# Fetal calf as B.A.R.F



## gsd_newbie (Aug 23, 2011)

Max is a 03 months old showline GSD, and has been feed Royal Canin (evening) and chicken quarter (morning) since weaning. Recently I found a supply source of fetal calf (fresh, clean and unborn), and it is so cheap ($1.5 per kg). Since it is so weird kind of meat, I would like very much to have your advice and comment before going ahead feeding my puppy completely raw. Thanks


----------



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

I would want to know why the calves were aborted.


----------



## gsd_newbie (Aug 23, 2011)

I also don't know why, these fetal calf supplied directly from local slaughter-houses, still in the fetal sack. I believe this is legal here, as long as these slaughter-houses are licensed and under quarantine and quality control by Gorn. officer.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I would think they'd be lacking some minerals and vitamins that hay or grain fed beef would have. When you see veal it's very pale. I'd be concerned about lack of calcium in the bones as well but maybe that's not as big of issue.


----------



## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Those calves are not aborted, they are found inside the mothers when they are slaughtered. I think it is a great source of good meat that, just as anything else, needs to be balanced with other sources as well.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

How long would it be between the time the cows were slaughtered and the time you got the fetus?


----------



## gsd_newbie (Aug 23, 2011)

Catu said:


> Those calves are not aborted, they are found inside the mothers when they are slaughtered. I think it is a great source of good meat that, just as anything else, needs to be balanced with other sources as well.


Yes you are right, those calves found inside cows when they are slaughtered. I would much appreciated to have your further input on what kind of other sources to be fed so to keep the required balance. Thanks

ps. Sometimes fetal calf delivered when it is still hot, sometimes frozen.


----------



## northwoodsGSD (Jan 30, 2006)

While its not exactly the same, I have a dairy farmer that gives me any of his calves that die during the birthing process(much more common than I had thought). Due the the LARGE number of milkers he has, I usually get at least 10 calves a birthing season. I also end up with the ones that die shortly after birth due to getting stepped/laid on. 
When I get them it is usually within a few of birth/death, but on occassion in might be 12 hrs(if died at night). While I've never hesitated to feed/use the calves that "aged" a bit, our night temps this time of year stay under 30F.
I've also found that the bones are still very soft at this point. I feed everything except the hide.
The only thing you need to watch for, is if the cows have been given any type of drugs(antibioctics, steriods, ect). I wouldn't feed anything from treated cows.


----------



## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

gsd_newbie said:


> Max is a 03 months old showline GSD, and has been feed Royal Canin (evening) and chicken quarter (morning) since weaning. Recently I found a supply source of fetal calf (fresh, clean and unborn), and it is so cheap ($1.5 per kg). Since it is so weird kind of meat, I would like very much to have your advice and comment before going ahead feeding my puppy completely raw. Thanks


That is the most interesting question I've read on raw feeding. I would love to hear the scientific answer...


----------



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

Catu said:


> Those calves are not aborted, they are found inside the mothers when they are slaughtered. I think it is a great source of good meat that, just as anything else, needs to be balanced with other sources as well.


If that is the case then I would say GO FOR IT! 

I would feed everything - including the amniotic sac (if the dogs would eat it).

I would treat the calf itself as RMBs and the sac as organ meat. (It might be muscle meat but if it's very rich it might cause digestive upset if giving in large quantities so I would err on the side of caution and feed it at the organ meat percentage.)

And as Catu said - treat it like any other source of food. Use it along with a variety of other protein sources.

If the head itself is too hard for your dog to eat I would crack it open and remove the brains for the dog. Those are a very good organ meat!


----------



## prophecy (May 29, 2008)

My suggestions are go ahead and feed them if these fetal calfs are from ''human grade'' meat/dairy cows that are slaughtered.Human grade means for use by humans for consumption either by meat or milk. Cows used for meat/milk must be clear of all antibiotics and other '''additives'' before going to slaughter.Only certain ''additives'' are permitted in dairy cattles.
As for the nutrition,I would say less minerals would be found in bones as these are not allways full gestation calfs.A full gestation calf I would consider as normal content.The lesser developed the calf,minerals would be lesser.I would consider these more like a poultry.Also I would consider the organs and neural tissues may be underdeveloped as well(depending on the gestational age of the calf).If the placenta are included,then I would consider that an organ meat as it is highly vascular.The older/more developed the calf the closer to a very lean cut of veal I would consider it. The lesser developed,I would find it towards a lean poultry.


----------



## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> If the head itself is too hard for your dog to eat I would crack it open and remove the brains for the dog. Those are a very good organ meat!


I would not eat brain nor give it to my dogs. Though no case of mad cow has been found here, brain is actually banned for human consumption in Chile.

It is still on debate the relationship between the different kinds of prions on the different species, but there is still so much we don't know about them I would not take the risk.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Why do they slaughter pregnant cows? Is food scarce for them, so starvation would be the alternative?


----------



## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Jane.. the same reason people slaughter cows in the first place! They may not know the mothers are pregnant, or because, being a slaughterhouse they don't care.
I'm a vegetarian, and have been since I was young by choice and while I know my dog can reap the benefits of raw I definitely try to feed her meat from local farmers who don't keep tons of chickens in houses, or grain feed their cows - but rather farmers who don't have a huge farm, and only grow what they can kill themselves. And animals that aren't given hormones for growth or anything.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I'd definitely feed fetal calf to my dogs if I could get my hands on it that cheaply! Go for it!


----------



## gsd_newbie (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks all, for valuable comments. Compare to poultry, fetal calf is much cheaper here, and my dogs love it without any tummy upset symptom. As suggested by PROPHECY, I will add some more organs if the fetal calf is so small.


----------

