raw feeding

[ellir0305 9]

does anyone feed their gundogs on raw meaty bones or BARF diets? i am interested to see if this would be an appropriate changefor my pup or if the feeding of raw game would be detrimental in his working performance eg. desire to give up game on the retrieve.

 

he is currently being fed on a complete puppy food (alpha sporting puppy) with a bit of fruit and veg and some cooked meat, so far lamb and rabbit

 

thanks in advance

 

atb rob

[hendo 1]

This has always been a big topic, everyone has there own views and not everyone is right, its all down to your preference,

im a great beliver in BARF diets and always will be

 

Hendo

[lewismac1 1]

Im in the same boat as Hendo. I mostly feed raw/cooked tripe and the usual dr john feed.

 

Although feeding a dog raw game definatley wont make the dog's delivery any better...

[rickyspringer 15]

All for RAW food mate, will never look back, the key is variety aswell as the diet being balanced, one thing I don't enjoy is the cutting up of green tripe into managable sizes haha.

[Steve McHardy 2]

All for RAW food mate, will never look back, the key is variety aswell as the diet being balanced, one thing I don't enjoy is the cutting up of green tripe into managable sizes haha.

the raw diet is the best if you can accomodate it into your regime i used to feed my dogs whole red deer tripe raw during the stags and hind never cut it up for the gun dogs they just got a whole one to deal with (python impersonations in the lab pens) the terriers got half each wouldnt feed tripe all the time my pack can do a whole roe carcass in one feed nowt left but piles of chalk its good to give them some bones now and again mine love ribs of any sort. if i had the facilities that i used to have as a keeper i would feed raw all the time again but in the summer its not easy keepin meat fresh without freezing.

[butcherboy 68]

BARF would be my 1st choice but I can never seem to get organised enough to prepare the food in advance. I end up feeding them a combination of complete & meaty bones + tripe.

 

BARF will certainly give you cleaner kennels

[GSPDave 0]

BARF for me as well, there are so many places that deliver now, works out cheaper as too.

[ellir0305 9]

BARF for me as well, there are so many places that deliver now, works out cheaper as too.

 

not sure it can really be cheaper as the last 2 months for my pups food cost me £15 which is cock all really.

 

i have a bit of a problem with my pup, he gets a shitty tummy really easy and bad when ypou give him bones because he eats the whole bloody thing, i dont know if this would eleviate after a couple of days?

 

do you guys feed raw rabbit or not?

 

and how do you work it out so cheaply?

 

thanks rob

[rickyspringer 15]

mine are fed on whole rabbit, they love it pal, with you being into your ferreting you will have loads of supplies, get a freezer mate and rig it up in a garge or shed or something.

 

If you buy the Barf in I believe that there can be a bit of a cost to it, due to some packaged whole feed being £10, which lasts for weeks. The thing is quality though pal, and the difference is huge on the BARF.

 

Personally I am one very lucky lad, I now have a friend off here, who supplies me the feed for free. You can also go to your local butcher he may give you some or sell it for a low price.

 

Remember though you will have a constant supply of rabbits.

 

I am wanting to get into ferreting for the sport but also the meat for the dogs, but the bloody missus won't have it haha.

[mandog 37]

Mine get fed whole rabbit and a veg mash up.

[ellir0305 9]

mine are fed on whole rabbit, they love it pal, with you being into your ferreting you will have loads of supplies, get a freezer mate and rig it up in a garge or shed or something.

 

If you buy the Barf in I believe that there can be a bit of a cost to it, due to some packaged whole feed being £10, which lasts for weeks. The thing is quality though pal, and the difference is huge on the BARF.

 

Personally I am one very lucky lad, I now have a friend off here, who supplies me the feed for free. You can also go to your local butcher he may give you some or sell it for a low price.

 

Remember though you will have a constant supply of rabbits.

 

I am wanting to get into ferreting for the sport but also the meat for the dogs, but the bloody missus won't have it haha.

 

i think you are being rather flattering of my ferreting abilities mate, its just a hobby which doesnt really fill the freezer, but there are ways i can get the rabbits, dont dogs need other meats though, not just rabbit?

 

thanks so far guys

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

mine are fed on whole rabbit, they love it pal, with you being into your ferreting you will have loads of supplies, get a freezer mate and rig it up in a garge or shed or something.

 

If you buy the Barf in I believe that there can be a bit of a cost to it, due to some packaged whole feed being £10, which lasts for weeks. The thing is quality though pal, and the difference is huge on the BARF.

 

Personally I am one very lucky lad, I now have a friend off here, who supplies me the feed for free. You can also go to your local butcher he may give you some or sell it for a low price.

 

Remember though you will have a constant supply of rabbits.

 

I am wanting to get into ferreting for the sport but also the meat for the dogs, but the bloody missus won't have it haha.

 

i think you are being rather flattering of my ferreting abilities mate, its just a hobby which doesnt really fill the freezer, but there are ways i can get the rabbits, dont dogs need other meats though, not just rabbit?

 

thanks so far guys

 

I started feeding my dogs(terriers/spaniels/crossbreds/lurchers) rabbit/game/venison on the bone about 7 years ago, as I have a ready supply as a by product of my occupation. And like you I did a lot of asking about, and found that they were seriously lacking fats as game meat is as lean as meat gets... so asked a local butcher, who was only too happy for me to take what I wanted of his waste bones and off-cuts... I could get any ammount, but find 1 to 2 feed bags full of bits and pieces is all i usually need.

I avoid beef leg bones and other such huge rock solid bones, and go for the lamb rib and neck primarily, as these are eaten easily by all the dogs. Beef ribs arent too bad, pig heads and trotters/ ribs etc are good.

Good old ditch shitter said that the big beef bones will also ware a dogs teeth down, whereas the softer lamb bones are easily munched up and digested.

 

You will find that this diet also leads to something a bit different each night for the dogs, I will add boiled veg too, eggs every now and then, oily fish like mackerel if you can get them but any fish is good, mine get any spare trout etc I never go out of my way to add carbs to the diet, but if iv got left over rice, or spuds or owt else from the kitchen, that will go in as well.

 

I cant tell you enough that this was the best thing i ever did for my dogs, (changing from complete feed, to barf) their always happy and raring to go. Hope this helps you a bit.

 

Regards

 

DnN

[pointer 543]

ive fed mainly a raw food diet for a few years now but when i started i tried to keep to the guidelines set out in the BARF books.it was ok but i think you can let it get too complicated worrying about weather the dog is getting enough shredded veg and all that stuff.

now i just feed whatever i have.

 

i used to skin and gut rabbits etc but now i just freeze the bodies for a few weeks and feed the rabbits whole,fur,guts the lot.And no i dont get problems with worms and it hasnt affected retrieving.

yesterday the dogs were fed hares.

 

i go fishing and the dogs get any mackeral,whiting,flatties,coleys that im not going to eat.usually the smaller specimens that were deep hooked.they also get the occasional cod and ling,plus trout sometimes.

 

i used my lurcher bitch like a dustbin when i was working her regularly and she thrived on it.