Raw feeders - how much does it cost you?

I recently started feeding raw, and based on the cost and amount of kibble I was feeding, if I can get meat for less than $2/lb, then I am keeping costs the same as kibble.

This week - beef roast is on for $1.99/lb, turkey is on for $1.79/lb, and chicken and organ meats are always less than $2/lb. The last 2 weeks, pork roasts were on sale for $1.69/lb, and there are now 4 in my freezer.

And yes, talk to your butcher, your friends and family (ask for any old/freezer burned meat), look for meat processors near you (can get cheap off-cuts), farmers in your area raising sheep, pigs, rabbits, even cows - ask for any dead young animals, ask to purchase older animals that they are culling, etc.

So even with buying all your meat from the grocers, you can do it for less that premium kibble, as long as you know what your cost/pound target is, and you stock up when you find meat at or under that target.

Add: pre-ground isn't something I would feed my dog, unless he had dental problems that made it impossible for him to eat whole meat cuts - and then I would grind my own for safety reasons.

Your best bet to learn about raw is to join one of the groups. Personally, I feed prey-model, and a good Yahoo group for that is:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/

As a guideline, dogs need 2-4% of their ideal adult body weight in food daily, with an estimated breakdown of 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organ. These percentages can be averaged over time, so there is no need to feed the exact ratios in every meal.

My 22-lb schnauzer eats ~1/2 a pound of food a day (just over 2% of his weight), more if he's looking thin, less if he's looking chubby.

Feel free to e-mail if you want more info.

Add: you're going to have ~200 pounds of dog to feed, depending on the mastiff. So, at 2%, that's ~4 pounds of meat a day. Keep in mind, how much would kibble cost for all 3 dogs? With Kip, he did NOT do well on cheap kibble, and premium kibble here was costing ~$40-$45 a bag, which lasted ~6 weeks. The indirect cost savings are in seeing your dogs do well, and potentially less money spent at the vet dealing with allergies, etc.

Kip's mom gave you great sources and suggestions to get started, so I have very little to add. First, I want to second the suggestion to join the yahoo raw feeding list. Second, I would like to recommend you join RawChat as well.

In regards to feeding amounts, they vary between dogs, but the usual starting place is 2-3% of ideal adult body weight/per day. Large dogs can often get by on less than 2% and small dogs often need 4-5%, though activity level also plays a role.

As for where to get cheap/free meat: I've been buying nearly expired meat from the store and getting FREE meat from Craig's list. Others have found success in getting expired meat from grocery stores (some are more willing to sell than others and you may have to sign a "contract" that the meat is ONLY for animal consumption) for $0.30/lb or less. Talk to family, friends, neighbors and coworkers about getting old/expired/freezer burned/unwanted meat, post adds on CL, kiiji and/or freecycle looking for the same, talk to local butchers about buying things by the case, if any local butchers process wild game ask about getting parts like the heart (counts as meaty meat) and organs for free/cheap, see if any local meat packers/processors will sell directly to you...the list of ways to get cheap/free meat is nearly endless. Good luck!

Great question. I will be starring. I am seriously considering the switch (I asked a question yesterday about it). I couldn't before because the only place you could buy meat was the supermarket, which I couldn't even get bones from. The butcher has reopened now (closed due to a fire) and one of the new people at work has a family farm. She has been selling their meat, beef and poultry, to some people from work, so I suspect I could get a lot from her. I do know a few hunters, but not many. Guess it is too late anyway this year. I am still not sure I can get everything I need. The other obstacle is my BF. He doesn't think it is worth it. Our good friend fed raw before and still lost two dogs to cancer, so his opinion is "it doesn't work". Ugh. I am pretty sure I have him convinced now though, he is just tormenting me now. LOL.

I buy it pre-ground and mixed from the Vet for about $1.35 a pound.