Feeding raw duck-the carnage w/pics
Sorry if this has been covered already, some hunting friends delivered on their duck promises, and now I am wondering how the dogs should best enjoy them. They had at one point eaten prepared parts of raw game from the butcher shop for a few months (supplied by local farmers and hunters) and done fine, but moslty eat cooked or kibble now.
Would it be best for them to prepare and cook the birds' meat/organs only keeping in line with what they are used to now, or just toss the carcasses whole and raw in the yard and let them go for it? The ducks have been frozen for 2 weeks now, they were some sort of small wild variety. Basically, how should I prepare these critters for the dogs, having only fed them prepared raw necks and legs before.
Thanks-Lindsay
Would it be best for them to prepare and cook the birds' meat/organs only keeping in line with what they are used to now, or just toss the carcasses whole and raw in the yard and let them go for it? The ducks have been frozen for 2 weeks now, they were some sort of small wild variety. Basically, how should I prepare these critters for the dogs, having only fed them prepared raw necks and legs before.
Thanks-Lindsay
Comments
I guess you can go 'whole hog' and just give it to them, outside or in their crates like this dog and his bunny:
We give our dogs cornish game hens whole (plucked, but with head, feet, etc) and have done whole carcass rabbit once (and it was messy in the crate!)
I would thaw it for about 8-10 hrs and then feed it. One whole duck is a day's meal (organs and all), so even if you have a cleaver, you can probably make it last longer! And they probably won't eat ALL of it in one sitting if they aren't used to doing so. You can get fancy and take the feet, refreeze and use as a treat later.
If they haven't eaten like this before, separating them might be best, as they might get the snarks.
And since its whole, wild prey - just be sure to deworm within 15 days or so, as a precaution.
Have fun! Thats a great score!
Ha ha, it is fun, and my relatives think I am a crazy dog lady BTW. I guess when the neighbors see the duck carcasses being drug around the yard, that will confirm it :)
Anyway, about the duck, I took the "whole hog" approach. I promise to post pictures/a video later. They were puzzled at first to have the entire bird just plopped down in front of them (what my neighbors must think of me at this point), so I tied it to the flirt pole and went "Fishing for Shiba" in the front yard during the AM commute with a dead duck swinging around in the air and 2 Shiba going bananas to catch it. After they "killed it" and found their inner hunters, that's when the fighting began.
Ike was the dog in the manger, too busy chasing away flies/bees and giving Beebe his icky face to be bothered to actually eat it. Beebe whined and belly crawled like a puppy begging for scraps. She eventually snagged the head and neck, but I really saw a side of Ike yesterday that was very primal. I had to put him in time out, and he really went nuts when he could see Beebe going over to "his" kill. Jen was right, I should have prepared 2 ducks and seperated them in the yard, the hunting part really sent them both into survival mode.
You should hear Tsuki during 'survival mode', its a riot. Our neighbors must think we have a horny bear in our living room. Its nuts. But yeah, raw at first gives them a whole new attitude towards what they are eating and why... thats why we crated for a while. Plus we had three dogs then...
I can feed them (2) now in the same room uncrated, our tiled dining room, as long as I'm in there - mostly to prevent Tsuki from dragging her meat everywhere and rolling on it (oh yes, this has happened, on my couch).
p.s. I'm harping at this point, but if you do rely on raw as their main food source, organs are essential. We par-boil them as our shibas tend to dislike the texture or something, and par-boiling gives the liver a nice (not!) fragrance that they can't seem to resist.
Haha at Tsuki-bet that smells great when it's fish night.
I don't think another dog could be anywhere near Nemo if I let him have a whole duck. He'd be crazy snarky.