Help, I dont want to go back to kibble

[lnsybean44]

I have not been on the forum in a very long time thanks to graduation and starting a full time job. I am now up to three personal kids (six total in the family). Newton, Luxo and Luna all eat raw. Since starting my job they have been getting freeze dried only (AFS and Stells).

Unfortunately it is getting really expensive to feed freeze dried only but I have had a really hard time getting my hands on kidney and heart without driving into the city to do so. My local grocery stores give me a hard time about ordering it and will only order one or the other after a fight (because they have to order 15 pounds at a time and I just dont need that much). I can get whole rabbit at a meat market in the city but that is close to 7 dollars a pound (but they will chop it for me after removing the digestive tract, fur and all ).

And last but not least I am getting increasingly worried about the added sodium to whole chickens and chicken breast.

Only Luna will eat whole prey now, the boys have gotten too lazy and Newt wont eat ground otherwise I would be all for buying from Hare Today. I am working on try to get them adjusted to ground with ground beef but so far Newt is quite resistant.

Does anyone have any suggestions? How does everyone deal with raw feeding and working full time? Does anyone else use Hare Today? I certainly will keep freeze dried in their diet but I can not keep feeding it solely. They are also getting bored of it, even with three meat sources.

[jacksmomma]

I live in a very urban city over-run with college students, so finding the more exotic proteins is hard for me as well, I've solved the problem for the most part...


My boys are eating alot of commercial raw (primal and nature's variety - primal contains 1 % fiber, while NV has 5 %). They offer several protein sources and already have organ and bone blended in, so it's super convenient. They come in 1 oz patties. I portion out the 6 lb. bag (which range from $20 - 35 depending on the protein, venison being the most expensive) by putting 4 patties into zip-lock bags and then just grad a zip lock out of the freezer to thaw. I also plan on making an order with Hare today, gone tomorrow (available at www.hare-today.com/index.php?cPath=21). They offer many, many different proteins that are already ground up with bone and organ and the prices are very reasonable (if you place a big order to compensate for shipping). Hope that gives you some more options.

[lnsybean44]

Hare Today was one of the things I was looking into. Per pound (figuring in shipping) it is fairly close to what I pay for everything but chicken. Have you have any trouble with bone shards since it is primarily ground? What are your favorite products from them? Do you have any trouble breaking up the packages into more reasonable portions? Have you tried their coarse ground? lastly, how long does it normally stay good in your freezer? I was planning on going big, around 35 pounds in my order, which I figure would last me about 3 months.

I am trying to stay away from commercially frozen raw, I am just not comfortable with it. I know the recalls have been voluntary etc etc but it still makes me nervous. Plus it is considerably more expensive than that around here, at least at the stores i have checked out.

[jacksmomma]

I haven't placed an order with Hare today, yet. I need to finish off the billion pounds of other meat I have in the freezer for the brats.

I know the commercial frozen is a bit expensive. But i don't think the recalls should be a major source of concern. Everyday people food has recalls for one reason or another, but we still eat it. I'm glad to see recalls on pet food because that means someone is atleast monitoring quality.

[lnsybean44]

Sorry I misread your post Im thinking hare today is going to be the way to go for my kids and myself. I will start working with ground foods tonight and try and get Newty to eat some turkey or beef. He is separated right now anyway (thanks to some much needed litter box retraining) so I can monitor what he is eating.

[sunnyberra]

I use Hare Today (am expecting an order this evening actually), and I personally love it. I live in a rural area (except I can't find a butcher's. I know one's around, but it's hiding). I get my guys variety, and it's pretty reasonable. I spend about $100/month, regularly, but sometimes I splurge (like this shipment - it's about $220).

As for time, I'm usually gone from 8:30 am - 6/7 T-F and some Sundays, and I don't find feeding raw difficult. They eat in the morning before I leave and at night at bed (when they're caged). It seems to work for everyone!

[sherrylynne]

I not only work full time, but it's my own business I work at, so also have all the paperwork
Why are you finding a problem with the raw feeding while working(just curious). Mine get fed twice a day, and each meal stays in the cage with them til it's time for the next one. Some chunks, whole prey, I'll leave in for 24 hours.

[lnsybean44]

Its not so much in the actual feeding, its in the prep time and the finding of the meat sources. When I was in school I had time to travel farther to get their meats so it wasn't as much of a problem to drive into the city to pick up kidney.

Sunnybera, are there any products in particular you would recommend or stay away from? Have you had any issues with your packages coming too thawed? I think I will place and order and see if it works out for my kids.

[sunnyberra]

For some reason, my guys are completely against any of the rabbit products. So I have quite a few packages of that idling away in my freezer. The duck - in any form - is a hit with my guys; however, the duck pieces were a little big and they didn't really eat those so much as nibble at the meat. They absolutely loved the quail in any form (ground, dressed, or whole). But they also eat the pheasant and turkey (I get both regular ground and coarse ground. I haven't tried the pieces).

I've just gotten the goose and lamb and white fish, so I can't say how those are yet. But the necks and hearts, too, are great (I get both chicken necks and duck necks, as well as turkey hearts and duck hearts).

Basically, everything but the rabbit, and I think that was more because they have a thing against small, furred animals and less a problem with the product.

I particularly like coarse ground (outside of the standard rmbs) because the bone is still sizeable and they do have to work a *little* to chomp it.

As for thawing, there's definitely no problem now (since it's winter), and even during the warmer months there wasn't an issue (and we are always the last stop of the day and I order Monday and get it Wednesday), really, just slight thaw starting on the stuff farther from the ice packs.

Shipping three day is pretty decent for me - for a 60 lb order (about 46 pounds of food, rest of it ice/shipping stuff) it was $21.

Um, I don't know how much that helps you (if it does), but that's my experience using them

[lnsybean44]

That was very helpful. Two more questions though.

Had your kids had rabbit before or was this a first for them?

Do you feel that it is balanced enough when you get the meat/bones/organ mixes or the coarse ground?

The order I have put together is primarily coarse ground with one whole carcass ground rabbit. Plus ground organ meats to balance when I feed the muscle and bones I buy locally.

[sunnyberra]

2) I do. I've had them on both for extended periods of time and their coats were nice, their poos were well formed and they were happy and playful. I do think (my own opinion, of course), that those have a good balance of organs/bone/meat. I just love having a ton of stuff (sources, textures, etc) to give them. Also, it comes in handy, because they won't eat liver/organs on their own, anyway.

1) They'd had rabbit before, and ate it, but just barely. This time they would not touch the stuff and they would shake heads and back away and they went completely hungry that day (I was trying to get them hungry enough to even try it).

I don't know, but the rabbit stuff is expensive, so I'd order small for that, and if your guys like it, then get more next order. I went and got basically everything but whole prey rabbit, and now no one wants it (tried the cats, too). If you're going to be wary, be wary of the rabbit, I guess (unless no one else has had this issue? Mine could just be rabbit-hating ferrets, *g*)

[lnsybean44]

I was only wondering because when I buy rabbit locally my kids love it. Rabbit never stays in our house long, esp with Luxo around. So I wasnt sure if maybe it was just the rabbits they have versus just not liking rabbit (and its on sale right now for 3 dollars a pound )

[lnsybean44]

Well so far so good. I mixed up some ground beef and ground turkey with liver and it took a few hours and a little bit of coaxing but all three eventually ate their entire breakfast. I have hope that they will eat the hare today. Thanks everyone!

[Heather]

Sounds like you're moving forward. Did you add some egg shell to that mixture of yours?
ciao

[lnsybean44]

I added bone meal powder and a bit of taurine since I couldnt get heart. I can never grind the eggs shell fine enough for them to agree to eat anything with it. So far their poops from it are nice and firm so I think I got my proportions fairly close.