# Are these good prices?



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My friend is putting together a bulk order which we can get delivered if we buy enough. Do these prices look OK? I don't have space or $$$ to go completely raw but anything less than $1.40/lb is cheaper than my kibble so I could maybe feed raw every other day. Also I need them on kibble when we travel (which is a lot for Nikon) since I'm not paying for that prepared dehydrated raw. I'm avoiding poultry because my local butcher sells turkey necks, turkey knuckles, and some breasts for about $1.20/lb and I'd like to support them locally for my poultry needs. I'd probably also avoid venison because I can get it for free. What should I get?

Raw Dog Plus - Price List


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I don't know if I'd do raw every other day. It won't be easy on the dogs system. You may end up with some digestive problems.

As far as the prices....I think they are fine. We order from mypetcarnivore who delivers to GR too. But I don't use MPC for more than just tripe and some other organ meat or exotic stuff. The poultry that you have access to, should make up your RMB's(Otto's?) Check out MPC and compare price. They do charge $10 for delivery but a few of us go in so we split that fee.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You can probably pick up beef and pork hearts from your local butcher. The tripe prices are good, as well as the duck. I pay $1/lb for duck necks so the ground mix is a pretty good price.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I thought about Otto's but Coke gets itchy and gassy on poultry so I can't really use it as a main source. 

Maybe I'll just get knuckle bones and use them for treats/teeth cleaning.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Liesje said:


> I thought about Otto's but Coke gets itchy and gassy on poultry so I can't really use it as a main source.
> 
> Maybe I'll just get knuckle bones and use them for treats/teeth cleaning.


This is what I do. He has no issues with it.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Then make sure you get ground bone with your ground meat...dogs need to eat bone to have the balance, and the rec bones aren't ingested as an RMB would be. Turkey necks can be bought for about a buck a # in bulk. I buy a 30# case and chunk them into 1/3's. Or sweet talk the butcher into doing that for you for the same price!
The only problem I've had with raw feeding is finding good RMB protein to rotate, it's limited in variety cost-wise.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

That's also the problem with venison, by the time I get it there's no bones. So a turkey neck includes bone? Have you ever used turkey knuckles? Our butcher always has them by the case.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

turkey knuckles are fine....they are too expensive for me! The necks are full of bone and one neck from a tom turkey weighs almost a pound, so I cut them and add in more meat and organ. My dogs love turkey necks.
Venison bones are too dense, I don't feed any bones from red meat animals. Pork neck bones are as hard as I go, maybe some chops or small rib bones, I watch the dogs when they eat those.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

We get 40lbs chicken necks for $13!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

everythings smaller in TX


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

onyx'girl said:


> everythings smaller in TX


Size is relative, weight is constant


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

The prices aren't bad - considering you are paying for the convenience of having it ground and pre-packaged.

I just found a place north of me that has chicken necks and backs for $.29/lb. For an extra $.30/lb they will grind and bag in a 5 lb bag for me.

I just got chicken necks and backs, ground tripe and some turkey hearts. Very nice prices.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm on my phone so I didn't check the link but I only pay 59 cents a pounds for turkey necks, 49 cents a pound for chicken necks and $1.27 for ground turkey......so you might want to look around. Also the cheapest prices I've seen for beef is from blue ridge beef. They also have ground venison with bone in it. You might want to see if there is a dealer near you.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Haha ok I finally went to the link and see it's brb! Doh! You wont find cheaper red meat prices than that likely unless you find a hunter to give you some venison.

One thing with brb is I think the bone ratio is high so you'll want to give some muscle meat with the mix wroth bone


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Meeting a friend today about a freezer. My problem is not finding a cheap/free freezer, but where to put it? I already have an electrical problem with the circuit in the basement, so I'm hoping it would work in the garage. It would have to be moved in the summer though.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

I pay about 37.50$ per 30lb case of BRB chubs - wholesale bc of my club buying together. I add in some ground veggies per a training buddy's advice. I get chicken and other cheap proteins from the grocer for less per lb than the BRB. When we travel, I pack in a cooler with ice and store it in a fridge at the destination. Personally, I would not mix w/kibble. BRB is easy to store and does not take much space because it is ground and in nice little chubs.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Prices are all relative to your location. I don't think we can compare what east or west coasters pay. If I can get anything for under a buck a pound, it is a good deal. Though chicken should run much less of course. I get backs for 29cents #, thats the lowest cost of anything my dogs eat.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

qbchottu said:


> When we travel, I pack in a cooler with ice and store it in a fridge at the destination. Personally, I would not mix w/kibble. BRB is easy to store and does not take much space because it is ground and in nice little chubs.


It's rare that I have a fridge or working freezer available when I travel. We go away for at least two weeks every summer and there's no possibility of storing raw food because there is no freezer available and the electricity there is iffy. Our vacations are more rugged. Every hotel room I've been in with my dogs that has actually had a little minifridge has not been working and none have had a place to store frozen goods. We don't have room for coolers in the van, we already travel with 2-3 people and 4-5 dogs at a time all kenneled, plus all the gear we need for up to two weeks. I've used a hitch rack in the past but the hitch on my van is so low that the rack rides about 4 inches off the ground if packed with more than 30lbs and it was scraping so I sold it (luckily I got it for really cheap brand new and sold it for the same amount).

I've supplemented my dogs with raw for a while just not from this source. As long as they aren't getting way too much fat or way too much bone at once it has never seemed to matter.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

You mentioned dehydrated raw is not an option so I suppose that's out. I guess there are people who mix with no issues - I just personally wouldn't. Take a look at the BRB chubs and decide about storing for shorter term. They are fairly small - can be packed away even in very small spaces. Not like traditional raw.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

The original RDP person just moved to TX. She brought in MyPetCarnivore products along with the BRB. I have not used the BRB stuff though once my two cases of tripe run out I'll be getting my tripe from them. Friend uses these products. Her complaint is that they are not complete like the MPC products. No organ meats are included so she has to get them elsewhere. I wish they had a better selection of products.

As far as feeding; I have a couple of friends that feed some type of raw in the mornings (usually chicken leg quarters) and then kibble at night. Their dogs do very well on it. You might look into getting tripe to add to your dogs' diet and then just mix up the different poultry you can get locally for your morning meals. The hard part about the tripe with only 2 dogs is 2# is a lot and it smells way too bad to use it over several days time. With my guys I can feed all 2# in one meal. 

Traveling with raw dogs is difficult. I used dehydrated when I took Vala to Germany and then just added in some stuff I could get locally.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

qbchottu said:


> You mentioned dehydrated raw is not an option so I suppose that's out. I guess there are people who mix with no issues - I just personally wouldn't. Take a look at the BRB chubs and decide about storing for shorter term. They are fairly small - can be packed away even in very small spaces. Not like traditional raw.


It's out because it's cost prohibitive. I'm only considering raw because some of it is cheaper than my kibble. 

As far as I know raw is only good thawed and refridgerated for a few days, and probably not for more than a few hours at room temp (especially in the summer) so that doesn't really solve the storage issue since there is *no* fridge/freezer available.

I've mixed in the past with no issues. My dogs eat everything from kibble to leftovers to raw to table scraps. Sometimes mixed with kibble, sometimes separate. As long as Coke is not getting too much poultry or flax seed, they are fine.

Lisa, I wanted to get some tripe but keeping 2lb thawed....ick! The meat would be OK since it wouldn't smell and at home I can easily use 2lb in a few days, kept thawed and refridgerated. Too bad they don't package tripe medallions or something like that.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I bought a small fridge (like the dorm room ones) that is in our kitchen and is just for dog food. Right now I have about 3 pounds of tripe in there - defrosted it two days ago. It's in plastic containers with lids and I can honestly say that when I open the fridge I do NOT smell the tripe.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I only have three dogs and give a heaping spoonful of tripe daily. I don't have problems with it going bad(2# plastic deli container) or stinking up my fridge. The mpc containers are thin and crack now and then, my only problem with feeding it!
I think anyone who raw feeds should be giving tripe on a regular basis, so many benefits w/ it.


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## jae (Jul 17, 2012)

Where are you people finding all this meat for less than $1 a pound? Starting to think it's impossible in a city... It is either order from MPC or check out sales at the grocer. The best thing I have found is whole chicken for $.99/lb

I called a few butchers and they don't even know what green tripe is??!!!? what's up with that.
No hearts anywhere to be found. No organs aside from liver, either. Lame. 

Anyone in the NW IL area have any sources?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

green tripe isn't something a butcher will have.  It is considered renderings. Get in touch w/ MPC they deliver to your area! 
Call an actual meat processing company outside the city for the organ and other stuff.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

green tripe is not legal for a butcher to sell in the US.


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## jae (Jul 17, 2012)

Wrong choice of words. Not butcher, it was the packing companies in the packing district down in the lower side of Chicago.
Still would figure a butcher would know what green tripe IS. Regardless of whether or not they sell it. 
I do order from MPC. Usually ends up around $2/lb for great variety, not much to complain about, but hey, would love to find another source.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Brb does have an organ mix....it has heart in it as well, but also liver and kidney I believe.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Does anyone know what the Breeder Mix is?


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

breeder's choice? Blue Ridge Beef: Raw Meat for Dogs - Cats
I've been using it - like it so far. Putting some weight back on my female and she has a lot more energy.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

no, those prices are very high. find a meat wholesaler
and your going to spend a lot less.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

qbchottu said:


> breeder's choice? Blue Ridge Beef: Raw Meat for Dogs - Cats
> I've been using it - like it so far. Putting some weight back on my female and she has a lot more energy.


Yeah, sorry. Would you not recommend it if I want to take a few lbs off? Or just use a little bit at a time combined with other stuff?


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Well it really depends I think. My bitch is very active and for awhile there, I could see each rib and I was trying to pack on weight. I was feeding quite a bit of grain free kibble. I'm noticing that she looks like she is filling out (maybe wishful thinking), but her energy is through the roof. Very spirited and brighter. Really loves the food and looks forward to mealtime. I am feeding chicken along with it to add in bone. I mix the breeders blend, tripe, and ground veg together. I feed about 1.5-2lbs of that a day so far - I guess I'll tweak as I notice longer term changes. I will add in some other protein sources as I go along, but a club member that introduced me has been feeding breeders choice + tripe + veg mix only and her dogs look awesome. Another club member said that he did notice that one of his dogs _lost_ weight on it and he wanted to add in kibble to pack the weight back on. I think it really depends on the dog. But breeders choice has the highest fat content of all the mixes - about 15%. If I was trying to slim a dog down, I might try one of the other blends + tripe. Maybe beef for dogs (8% fat), beef w/bone (added benefit of bone in, 3% fat), Natural mix (has ground beef, liver, heart, and tripe - more complete than some of the the other mixes, 8% fat) and there are other protein sources like chicken or quail. It wouldn't hurt to try him on it - you could switch to another mix if you notice a problem keeping weight off.

I will order some puppy mix next time. That has all kinds of fun stuff added in so I'm curious to see that blend.


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## mkinttrim (Jul 3, 2011)

I'm getting ground buffalo out of Colorado Springs, Co for .89 a pound, they come in 5lb chubs. I'm also getting heart and liver for .70 a pound. As far as I know they don't ship but you might call them. It is G & C packing.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Liesje said:


> Yeah, sorry. Would you not recommend it if I want to take a few lbs off? Or just use a little bit at a time combined with other stuff?


*Update*
Lies, Wiva has actually lost quite a bit of weight on the raw - especially with breeder's choice as the primary protein. I had to start supplementing with kibble to get some weight back on. I will need to find some extra ways to add in calories or I will start feeding her more... She gets about 2+ lbs a day, but needs more I suppose. 

On the upside, coat has never looked better. It is coming in after she blew coat a month or so ago. Soft, shiny, good pigment. Love the improvements to general energy level and appearance...just needs more weight!


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