avoid any synthetic vitamins in her book. That’s what holding me up in doing all home-made. I’ve been feeding Darwin’s but want to it on my own. I don’t like the pre-mixes from THK or Sojos or any dehydrated food. I prefer all raw and fresh veggies. I can get grass-fed beef, lamb and raw wet bone meal from a local farmer, I’m going to visit some local butchers to see if I can get quality poultrys. Once I can get everything together, I’m ready to start doing it on my own.

    #11834 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi onlywest –

    I add the turmeric because it has anti-cancer properties and is a natural anti-inflammatory. I highly doubt your dog would be allergic to turmeric, however if it is you could certainly just omit the turmeric or pick out another “superfood” to add that’s not in the recipe.

    #11837 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,
    Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is what I’ve been looking for and will order the supplements from the site you posted. I’m excited to do it on my own as I believe I will have a better control of the quality of ingredients I put in the food.

    #11839 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    That’s the same way I feel and why I personally choose to make everything from scratch. I’m picky about what my dogs eat and every food or supplement out there there’s either something in it that I don’t want there or something that I wish was there that isn’t. By making my own food and supplements I can completely customize everything.

    #11952 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Okay so my dogs have been on their previous menu more about 6 weeks now and I’m about to switch things up for another month or two. I’ll post the new menu I’ll be starting next week to give more ideas to those interested in homemade raw.

    Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays

    a.m. (divided between 3 dogs)
    -1 lb. 90% Lean Ground Beef
    -1 lb. Ground Green Beef Tripe
    -1 lb. Ground Beef Organs (Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Lungs, Spleen, Trachea, Gullet)
    -1 C. Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree*
    -1/2 C. Cottage Cheese
    -1/2 C. Sprouted Quinoa (run through food processor)
    -2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral*
    -1 tbs. Ground Raw Pumpkin Seeds
    -1 tbs. Coconut Oil
    -1 tbs. Krill Oil
    -1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    -2 tsp. Ground Eggshell
    -800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule

    p.m. (per dog)
    -2 Turkey Necks (approx. 12 oz.)
    -8 oz. Turkey Hearts

    Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays

    a.m. (divided between 3 dogs)
    -3 lbs. Venison Meat and Organ Mix (from a whole deer)
    -1 C. Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree
    -1 C. Kefir
    -2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral
    -2 tbs. Sprouted Chia
    -1 tbs. Reduced Vitamin A Cod Liver Oil
    -1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    -3 tsp. Ground Eggshell
    -800 i.u. Vitamin E Capsule

    p.m. (per dog)
    -Chicken Back (approx. 10 oz.)
    -Chicken Foot (approx. 2 oz.)
    -2 oz. Chicken Gizzards
    -2 oz. Chicken Hearts
    -2 oz. Chicken Livers
    -Egg (without shell)

    Sundays

    a.m. (per dog)
    -2 Whole Prey Quail (Approx. 1 1/2 lbs.)

    p.m. -Fast

    *Fruit/Vegetable/Herb Puree:
    (I make up a big batch running all the ingredients through a food processor and freeze in ice cube trays. After they freeze I store all the cubes in giant ziplock bags in the freezer – each cube is approx. 1 fl. oz.)
    -1 lb. Fresh Celery (blanch before pureeing)
    -1 lb. Fresh Beets (blanch before pureeing)
    -1 lb. Fresh Carrots (blanch before pureeing)
    -1 lb. Fresh Kale (blanch before pureeing)
    -1 lb. Frozen Butternut Squash
    -1 lb. Frozen Spinach
    -1 lb. Frozen Broccoli
    -2 Apples
    -1 Banana
    -1 lb. Frozen Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries)
    -8 oz. Frozen Cranberries
    -2 Bunches Parsley
    -2 Bunches Cilantro
    -1 Head Garlic

    *Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement:
    -4 oz. Kelp Powder
    -4 oz. Alfalfa Powder
    -4 oz. Wheatgrass Powder
    -4 oz. Spirulina Powder
    -4 oz. Chlorella Powder
    -4 oz. Bee Pollen Powder
    -4 oz. Turmeric Powder

    #11953 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Looks complicated and nutritious!!. Mine are getting some kibble and some freeze dried Vital Essentials tonight! But I will revisit this recipe when it’s time for me to make a new batch of homemade food! Thanks for sharing!!

    #11954 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    No problem. Hoping it helps some people realize it’s not impossible to make a balanced homemade food. 🙂

    #12070 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Just noticed a mistake – not sure what I was thinking when I was typing it out – but the eggshell amounts should be half of what I wrote. 1 tsp. ground eggshell for the beef recipe and 1 1/2 tsp. for the venison recipe. Sorry. I noticed it and wanted to correct it in case anyone actually wanted to try these out for themselves. 🙂

    #12175 Report Abuse
    momtopoms
    Member

    Hello

    I started feeding commercial raw a year and a half ago after finding this site. I have used NV, Primal,Darwin’s and Stella and Chewys. When I rotated back to Darwin’s in November, my poms would not touch it. I bought Dr. Becker’s book and the e books from Whole Dog Journal so I could make my own. The issue I am having is getting my female Pom to eat the vegetable mixes. I made the ones in Dr. Becker’s book and she will eat the meat but if a add just a little veg mix she refuses. I also tried THK Preference. She prefers NV raw over all the other brands. Should I rotate in NV and not force her to eat the homemade with the veg mixes. How often would she need the NV? I also add NL All Food Fortifier. Would that be enough? I just started ordering from Hare Today and they all like the grinds I have tried so far. I also have Brothers on hand in case I am short on time since I work at a hospital and have to go in at strange hours with short notice. Any help would be appreciated.

    Susan

    #12176 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi momtopoms –

    Fruits and vegetables really aren’t absolutely necessary if everything else in the diet is balanced and the Nature’s Logic supplement does have some freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in it, so this would probably be enough. However, some other options that you could try:

    1) Wysong has a supplement called “Wild Things” – it’s a powder made of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables and super greens: http://www.wysong.net/products/wildthings-dog-cat-supplement.php

    2) Essex Cottage Farms has a supplement called “Garden Vegetables”, also a freeze-dried powder: http://www.efarms.cc/Products%20Page.htm

    3) Nature’s Farmacy has a whole food supplement called “Cornucopia” and 3 tbs. is the equivalent of a pound of fresh fruits and vegetables: http://www.naturesfarmacy.com/store/details.php?prodId=321&category=

    Also, if your dog doesn’t mind pills you could also consider fruit and vegetable concentrate pills made for humans (just read the ingredients list carefully to make sure there is nothing toxic to dogs – such as onions or grapes). There are many different brands that make these, but some I can think of off the top of my head that would be safe for dogs would be Puritan’s Pride 10 Vegetable Multiplex, Wysong’s Salad and Schiff’s Fruit & Vegetable tablets.

    #13810 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,
    I have trouble figuring out the correct calcium ratios. When I grind a whole bird (chicken, turkey, duck) with gizzards, hearts, livers..do I need to add more boneless meat? I often see 80/10/10 formula, do you know a whole bird has 10% bone in it?

    #13811 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi shelties mom –

    A whole prey animal will have the correct muscle meat/organ meat/bone ratio. The 80/10/10 model that raw feeders use is based on an approximation of a whole prey animal. So as long as you’re including all the organs the ratio will be in balance. Some animals are slightly higher in bone than others – for example a rabbit or cornish game hen will have a slightly higher percentage of bone than say a whole deer or cow – but it doesn’t need to be exact. As long as you’re somewhere between 7-13% bone you should be good.

    #13816 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,
    Thank you for your expertise. I’m so glad we all can come to you with questions.

    #14490 Report Abuse
    weimlove
    Participant

    Hi everyone!
    I have finally got Shadow eating a COMPLETELY raw diet 🙂
    Since this is his first week of no kibble at all, I wanted to share my menu with you all and see what you think. Please keep in mind that this menu has extra bone in it to help keep his stool firm over the transition and next week I will add less bone.

    What I did so far is pre-package a week’s worth of meals in freezer bags.

    The meals include:
    – 1 half of a chicken leg quarter
    –1 small peice of a chicken back
    – 1 chicken wing
    – 3/4 of a pound of ground chicken
    – 3/4 pound of sweet potatoes
    – 100 iu vitamin E
    – 1 tsp of a kelp/alfalfa mix powder (petkelp)
    – 1 pump of fish oil that also contains a small amount of vitamin E

    Shadow is given this meal twice a day. So far, his stool has been great, and extremely small! He also seems more excited to eat his meals, and I love the fact that it cleans his teeth too! Does anyone have an easier way for storing meals? The freezer bags are kinda pricey! Thanks!

    #14493 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove!

    Glad to hear Shadow is finally on a 100% raw diet 🙂

    It looks like you’re off to a great start! Just wanted to remind you that a dog Shadow’s size should be getting 400 i.u. vitamin d per day – some good sources are cod liver oil, cage free eggs, kefir, some varieties of yogurt and cottage cheese (check the label), oily fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon) and beef liver. 10% of his diet should also consist of organ meat (5% liver, 5% other organs) – this can be fed as one or two completely organ meals per week or small amounts of organ meat can be fed each day. And don’t forget variety once you make his next menu – lots of different types of meat and different fruits and vegetables.

    Unfortunately, I can’t help you too much with the storage issue. Maybe invest in some tupperware containers? It would probably be cheaper in the long run rather than using ziplock bags all the time. All my dogs eat through a batch of food in one day so I don’t have to worry about freezing portions.

    #14498 Report Abuse
    weimlove
    Participant

    Hdm- ok thanks for the reminder I thought it was 200 iu daily. I also plan on introducing organ meat in small amounts probably tomorrow, shadows tummy is upset very easily do I’m trying to do things gradual. I have been giving him some canned salmon with his dosage of vitamin e, fish oil, and kelp in a kong for a treat while I’m gone. Is it ok to freeze those ingredients?

    #14502 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Well the vitamin d would depend on how much food he’s eating a day. The general rule is 200 IU per pound of food. I was guessing a dog his size would eat around 2 lbs. a day – you can reduce it if he eats less than that. I would add the vitamin e before feeding and not freeze it, I’ve heard freezing can decrease the potency.

    #14562 Report Abuse
    weimlove
    Participant

    Hdm- yeah shadow eats around two pounds a day. Ill probably add in some eggs and kefir and yogurt for the vitamin d. Also, where do you feed your dogs? Shadow keeps taking the food out of the bowl and dragging it around the house and if I feed him outside he drags it around in the dirt. Any advice?

    #14635 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    It’s OK for dogs to eat some dirt. Where I live it’s all sand so I only feed one meal a week outside. The rest are in their crates, which are pretty easy to clean. Some people feed on their kitchen floor and mop when done. Some put down a towel, sheet, or tarp and teach their dog to stay on it. It’s all what works for you.

    #14725 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi weimlove –

    My dogs eat all over the place. Gertie eats in the kitchen (she’ll usually drag her RMB’s on the floor so I just mop after), Mabel generally eats in her crate or in the kitchen after Gertie is done and Gus eats in the Garage. Dirt won’t hurt anything – hey, he may even pick up some beneficial soil microorganisms while he’s dragging his food around in the dirt!

    #14726 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Mine eat outside when they get RMB and get plenty of grass and some dirt with them.

    Maybe you can train yours to eat in one area like in an empty kiddie pool.

    #14822 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM and pugmomsandy:
    I have a question about a chicken recipe that calls for chicken necks, boneless thighs and breasts. Do you think it’s OK to replace the chicken necks portion with chicken feet? I started giving chicken feet to my small dogs and they love it, it takes longer to chew than the necks. Would you say they have the same nutritional benefits?

    #14823 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Sheltie’s Mom –

    The calcium to phosphorus ratio of chicken feet is 1.06:1, whereas the calcium to phosphorus ratio of chicken necks is about 1.6:1. The calcium to phosphorus ratio of both chicken feet and necks are in balance, however the ratio in the feet is so low that it won’t provide enough calcium excess calcium to balance out the phosphorus in the breast and thigh meat. Chicken necks and backs are the best way to balance out the phosphorus of boneless meat in a chicken-based recipe. You could certainly feed the feet on some days but on those days I would recommend supplementing enough calcium to balance out the phosphorus in the boneless meat you’re using (about 800-1,000 mg. calcium per 1 lb. boneless muscle meat, 1,000 – 1,200 mg. per pound of boneless organ meat).

    #14824 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,

    If I use whole chicken with bones /or thighs with bones with chicken feet, then is it balanced?

    #14825 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    A whole chicken is going to have a balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio. A bone-in breast or thigh should be in balance, although it will likely be on the higher side. Are you grinding this recipe? If you’re grinding it I would just prepare the recipe according to the instructions and then feed a chicken foot in addition to their portion of the prepared recipe.

    #14826 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    Yes, I will be grinding the chicken and will follow the recipe, thanks for your help.

    #15357 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    The dogs are moving through the venison supply quickly so I’ve formulated their next menu. I’ve always fed my dogs so much variety and their yearly blood work has always come back normal, so I’ve never been overly concerned about nutrient profiles. This time however, I decided to actually take the time to run a full nutrient analysis on their new menu. What a headache! It took me a few days of slaving over the calculator, however I’m happy to say their menu exceeds the AAFCO nutrient profile for all life stages. My main focus for this menu was cutting costs, while maximizing nutrition and variety. Because I know this menu is “complete and balanced” and there’s a lot of variety, along with the fact that this will slice about $100 of the monthly food bill – I’ll probably be sticking with this menu for awhile. Breakfasts are divided into three equal portions (one portion for each dog) and dinners are what I would feed to each dog individually.

    Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays

    Breakfast:

    Makes 3 Servings:
    1 lb. Ground Beef
    1 lb. Green Beef Tripe
    1 lb. Beef Offal Mix (Heart, Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Lungs, Trachea, Gullet)
    3 eggs
    3.75 oz. Tin Sardines Packed in Water
    1 C. Kefir
    16 oz. Frozen Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrot Mix*
    1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, Minced
    2 tbs. Whole Food Supplement**
    2 tbs. Ground Hemp Seed
    2 tbs. Ground Sprouted Sunflower Seeds
    1 tbs. Coconut Oil
    1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    1/4 tsp. Himalayan Crystal Salt
    3,000 mg. Cod Liver Oil
    1,400 mg. Calcium Citrate
    1,500 mg. Fruit Concentrate (Blueberry, Cherry, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cranberry)
    1,050 mg. mg. Raw Multiple Glandular (Liver, Brain, Stomach, Kidney, Heart, Spleen, Pancreas, Duodenum, Thyroid, Thymus, Adrenal, Parotid, Pituitary)
    600 IU Mixed Tocopherols and Tocotrienols

    Dinner:
    2 Turkey Necks (approx. 12 – 16 oz.)
    6 oz. Turkey Hearts

    Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday

    Breakfast:

    Makes 3 Servings:
    12 oz. Skin-On Chicken Necks, ground
    12 oz. Chicken Gizzards, ground
    12 oz. Chicken Hearts, ground
    12 oz. Chicken Livers, ground
    10 oz. Frozen Spinach*
    10 oz. Frozen Butternut Squash*
    8 oz. Canned Oysters
    1 C. Kefir
    2 tbs. Whole Food Supplement**
    2 tbs. Milled Flaxseed
    2 tbs. Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
    5 Cloves Garlic, minced
    1 tbs. Coconut Oil
    1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
    1/4 tsp. Himalayan Crystal Salt
    3,000 mg. Cod Liver Oil
    1,500 mg. Fruit Concentrate (Blueberry, Cherry, Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cranberry)
    1,440 mg. Colostrum
    600 IU Mixed Tocopherols and Tocotrienols

    Dinner:
    Pork Neck (approx. 20 oz.)

    Sundays

    FAST: 1 C. Broth (made with THK’s Ice Pups) with Animals’ Apawthecary Detox Tincture morning and night.

    *All vegetables are cooked and pureed.
    **Whole Food Supplement: 1 part kelp, 1 part spirulina, 1 part alfalfa, 1 part wheatgrass, 1 part bee pollen powder.

    http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/a501/hagelult/NutrientAnalysis_zps9f3e4b46.png

    #15360 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,
    Your recipes look very nutritious! May I ask where you get the Raw Glandular supplement? And where can I find sprouted seeds?

    #15361 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Sigh…I wish this forum let you edit posts! There should be three eggs added to the chicken mix.

    #15362 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    I sprout my own seeds. I buy them raw and have a my own sprouter. I’ve seen pre-sprouted seeds for sale though – health foods stores might sell them and I know nuts.com does. I grind mine in a coffee grinder. I order my raw glandular supplement from Swanson it’s called “Natural Sources Raw Glandular.” There are lots of other good quality glandulars out there too.

    #15363 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    HDM

    I must ask. Where you list 2 turkey necks(12-16oz), is that both turkey necks together? I have to have turkey necks cut by the butcher, because ours are well over a pound, and I’m wondering how that affects the meat: bone ratio.

    #15364 Report Abuse
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Patty –

    When I first ventured into raw feeding I fed Primal RMBs and their turkey necks were HUGE – about 1 lb. each. The turkey necks I get from my new supplier are on the small side (only about 6-8 oz. each), so the weight is for both. Technically, a turkey neck has a balanced C:P ratio, but it’s on the high side (about 1.8:1). I would just make sure your dogs are getting about one half the amount of muscle meat as they are RMB. So feed 1/2 lb. boneless meat for every lb. RMB (roughly, doesn’t have to be exact – a little more or less will still be balanced).

    #15365 Report Abuse
    theBCnut
    Member

    That’s what I do, though I’m sure that our turkey necks have a higher meat:bone ratio because they don’t look like the bones are much bigger. They just have a huge meaty area where they were attached to the body, about 4 times more meat than bone. The head end isn’t so meaty though, only about the same amount of meat as bone.

    #15366 Report Abuse
    shelties mom
    Participant

    HDM,
    I’m confused when to use calcium citrate or bone meal supplement for boneless recipes? Do you rotate the two?

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