Raw feeding - "whole prey" for real
So, I've been thinking that if I'm getting a gun and getting into hunting, why the heck don't I hunt food for my pups? Animals such as rabbits can be hunted year-round without a license, and rabbits make good eatin' for pups. Even gophers or crows could be fed to dogs, I suppose. I've also read that people hunt coots to feed their dogs because they taste terrible. And, of course, there are regular game animals, but the nice thing about animals with no season is you don't have to worry about running out before next hunting season- just go kill some more.
So, I already know you're supposed to freeze wild game for 24 hours before feeding for parasites, but other than that, is there anything you really have to do? Remove bullets/pellets, obviously. At first I was assuming I'd have to gut them, but then isn't it more natural to just let them munch on the whole critter? But then what if they don't finish? Package up said critter's remains and save them for next time? Maybe I could gut the animal, cut large, bone-in chunks into one serving sized portions, and grind the organs into offal paste for a kong or something.
I have a cat, too... I know this is a dog forum, but if anyone knows how to whole-prey feed raw to a cat, that'd be helpful. I guess I could just feed her small animals. I know she'll eat them, I've seen her catch things and eat them before.
ETA: Also, what about fish?
So, I already know you're supposed to freeze wild game for 24 hours before feeding for parasites, but other than that, is there anything you really have to do? Remove bullets/pellets, obviously. At first I was assuming I'd have to gut them, but then isn't it more natural to just let them munch on the whole critter? But then what if they don't finish? Package up said critter's remains and save them for next time? Maybe I could gut the animal, cut large, bone-in chunks into one serving sized portions, and grind the organs into offal paste for a kong or something.
I have a cat, too... I know this is a dog forum, but if anyone knows how to whole-prey feed raw to a cat, that'd be helpful. I guess I could just feed her small animals. I know she'll eat them, I've seen her catch things and eat them before.
ETA: Also, what about fish?
Comments
Here's pic of her first quail she ate
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.186844368024843.44605.100000978432687&l=5d0c7295f7
Video of her eating quail she eats slow. compared to kibble she started in the middle and then ate the hind area then the neck and head.
She eats the feathers with no issues only spits out the wing feathers.
She does eat the whole quail organs and intestines and all some dogs I know will take the stomach out and not eat it or only eat the stomach not the contents.
She's only eaten quail havent ordered whole rabbits, but I plan to so we'll see what she does..
I know dogs can get tape worm from rabbit poop or intestines so freezing might be good idea or just remove the intestines.. I dunno..
What kind fish do you plan to feed? Saya had one blue gill before that I caught for her and I just gutted it kept the head on and removed the belly and back sharp spines those can cut really good.. I froze it for four weeks I think a bit long for what people say, but I wanted to be safe.. lol Saya ate it with no issue she ate everything except a few bones and gill flap.
Fish like trout and salmon might have a type of parasite that affects dogs so be extra careful with it. I'm not sure exactly the ones that have it only ones I've heard don't have the fluke is Alaskan salmon due to it being to cold I dunno. Saya has had one oz of Alaskan salmon raw and she is fine.
Saya has had smelt, mackerel, and saury raw rest her fish are caned salmon and sardines..
Saya eating her Saury fish it has guts in it I figure it been frozen for a long time in the Asian market..
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=157109774331636&set=a.157101767665770.33144.100000978432687&type=1&theater
It's good your cat likes raw some can be horrible and picky about switching to raw and takes a long time.
Cats need taurine I think heart has it mice is good meal for a cat as long as they don't eat a poisoned one..
Has the dogs eaten raw before?
Frozen Chuckar
Frozen Duck
Frozen Pheasants
Frozen hog ribs
Frozen deer ribs
Freeze burned venison sirloin
Freezer burned duck breasts
Frozen sardines
Check your state laws about rabbit hunting. Most states regulate rabbit hunting and there are seasons and daily limits. Most states don't regulate prairie dog hunting or woodchuck hunting, though.
I've seen dogsledders who take a prey animal and after it's frozen, they use a bandsaw to cut it into slices. Yum. That way, it's in serving-size portions.
Sorry you have freezerburned duck breasts and deer sirloin!
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/703188/1
It says whole prey lamb on the thread but it was whole prey (kid) goat.
Definitely freeze for a couple months before feeding raw. If you cook it you don't have to freeze as long but I still would just in case, for a couple weeks or so.
As for dressing, removing the bullets/shot is basically all I'd do if I weren't going to eat it myself. I'd probably take the fur though, I make stuff out of it. If there was a possibility of me eating it then I'd go ahead and dress it but save the organs for the dogs.
I think I could actually handle feeding raw sardines as long as they do not smell as bad as the canned ones. (ugh, they are awful!)
I say go for it, Heidi. I'd check into what the length of time is to freeze things to kill tape worms. I've heard rather wildly varying reports (72 hours to 2 months) but I bet there must be an actual answer to this. Rabbits have a lot of worms, so they are the worst. (My vet just says use a dewormer on the dogs 1-2 times a year if they're eating rabbit, but I don't think she's thinking of prey model feeding, but rather if they're hunting on their own. I use it on Bel--my biggest hunter--once a year. I've never evidence that she had worms, but I do it just in case as she eats a lot of various rodents though not a lot of rabbits).
I'm not 100% sure on this, but I thought ALL salmon was problematic, at least all Pacific Salmon, including Alaskan salmon. I know when I grew up in Alaska a lot of mushers fed salmon, but it was always either cooked or smoked/dried. Anyway, the issue with the fish that has the fluke is one that can be overcome by freezing first, too. Also, I laughed at Saya spitting out the wing feathers! It's so funny to watch a dog try to get the feathers out of their mouths. When Bel catches birds she eats everything but the feet, but Toby caught a dove awhile ago, and he made a great production of "plucking it" before he ate it!
I gave my dogs whole tilapia once (really cheap), and that was a mistake, prep wise, because it has spiny fins that I needed to cut off and they weren't that easy to get off, and the gills were sharp, too. It was too much work for me! Sardines have been great, though.
Interesting about the salmon. The kind I got was frozen for a while till we cooked it for ourselves so I guess it was OK I dunno.
Saya loves the more oily fish like mackerel, saury, sardines, and smelt. I can only get canned sardines, but hare today now has raw sardines and herring to get so I'll order that.
Thanks!
Saya preferred her kidneys frozen when new to raw, but now she'll eat it fresh.
I've fed beef thymus fresh from the meat processor before just gave little bit while I was weighing it and putting it away.