# Raw Suppliers



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I can't find a thread that is specifically for links to different online raw suppliers. If there is one please close this and redirect. 

I have been all over the place on the internet trying to find the best prices, mostly on shipping. I'm at a dead end with getting scraps and the not so norm things. It seems that all the butchers have to follow some kind of protocol when it comes to the general public and they toss this stuff instead of selling it much less giving it away. No one wants to ground any meats with bone in it either. Of course my dogs aren't simple and I am going to have to use my imagination to get what they need. 

So I thought if everyone posts where they get their raw meats, maybe it can help others. Maybe some will find additional resources.


----------



## Roko (Aug 12, 2015)

I go to Costco Business Center or a local restaurant supplies distributor such as Restaurant Depot. Not sure if Illinois has similar resources.


----------



## Augustine (Nov 22, 2014)

I've been looking for online suppliers, too. There are a number of local places, but it's all really expensive (like $7+ per pound, just on beef and chicken) 

I found a nice website when I first started looking into raw, but I can't seem to find it now..


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

How big is your freezer if you feed 7 dogs?


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

wolfy dog said:


> How big is your freezer if you feed 7 dogs?


I have a medium size chest freezer plus the regular freezer. I'm pretty much loaded right now. I have managed to fit 160 pounds of chicken, 15 pounds of ground turkey, a whole turkey, a bag of bones, beef heart, turkey necks, bag of mackerel, bison ribs(which are huge and I might eat them) and elk necks. 

I have chicken everywhere..

Not all the dogs are on raw. 4 are, 3 aren't. If I can find a decent source for ground meat then I think the other three will be added, but I need to find a reasonable source that includes bone in the ground.


----------



## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Raw Pet Food, Chews, Treats, Bones, and More

They have a good selection of ground meats with bone and several complete products. They sell plain ground meats, whole items like hearts, spleens,kidneys. They have treats. Best of all they have free shipping on orders of $200 or more (easy enough to spend feeding multiple dogs or stocking a freezer). They have sales, too. Customer service has been great for me. 

I suggest you create an account before you order. Check your email for a discount off your first order. Mine was 10% (that was a while ago).


----------



## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Ok, so I just did a quick check of their site. Haven't ordered in a couple months. Seems since they came under new management they have raised their prices a bit. 

They used to sell their own brand and Blue Ridge Beef Products. I think the have a branding packaging deal with BRB and have gone up one prices. That said: All meat prices have been going up anyway. For things you can't get readily locally or for uncommon things like goat,etc. It could be a good choice. 

Side note: If you have a local seller of Blue Ridge Beef the are much cheaper. They don't ship.

Blue Ridge Beef - Natural raw pet food diet, beef | chicken foods for dogs or cats, natural animal nutrition - Southeastern


----------



## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Raw Paws is offering free shipping on first time orders over $99 with the 

New2RawPaws promo code


----------



## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Looking for duck

Buy Fresh Duck - Duck Breast, Duck Fat, Duck Legs, Duck Recipes - Pekin Paradise


----------



## E.Hatch (Sep 24, 2013)

Big Dans Trucking

Raw Feeding Miami


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I have ordered from raw paws. They are always out of the goat ribs 

Beef, duck, pork, rabbit, salmon, lamb and venison are out due to allergies. 

That leaves me with chicken, turkey, elk, bison, ostrich, kangaroo, moose---you know all the impossible stuff to find at a reasonable price.


----------



## CroMacster (Oct 23, 2013)

Raws for Paws

This is the site I use. It's local so I can save on shipping. It has a decent selection, although the tripe they sell isn't green tripe.


----------



## Blondi's Revenge (Jan 31, 2015)

Anyone tried Darwins?


----------



## Yggdrasil (May 13, 2014)

For NE Ohio members we go to Kocian Meats LINK. You should definitely call ahead with your order.


----------



## Yggdrasil (May 13, 2014)

Also we order green tripe and have it shipped from Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow and our pup loves it. LINK


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

llombardo said:


> I have a medium size chest freezer plus the regular freezer. I'm pretty much loaded right now. I have managed to fit 160 pounds of chicken, 15 pounds of ground turkey, a whole turkey, a bag of bones, beef heart, turkey necks, bag of mackerel, bison ribs(which are huge and I might eat them) and elk necks.
> 
> I have chicken everywhere..


That is impressive! Where do you get the mackerel?


----------



## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

I've heard a few different things, this is a little off topic but not really, what percentage for puppies? I heard 2% of expected adult weight, then I heard 4-5 % of expected adult weight..


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

amburger16 said:


> I've heard a few different things, this is a little off topic but not really, what percentage for puppies? I heard 2% of expected adult weight, then I heard 4-5 % of expected adult weight..


Everywhere I read says 2%. I have Apollo at 2 pounds daily with his expected weight to be 80ish. Some days he gets more if I feel he is still hungry.


----------



## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

I've read 2-3% of expected adult weight.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I feel bad not feeding them all raw but the girls are iffy when it comes to bone and I know I can't get it balanced. The bone is mainly for calcium, yes? Can I use ground egg shells in place of bone and put that in ground meat? If I can, how many egg shells need to be given to replace the 10% bone?

I'm definitely enjoying less poop to pick up


----------



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

Wow I guess I should consider myself lucky that I only have to drive an hour to my raw supplier! 
I didn't realize it was such a challenge for a lot of people to find good sources! 
I'll stop complaining about the drive now lol!


----------



## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

bob_barker said:


> Wow I guess I should consider myself lucky that I only have to drive an hour to my raw supplier!
> I didn't realize it was such a challenge for a lot of people to find good sources!
> I'll stop complaining about the drive now lol!


Lol where's your supplier? Once I get a bigger deep freeze I might have to make the drive 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


----------



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

amburger16 said:


> Lol where's your supplier? Once I get a bigger deep freeze I might have to make the drive
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk



She's just outside of Brighton!! Towards.... Codrington (I think that's the name of the town)

http://www.lepus-sighthounds.com/

That's her website with TONS of info on it! She has been my "mentor" since switching to raw lol. She is very very knowledgable. 

Her prices are pretty good too. And nice and close for you !


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

mypetcarnivore and G and C raw deliver to many area's...not sure about Chicago with G&C. 
Big Dan's trucking delivers in my area, but I don't trust the quality of the meat.


----------



## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

bob_barker said:


> She's just outside of Brighton!! Towards.... Codrington (I think that's the name of the town)
> 
> Lepus Perm. Reg'd Whippets (1976), Italian Greyhounds (1991) Naturally and holistically reared, Raw Fed since 1987
> 
> ...



Thanks! I've searched for over a week all day at work trying to find someone in this area and I was about ready to give up! I will definitely have to contact her, big relief over here.


----------



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

amburger16 said:


> Thanks! I've searched for over a week all day at work trying to find someone in this area and I was about ready to give up! I will definitely have to contact her, big relief over here.



Yeah she is great! 
She sometimes gets some fun weird stuff too... Like in the winter I got the boys an elk head and a deer head. 
She gets Lamb tripe every once in a while which is a nice treat for them. 
And almost always has beef tripe!


----------



## Flutter (Aug 2, 2013)

llombardo said:


> Beef, duck, pork, rabbit, salmon, lamb and venison are out due to allergies.
> 
> That leaves me with chicken, turkey, elk, bison, ostrich, kangaroo, moose---you know all the impossible stuff to find at a reasonable price.


Trade you? Our dog is allergic to all birds and all ruminants. Chicken he can handle in small amounts, like feet. Beef is a no go 100%, venison caused a month of diarrhea before we could get rid of it. We're left with fish (of which he'll only eat salmon), pork, and horse.


----------



## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

Good thread, I've been looking too, anybody have a supplier in the NE, I'm in S central PA.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

onyx'girl said:


> mypetcarnivore and G and C raw deliver to many area's...not sure about Chicago with G&C.
> Big Dan's trucking delivers in my area, but I don't trust the quality of the meat.


I know many people including some friends who use big dans and say the quality is excellent and that you mostly don't notice the charcoal(the type they use is perfectly safe). They do not use diseased animals either, only animals with physical issues, broken legs, etc.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I use a local raw supplier here in SoCal and am grouping up with some friends to bulk order from a restaurant supplier where I can get stuff for cents per pound! I also located a local emu farmer who's sells muscle meat for a buck a pound.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

It says on Dans that they don't process the chicken, do they give one the info about where it is processed(processing plant info)? They have great prices as long as the processing plant isn't a mess.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Grande Meats in Colorado has good meat and good deals sometimes. Shipping can be expensive, but if someone orders over so much dollar and weight wise they have shipping deals. I got goat bones for 99 cents a pound. I ordered 50 pounds worth.

Im gathering all info to place one order in Sept. I'll probably use a couple different places. My Pet Carnivore has a great deal on the delivery, the best I have found.


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Carriesue said:


> I know many people including some friends who use big dans and say the quality is excellent and that you mostly don't notice the charcoal(the type they use is perfectly safe). They do not use diseased animals either, only animals with physical issues, broken legs, etc.


Then why the charcoal? Denatured is for dead, down or diseased meat sources I thought.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> Then why the charcoal? Denatured is for dead, down or diseased meat sources I thought.


This is what the site says...

We use a black denaturant (liquid charcoal), which is added to all of our products due to FSA, MN Agriculture, MN Commercial Feed, MN Animal Board of Health and USDA regulations. This is safe for all pet foods.


----------



## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

I can get just about everything I need from the grocery store down the road. I watch the sales and grab marked downs. They have some odd ball proteins and a ton of organ meats. The only thing I can't get locally really is green tripe, which I purchase from My Pet Carnivore. I also get whole quail very cheap locally. 

I personally would pass on the denatured meat. I don't care about the price - it's not coming into my house. I guess growing up around farms has made me squeamish. I've seen "sick" animals cut open. It's nasty inside. I also would have concerns about the consumption of the denaturing agents. I'd sooner go back to kibble.


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

llombardo said:


> This is what the site says...
> 
> We use a black denaturant (liquid charcoal), which is added to all of our products due to FSA, MN Agriculture, MN Commercial Feed, MN Animal Board of Health and USDA regulations. This is safe for all pet foods.


Blachhhhh. I feed raw because I can control exactly what my dog is eating, good quality meat, not dead or diseased meats. I would not feed denatured meats.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> Blachhhhh. I feed raw because I can control exactly what my dog is eating, good quality meat, not dead or diseased meats. I would not feed denatured meats.


The problem I have with raw in general is that unless the person feeding the raw has raised and slaughtered the animal there is no way to know for sure where any of the meat comes from, no matter where they say. So is it really controlled or can we only hope?


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Is the meat you eat denatured? 
Plenty of raw suppliers are not using denatured meats. Do you really believe the meat you buy and eat yourself is from dead, downed or diseased animals? Always possible I suppose but not likely.

I sell raw food, all from a family run meat shop (for human consumption). All inspected and not denatured, same meats are bing sold to the public for human consumption. I've had discussions with Darwin s owner, also good quality human grade meats.

Charcoal in meat would be a massive red flag for me. Mine does not have it and I wouldn't feed it.


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/inde...r-you-a-your-pet-carnivore&Itemid=144&lang=en

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/me...pter-6/eng/1334440092533/1334440545976?chap=0

Condemn:*means, in respect of a food animal or a meat product, to determine that the food animal or the meat product is inedible.Condemned product:*includes carcasses and portions of carcasses which upon inspection or reinspection are found to be affected by disease or an abnormal condition that renders them unfit for human food; as well as animals condemned on ante mortem inspection, animals that died en route to the registered slaughter establishment and animals that died in the yard or a livestock holding pen of the registered slaughter establishment.Denature:*means to stain the meat product in accordance with section 6.21 or 6.22 of the*Health of Animals Regulations*or to otherwise treat the meat product to give it an appearance or characteristic such that it cannot be confused with an edible meat product.Acceptable Denaturation Agents:charcoal,fish meal from a registered feed millan agent listed at the following web site:Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non-Food Chemical Products


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Saphire said:


> Is the meat you eat denatured?
> Plenty of raw suppliers are not using denatured meats. Do you really believe the meat you buy and eat yourself is from dead, downed or diseased animals? Always possible I suppose but not likely.


Meat that is labeled not for human consumption is the meat that is denatured. I'm not looking at the beef, I'm looking at the chicken. I very rarely eat red meat and since I have a dog allergic to beef, it's not fed. It seems that food that is labeled not *intended* for human consumption includes

Feet, backs, livers, lungs, heads, brains, spleen, frames, kidneys, stomachs, intestines. 

It seems that in order for processing plants to sell the above things or a mix of above things it has to be denatured and treated as such. So is the meat diseased or simply not meant for human consumption? I know I don't eat pretty much anything from the list.

It seems that it's some kind of state law in some or all states? How do we find out the truth?

So if these parts are being processed they have to be considered denatured, therefore raw suppliers are using this because there is no way around it. If doesn't matter if it's organic or grass fed, the label is there because it's (the parts themselves) are not *intended* for human consumption. 

This is what I'm understanding from my research. All suppliers have these organs and stuff. How are they not saying is denatured if it's not intended for human consumption? Anything that is mixed with these things are not meant for human consumption and are denatured items?


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm just trying to learn as much as possible and on top of that I'm having a heck of a time finding anything reasonably priced


----------



## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I posted the definition and reason for denaturing. If it's denatured, it is because it is considered inedible. It's inedible because it was dead, downed or diseased.

Even my green unrinsed tripe is inspected. The inspector has them put in a large rubber made bin (provided by me) labeled with my name and "for dog use" but it's not denatured because it didn't come from dead, down or diseased animals.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Feet, backs, livers, lungs, heads, brains, spleen, frames, kidneys, stomachs. ( chicken gizzard) .. All of these can be sold to humans. You find them at ethnic grocery stores .

If they can charge a higher price and sell it to humans, they will. If there is any reason why humans can't eat it, they will slap charcoal on it and sell it for animal food. 

The reasons why humans can't eat it would be because the animals are downed, dead, diseased, dying (4D) or because tests show that there are some type of chemicals or antibiotics that are too high for the meat to be sold for the human market.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

FYI-- some of the reasons why meat can be condemned and unfit for humans.
It is not just parts that we normally don't eat. 
Keep in mind that this is what is in kibble, as well. 

CFR--Code of Federal Regulations

9 CFR 311 : DISPOSAL OF DISEASED OR OTHERWISE ADULTERATED CARCASSES AND PARTS [ 9 CFR 311 ] : (ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS [ 9 CFR ])


----------



## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

Llombardo - Have you put any thought into investing in your own grinder? I gather that you are feeding a lot of poultry. Since poultry bones are so soft a grinder in the $300 - $500 dollar range would be able to handle them no problem. A grinder that size could easily fit into a cabinet when not in use as well. Seems to me that with what you would pay in shipping costs the grinder would pay for itself well within the year. 

Chicken leg quarters are cheap. Wally world has 10lb bags of frozen chicken leg quarters for like 7 bucks. Some of the other stores in my area have 10lb bags for as little as $4.90. Chicken livers go for less then $2 per pound and gibblets are like $1 or so. I'd add in a dozen eggs for a little more choline since you will be light on kidney. And maybe some toasted shell depending on how meaty the chicken is. I can grab those for $2 per dozen. Maybe toss some necks and feet in as well (not sure on prices off the top of my head but they aren't pricey) Even assuming I get the walmart chicken - That ends up being $0.88 per pound for a grind. If you watch the sales, or buy chicken in bulk at the ware house stores I bet you can get it down to the same price as Big Dan's if not a little cheaper. It would at least be all human grade food.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I found a place about 45 minutes away that is at 49 cents a pound for backs and quarters. Breast and ground is a little more, but it's not bad. It's a farm. I have three that won't eat bone or organ. Robyn politely took a chicken foot and a gizzard out of her bowl I also found ground organs and bone that I can add to the food. It's slowly coming together. I have little post it notes with pricing everywhere. 

I thought about a grinder, it's not out of the question. I bought 160 pounds of leg quarters last week for $80


----------



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

Why do you want them ground? 
I haven't read through all the other comments so excuse me if I missed it. 
Is there a particular reason you don't want to give the bones etc whole?


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

bob_barker said:


> Why do you want them ground?
> I haven't read through all the other comments so excuse me if I missed it.
> Is there a particular reason you don't want to give the bones etc whole?


I have three that will not eat the bone whole, which makes it more challenging to say the least. As soon as I gave them the ground and chunks of meat they gobbled it up. Robyn takes any bone or organ out of her bowl so she can eat everything else. The other two GSDs and both goldens took right to it. Those four still get some ground do I can add the Spirulina, bee pollen and garlic. The other three are the ground bone and organ right up today, so they must not like the consistency of it?


----------



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

llombardo said:


> I have three that will not eat the bone whole, which makes it more challenging to say the least. As soon as I gave them the ground and chunks of meat they gobbled it up. Robyn takes any bone or organ out of her bowl so she can eat everything else. The other two GSDs and both goldens took right to it. Those four still get some ground do I can add the Spirulina, bee pollen and garlic. The other three are the ground bone and organ right up today, so they must not like the consistency of it?



Oooh! 
My guys have never given me an issue with bone they love it. 
But organs on the other hand... It doesn't matter how much I hide it in whatever I give him, Bob will pick it out. Wile E will eat anything I put in front of him, I think you're right ... I think it's the texture of the organ meat that he doesn't like.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Well I have called several wholesale meat suppliers. They can't sell to the general public because of tax purposes here in Illinois. So unless I own a restaurant or find someone that does I can't order from these places, which really stinks


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

that is always the case with being a 3rd party without a wholesale tax ID... get with an actual meat processor, butcher or go with a yahoo group co-op if there are still any in your area. Most yahoo groups are drying up with the way they are now formatted....facebook is much easier to communicate with others. I know two local meat companies that do a dog food grind, though I personally don't buy from them. Contact the processors in your area, they may be helpful in selling you scraps, and when hunting season begins, those that process deer may have some scrap venison to sell cheap.


----------



## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

Springbrz said:


> Ok, so I just did a quick check of their site. Haven't ordered in a couple months. Seems since they came under new management they have raised their prices a bit.
> 
> They used to sell their own brand and Blue Ridge Beef Products. I think the have a branding packaging deal with BRB and have gone up one prices. That said: All meat prices have been going up anyway. For things you can't get readily locally or for uncommon things like goat,etc. It could be a good choice.
> 
> ...


I fed the Blue Ridge Beef for a few years and have since stopped. Blue Ridge Beef has a rendering plant on site. One of their businesses is picking up the and disposing of the 4D animals from the slaughter houses. You can do some research on this site and google them. The research I did was enough to get me to stop using them.


----------



## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

llombardo said:


> I found a place about 45 minutes away that is at 49 cents a pound for backs and quarters. Breast and ground is a little more, but it's not bad. It's a farm. I have three that won't eat bone or organ. Robyn politely took a chicken foot and a gizzard out of her bowl I also found ground organs and bone that I can add to the food. It's slowly coming together. I have little post it notes with pricing everywhere.
> 
> I thought about a grinder, it's not out of the question. I bought 160 pounds of leg quarters last week for $80


What place did you find? Might not be too far from me either.


----------



## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

I've taken the plunge, I ordered a grinder... Up to this point I've feed Fromm for breakfast (cause it's easy when I'm not awake) and dinner is usually chicken necks, marrow bones once and awhile.
Got Chic leg quarters, chic hearts and livers. Beef liver and kidney and pork heart.
Is it best to cut up the fruit and vegs portion out and freeze and do all the meats together and freeze.


----------

