# Tried Raw Turkey necks tonight



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I stopped by the store tonight and picked up some turkey necks. I wanted to try this as a snack for my dogs after reading some other posts in this section of the forum. They are sitting there QUIETLY enjoying a Turkey neck snack. Well, I do hear the crunching away and the chewing of the neck. They are def. enjoying themselves.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

They are my dogs favorite! They weigh so much though, they do count as a meal and not a snack.


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I think it was like one whole neck cut up cause the pieces were not overly big. I got 4 in a package a 1.27 lbs. I will leave some other food out just in case. I guess if they are hungry they will eat. They are good about only eating now when they are hungry. I put out just enough cups to get through the day minus the calories for any extras I give them, like today for example with the Turkey necks. Cotton is still dancing around the house like she won the lottery.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobosCotton is still dancing around the house like she won the lottery.


Aw!

ETA: Don't spoil them with raw too much! They might start refusing their kibble!


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

After seeing Grimm last night (his photo that is).....I am still in AWE at how he looks now compared to then. And then looking at the pricing that Laura and the Raw Gang had on her website....I was kind of blown away at the value for the money. I can't say I'm going 100% there but I'm certainly intrigued and digging deeper. I can tell the dogs will not be upset one bit if I investigate further.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Dig Deeper!!!
It really doesn't cost differently than a premium kibble. I would still supplement w/ oils whether I fed kibble or raw, so that doesn't factor in the price. 
I can't wait til this sustainable selections co-op gets going, it will be interesting to see what/how much I will get for $25 a month! I doubt the turkey/chicken necks will be involved though.
The item that is costliest to feed my pack is the green tripe. $1.50 #. Everything else is under a buck a#.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Definitely dig deeper! So worth it.







You (and the pups, of course) won't be disappointed. Grimm's pictures totally converted me too. If you're not comfortable with 100% raw you can do 50/50. I did that with Jerzey: kibble for breakfast and raw for dinner. The only problem with that, of course, is that you run the risk of your dogs eventually refusing their kibble all together but hopefully by that time you'll be comfortable enough with the diet to just go all the way!


----------



## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

So where are these pictures of Grimm?


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

Ashley,

The 50/50 sounds like a good place to start







I saw in the formulas how easy it was to determine basically the calories per cup to calories per raw and then just work with the percentages of the raw to make sure they get enough or get less depending on if they need to gain or need to lose.


Doc,

The pics of Grimm are at http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1104807&page=1#Post1104807


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

When I did 50/50 I just fed between 1 and 1.5% (half of the 2-3% recommended daily) and that worked fine for me. Jerz put on a _little_ weight because I was feeding her closer to 1.5% than 1% so I changed it. I'm not very good at math so figuring out calories would have driven me crazy!







But, hey, if you can do it, by all means. More power to you!


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

The % sounds easier!


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I don't know if you've checked out Lauri's website rawdogranch.com but it actually has a excel sheet you can download that will allow you to put in your dogs weight and the percentages you want to feed and, ta da! It just pops up with the correct number of oz.


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark LOVES turkey necks, the ones I get are about 1.5lbs each!!! They are HUGE!!!


----------



## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I started out with the occasional pork neck...then turkey necks...then I went to 50/50 kibble raw, then Mrs. Annabelle decided "nope, don't want to stinkin' kibble no more" and we're now at 100 percent raw. 

Dogs are happy, healthy and love their meals. Plus I feel better knowing what I'm feeding them, not what's supposed to be on the label of a dogfood bag. 

I figured it up, for my two dogs, two months of food come out to about $80-$90 a month. The kibble they ate was about $50 a bag which I would go through about two bags a month, so it all works out, and they're healthier!


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm must be getting tired....Laura's form is the one I looked at but for some strange reason, the number next to ounce I was reading as calories. Don't ask me how but I was so misreading! LOL I think I had calorie counting on the brain. I love that spreadsheet. It really makes things so simple! It should be "patented".









I have a 98 lb GSD, 38 lb Norwegian Buhund Mix and a 11 or 12 lb mini Dachshund, who by the way chewed and ate his small part of the turkey neck tonight with only 1/2 his teeth left. He chomped down on that bone. Which, as was pointed out to me earlier tonight, much "softer" than those hard marrow bones. Now I see the difference.


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: elisabeth_00117Stark LOVES turkey necks, the ones I get are about 1.5lbs each!!! They are HUGE!!!


I think they must have cut up the Turkey Neck....I knew the pieces looked real small - like no Turkey I had ever seen!


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: aubieI started out with the occasional pork neck...then turkey necks...then I went to 50/50 kibble raw, then Mrs. Annabelle decided "nope, don't want to stinkin' kibble no more" and we're now at 100 percent raw.
> 
> Dogs are happy, healthy and love their meals. Plus I feel better knowing what I'm feeding them, not what's supposed to be on the label of a dogfood bag.
> 
> I figured it up, for my two dogs, two months of food come out to about $80-$90 a month. The kibble they ate was about $50 a bag which I would go through about two bags a month, so it all works out, and they're healthier!


Are pork necks similar in texture to Turkey necks? cause I saw those at the store tonight too.


----------



## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

pork necks are a little tougher and more bone...I usually only feed it once or twice a week, never back to back days, and up the MM for that day. Anna loves to crunch crunch on them though! 

I'd suggest chicken necks for your little old fella. Smaller and easier to chew.


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

So I have a question about the menu.

I noticed there was variety in the spreadsheet. But starting off, is it okay to do

RMB = Turkey Necks
MM = Ground Beef
OM = Liver

for *all days* and then of course get some Tripe in there once a week as a start?

If I do this as a 50/50 and only do 1%, then it is only 10.88 lbs of RMB, MM, OM and Tripe together for that week! And I think it would be easy for me to follow and store since I don't have a big freezer yet (I have one of those small European style refrigerators and freezers!).


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobos
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: elisabeth_00117Stark LOVES turkey necks, the ones I get are about 1.5lbs each!!! They are HUGE!!!
> ...


Either cut them up or they were chicken necks. Chicken necks are much smaller.

This is what a HALF of my turkey necks look like (Stark ate half of this before I took the picture). The bowl it is in is about the size of a dinner plate.


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I think they sold me chicken necks then! Could have been a label misprint. LOL


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Haha.. or REALLY small turkeys.

For some reason the people I get my chicken and turkey from (I buy from a local farmer/butcher in bulk) have HUGE turkey necks for me. There was one that 2lbs once!!!

The chicken necks are much smaller.. umm let me see if I have a picture of them for you to compare... 

This is the only picture I have with my chicken backs/necks..


----------



## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I will pick up some more tomorrow and take a picture. I think what I have looks a little different







Maybe I had baby Turkey's! or they had just cut the Turkey neck up into much smaller pieces that what you had in the bowl







Although, thinking back....the one I gave Angeles was about 5" long. They had plenty sitting at the store. I have to stop there tomorrow anyway so I will take a pick before I hand them out.


----------



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

> Originally Posted By: DocSo where are these pictures of Grimm?


Doc - here's the link:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1104807&page=1#Post1104807

Grimm's pictures are on the first page.


----------



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

Turkey necks usually come in two 'varieties' - Tom and Hen.

The Tom necks (boy turkeys) are HUGE! Each one can weigh over a pound easily. Hen necks are usually much smaller.


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Even my Hen necks are huge though and are almost a pound each.. these are organic chickens and turkeys too.. it's crazy how big they are!


----------



## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: AngelesVonLobosSo I have a question about the menu.
> 
> I noticed there was variety in the spreadsheet. But starting off, is it okay to do
> 
> ...


I would start off doing only one protein source until you are sure that your dog can handle raw ok...so for MM I would use turkey hearts, turkey gizzards, or any sort of turkey meat (add new proteins one at a time and after a few days to make sure everything is handled ok). I would also hold off on any OM at first because it is rich and can also cause the runs.


----------



## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Agreed...do turkey necks, ground turkey/turkey hearts/turkey gizzards. Then in a week or so add a little bit of OM. Then slowly work in another protein source like chicken, then beef, then pork, etc.


----------



## nicky (Jan 12, 2014)

The chicken & turkey necks in these pictures have way more meat on them than the ones I got today? When I ask for them at store do I have to ask for meaty ones?


----------



## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

I like chicken necks over turkey. Turkey are too big and hard to cut smaller. I also feed chicken backs and cut up lamb necks are a manageable size too.

I'm glad you're trying raw, I think you'll like the results!!

Just be careful with not allowing your dog to drag it all over your house, you do need to be careful about bacteria. I feed my dog in a crate I the kitchen, that way I can wipe the tray with Lysol wipes after she's done eating.

Have fun on your raw adventure!!! I love feeding time and watching my dog crunch things up, it's so primal and awesome. lol


----------

