Raw feeders

BECKIN1507

As soon as I've got another freezer we are starting raw. Where does everyone find the cheapest place to get your raw food from? I don't really want to feed minces I would rather try and find fresh food. If anyone near taunton, somerset raw feeds where do you get your food from? Also what size freezer have you got? I will be feeding 3 dogs (2 ridgebacks and a rottie)

alyssa_liss

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/197702-raw-food-supplier-list.html

heres a list of suppliers .

i go to a local farm shop that sells raw.

con1888

I am not near you so cannot advise any pet suppliers.

I know a lot use Durham Animal feeds but not sure if they deliver where you are. Morrisons seems to have lots of good deals on meat if you go for the price cuts.

The Raw feeding UK group on facebook is very informative. I use there.

I only have an under counter freezer but wanting another. Just one dog I have.

Caroline_a

i would go and speak to your local butcher. I get my meat from a local farm shop that sells all different types of raw petfood - fresh then frozen, including fish and chicken. Many butchers are happy to get rid of chicken carcasses and offal!

krlyr

I wouldn't rule out minces altogether. I find them very handy to stuff in Kongs - I freeze overnight. Makes for challenging Kongs that keep mine occuied while home alone. I also feed chunks and whole foods (rabbits, chickens, duck, chicken carcasses, etc.) but the minces are the easiest for Kong stuffing. I've also filled hollow bones with them, or even just fed the whole mince blocks frozen as they're quite a challenge too.
I'm talking about minces from a raw food supplier though - not the Prize Choice type stuff. I found their blocks were like mush, devoured within minutes (if that). My supplier does pure meat minces, except his "economy" mince which is a mix of meats and offal, but not padded out with vegetables or anything. The minces are all very fresh - often they'll come only partially frozen where the supplier has only bagged them up that morning/the night before.

I have this chest freezer for my two (though we got it cheaper through a good deal at the time)
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4871981.htm
We actually have half sectioned off for our food, so I can bulk buy/cook, so only half for the dogs. It *just* fits 4 weeks worth, which is how often my supplier delivers, so it's perfect. Sometimes I might spill over into our side - at the moment, it's mostly full of dog food because I have a 4kg mallard (whole) in there that a colleague gave me, plus some giant bones (ribcage and spine) for amusing them over Christmas, but it'd do three dogs your size for about a month's worth of food, no problem, with some spare room left over depending on what kind of stuff you filled it without (whole foods tend to be less stackable than blocks of meat with their awkward shape, especially if not frozen flat)

sharloid

DAF and MVM both seem good

scheming_gypsy

Used to use Landywoods but use DAF now. They do deliveries once a month so it's just a case of stocking up.

BECKIN1507

Thank you, I was under the impression that the minces was very expensive, I've realised now that they're not from a raw supplier. I haven't managed to get a freezer yet but have put the pup on raw as her food was making her hyper. Currently feeding prize choice mince (£4.50 for 2kg) and chicken pieces, as that is all I can get locally. Just have to find a freezer cheap enough now ;-)

krlyr

Yes, some suppliers have very reasonable prices, much cheaper than Prize Choice or similar. I spend around £45 a month on my two (prices have increased over time, slightly) which are two large breed dogs. Sometimes this drops if I'm given freebies such as rabbits, large bones, etc. but I think it's a very reasonable price as it's about on par with what it would cost me to feed something mid-quality like CSJ lamb & rice (which is what Casper was fed on at rescue/prior to raw) and cheaper than some of the more premium foods. It's not likely to be freerange, organic meat, sure - but how many of the pet food manufacturers use that kind of meat either, except the high priced, very premium type foods?

syorkshirelass

I buy from a local shop who stock raw from DAF. I used to have an order delivered before the shop opened but had to juggle times to be in etc so the shop is great...however...it really winds me up when I go into a supermarket and the "old, out of date" meat is being pushed out of a shop in a trolley by a shop assistant. Many a time, I have asked if I can buy at a really low price but they do have legal rules to follow and always say no. I think "ooh, all that lovely raw meat going off to the pet food giants to be cooked and mixed with a load of c..p to make my dog feel full" What a waste. I did try the more expensive frozen but having looked at the label decided that it isnt as good as I thought it would be.

Sazdaz

Started to introduce a raw diet to my two labs. My recently fostered and then adopted Lab was on a natural diet at the kennels so he is used to it. the other lab has had a food allergy since a pup and I wish I had done this earlier. Yesterday they had their mince, rice and veg in morning then some ribs last night. I got a large bone from the butchers yesterday for £2 and he kindly cut it into four bits. My two have been quiet as anything for last hour and half with a piece each.
I need to find somewhere that sell Chicken carcuss as I dont have enough room in my freezer to buy in bulk so going to try another couple of butchers next week to see if they can assist.