Raw Newbie!!!

At the risk of going over old ground and making you all repeat yourselves, I'm desperate to try Ralph on a raw diet and will have a bit more room when we get our new freezer in a few weeks. I've been having a good nose through various posts and have contacted DAF petfoods, who gave me a supplier in my area, who I’m trying to get hold of (no joy at the mo)and also landywood pet foods who do deliver, but don’t do as much as DAF.

As a complete novice to feeding raw, what would be an ideal ‘menu’ to start for a month or so. Something not too complicated to start with - make sure it suits us and Ralph.

I gather Ralph will need a mix of bone, offal and meat. Having a read of Ella’s post ‘What’s in the Bowl Today’, and her post ‘Raw diet’, both were excellent and really useful, I’m wondering what to order as a start. I have a morrisons near me, so I’m going to get some skin, kidneys, heart etc from there.

What should be my first order as an idea?

So I’m looking to give for example, a turkey wing, some heart and some meat – ground beef? Would that sort of thing do for an example of a day?

Then the following, something along the lines of lamb spine, kidney and a duck egg?

Want also to mention Mike’s ‘A delivery of Raw Food post’ – also brilliant. Thank you.

In a previous post Ella mention’s that they were allowed to eat everything on a cow’s leg, but not the bone... why is this? I thought they were allowed to eat the lot? What bones are allowed and what not?

BTW – was wetting myself reading this comment from Tara in a previous thread about raw:
‘I'm fascinated with the idea of giving Loki a whole rabbit just to see if he'll know it's food, or just rag it around cos it's fluffy and fluffy = toys in his mind. Gross ’

I won’t be able to give a whole rabbit just yet, or a pigs head – but who know’s – I may get there one day! Keep an open mind!

Sorry but I am no help at all just read your post through interest in the topic. Hopefully Caryll, Mike or Ella will come to your rescue soon.

Ello

My guide is only very basic a better one is the guide at the top of this site
Www.preymodelraw.com

Basically for a first order you want to get mainly chicken with a few other bits for later on, as when just starting you want to feed only chicken for a week or two, and then you add other meats in at about the same rate

With feeding cows legs you don't want them to eat the large leg bone as it's a weight baring bone, far to dense and can easily break teeth.

So any bones you do not want to feed are just weight baring bones from large animals

Thanks for that link Ella... that's perfect.

So no weight baring bones. Other bones are good.

Start out slow. Chicken for 1-2 weeks. Chicken mince/wings/carcasses until poops are all fine. Then replace one meal with another protein. Turkey or tripe or something, build that up over a week or so. Offal shouldn't be added till maybe 6 weeks in or so! And should be added in small amounts at first, a fingernail size to start. Heart is classed as muscle so can be given more than offal but can be rich so build it up in small bits!

Weight bearing bones are too dense and can crack teeth ie cows legs! My 2 regularly get lamb ribs/spine and pork ribs.

Just read up on raw feeding from a couple different sources and make your own mind up. Don't try and add too much too soon. Generally a new protein every week or 2.

Damn too slow

Beat you haha

Brilliant! Thank you both!

I'm very excited about this!!!

anymore questions don't forget to ask

You will regret saying that!!!

that doesn't sound good

Im well behind but good luck and if you require any 1 worded answers fire away. Anything longer ask Ella or Stu