JACKYSIAN Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Been brave and I'm slowly moving them towards completely raw diet. Today I've been and bought some chicken legs and pork chops. Okay bare with me...I've a life long vegi so have no clue about dead things! So how long approx would a chicken wing take to defrost? Is one chicken wing enough as breakfast with some vegi's or would you add something else? Basically I think i need a good easy book recommended please!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobie Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 I am a member of BRITBARF it is a really good yahoo group, full of people who know alot more than me who can help My Ash gets one chicken wing for breakfast, CJ and Peco get 2 - I take the wings out in the morning put in the fridge and they are defrosted by the next morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abby Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Is one chicken wing enough as breakfast with some vegi's or would you add something else? Depends what kind of dog you have. My cocker spaniel and beardie cross are both around 12kgs and have 2 wings each if they're bigger and three if they're smaller (or if they're hungry...). I do it very much by eye. Don't know how long they take to defrost, never taken any notice - easiest to get brekkie out the night before, and dinner out each morning (if you remember...). When I started I worked very roughly on 3% of body weight for the daily portion of food (overall), with about 60% of that being raw meaty bones (like the chicken wings). However, now I've been doing it for months I know by eye the right amount, and vary portion size depending on how the dogs feel to the touch. Well done for going over, especially being a veggie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 (edited) Well done for going over, especially being a veggie! Thanks! It's been very difficult to make the move, and I'm not pretending I'm completely comfortable with the ethics but I have always fed them 'conventional' dog food which is animal so it's not that different really. And the effect on their health/coats and temperments since they've been on semi-raw has confirmed it's definately the best for them! I'm not very good with the heart or tripe but all the minced meats I've been ok so far! I can cope with chicken wings cos they don't look like something dead! It's the red meats that make me abit wobbly!!! I even had to move the bags of frozen chicks the other day at the feed place cos the girl there didn't want to!!!! Sid is around 25kgs, Tiz 20kgs and Cooper and Cromwell around 15-17kgs so I guess 2 plus for Sid and Tiz? Edited January 24, 2007 by JACKYSIAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abby Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Sid is around 25kgs, Tiz 20kgs and Cooper and Cromwell around 15-17kgs so I guess 2 plus for Sid and Tiz? Actually I'd say more like 3 for Cooper & Cromwell and 3/4 for Sid and Tiz. Wouldn't bother about veggies with bone meals - save them for mixing with the mince meals (which my two get each evening). Watch them for the first few days as I find if I feed mine bones every single day they get blocked up, so I put in a non-bone day every 3rd or 4th day, and give them an egg instead with one of the mince meals (or give it too them whole - it's a blast watching them play with them ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Great thanks Abby! They have always had eggs cos my parents have chickens and my horse is keep on a working farm so I get loads of the things (not whole though cos I like my kitchen the way it is!!!) Thanks and welcome to the Refuge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abby Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Thanks and welcome to the Refuge! Thanks! Nice to be here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzycharm Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 You can add cider vinegar to their dinner if they aren't breaking up the bone properly, though the stomach will soon begin to work how it should and break it up. Although a small amount of pork is probably ok, it is not reccommended to feed to dogs - can't find book to put down why, sorry - gives them an upset stomach. Hope doglets are enjoying their fresh meat . We use the food mixer to mince up our raw veg and then freeze it in an ice cube tray. When you want to add veg to their dinner, you can just pop out a square into their bowl - doesn't take too long to defrost especially if you give it a little bash. Our dogs love their raw meat (though they will eat anything ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Caleb loves raw meat, most of his meals are BARF now. For his dinner he has about 3 or 4 chicken wings & some mince (either pork, lamb, turkey chicken or beef). I vary it by giving him lamb or pork chops and sometimes rabbit. I take his meals out of the freezer the night before for the following day. I also give him RMB's which help keep his teeth clean. His breakfast is still nature's menu or Hi-life. He doesn't like raw offal, so once a week I cook some offal with some pasta and rice and on Sundays he has roast meat and all the veg! He has the occasional raw egg and sardines too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 BRITBARF it is a really good yahoo group, full of people who know alot more than me who can help BritBarf is an excellent site. You might also want to look at www.raw4dogs.com where there is a calculator which tells you amounts to feed. Books - "Give your dog a bone" Ian Billinghurst is quite good but he does suggest veggies, dairy etc which I fed at first but don't now. Re defrosting - I don't defrost tripe chunks - I find it too revolting. The dogs are happy eating it straight from the freezer and haven't had any ill effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted January 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Oh great help thanks! Well we had fun this morning with the chicken wings!! I only gave them 1 each with some lamb mince, and potatos. Cooper thought you had to quickly take it from the bowl and then run into your basket and hide it! Sidney threw it around the room for a bit, then ate it like he was starving..then stared at Tiz and Cromwell cos he wanted to nick theirs!! Cromwell growled everytime Sidney stared at him and Tiz ate round the chicken, picked it up with her teeth and dropped it in disgust....only to see Sidney coming in for the kill and gobbling it up, then pestered me for another!!! So I can safely say it was a success!!!! I will get that book I think, I won't feed them dairy anyway cos it sets of Cromwells colitis and I don't drink milk myself so I would never remember to buy it!! I will continue to give them veggi cos I get an organic box and don't eat it all myself so it's a waste otherwise..and they do love it! I also give him RMB's which help keep his teeth clean. Sorry being thick...what's RMB's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 raw meaty bones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Sorry being thick...what's RMB's? Raw meaty bones, the problem is finding a decent butcher who still has them, most round here seem to buy their stock already prepared. We sometimes give Bob his meat still frozen, usually when we've forgotten to get it out of the freezer, no ill effects so consider it a meat ice lolly He also doesn't mind if it's a day or two out of day and starting to whiff, shredded bin bags are testiment to this. Although he's stopped doing it now when we first changed over to a raw diet he would treat every meal as a kill and do a little dance around it before eating it We don't normally give him veg but he does have pasta and fish although we have to mince the fish as he wont eat them whole. Poking a mackerel into a blender isn't everyones cup of tea though Someone mentioned eggs, as we have a ready supply of them both Bob and Meg get a raw one once or twice a week. As we also give them whole, Meg will gently pick hers up and wander off before breaking it in her mouth while Bob pushes his round for a bit before treading on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caz Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 I won't feed them dairy anyway cos it sets of Cromwells colitis and I don't drink milk myself so I would never remember to buy it!! For the dairy component it is usually natural yoghurt full of "friendly" bacteria . Mine get some chucked in with their veggie puree. They also get to lick out yoghurt cartons when I have finished with them but apart from that and cheese as training treats they don't really get gallons of dairy stuff. Raw eggs are fine for Buster whole - except the time he ran in with it in his mouth then just as he reached his bed he crunched it and raw egg went everywhere - mm. Sadie has to have hers opened otherwise she beautifully licks the egg clean and leaves it in the bowl. They also get eggs mixed in with their veggie puree. Caz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Mine have very "soft" mouths and carry their eggs around for a while, then drop them on the paving stones outside and look very surprised when there's some nice eggy-goo to lick up. They usually crunch the shells up afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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