LGD Fast Food(butchering)

[ozark_jewels]

Just got finished butchering two small wethers for dogfood. We had enough goat meat for us already in the freezer(butchered 15 wethers this summer), and Jill is about to drop pups, so decided to just cut the meat off the bones and freeze it all in dog serving size bags. Even the organs. Everything but the stomach and intestines, fed them to the dogs today.
I now have a freezer well-stocked with instant doggie meals for when the pups arrive(I like to feed Jill a good portion of raw meat while she is nursing).
Its a nice feeling. First time I have butchered specifically for my dogs. Now I'm watching the papers for cheap or free chickens and other poultry(being clear that I will be butchering them).

[Jeanette]

I'm sure that your post will disturb some people but I say 'good for you'!
I have begun raising rabbits for this very purpose. I know it will be difficult to dispatch those little cuties! but after being bitten and scratched by various rabbits I suspect it won't be too hard.
I have a rat terrier mix that had pups a year ago. We started raising her on raw food as soon as we got her and kept it up through her pregnancy and nursing. She went from being an unhealthy pup with smelly skin to a very healthy adult dog. Her pups (8!) were all healthy, never had worms and never an illness in spite of no vaccinations. My only wish now is that I never had to buy grocery store meat for them or my family. Nasty stuff compared to home-grown.

Jeanette
Hondo, TX

Always Learning!

[sungirl]

Emily,

When ever we do a beef in, we get the ribs back. We cut them about 4 inches in length and freeze one with a chunk of meat in with it. Some days we just give it raw, or boil them and feed it to them that way. Great way to use up some bones, and give them something to chew on.

Patty.

[KSALguy]

i hope you saved the bones too, meaty bones are GREAT for dogs, they need the bone to help keep teeth clean and its a good calcium source and the maro is excelent in their diet,

[ozark_jewels]

Oh sure, they *always* get the bones when I butcher, be it goat beef or chicken. This is the first time I've made up meal-sized packages of all the meat and organs too.
I titled this thread "butchering" so if anyone is offended by it, they shouldn't be reading it.

[HappyFarmer]

Good for you, Emily. I'm not against butchering, I grew up with it. However, I cannot seem to do it myself, particularly to an animal I raised from a baby.

I imagine one day I'll realize just how much those lgd's cost me in feed(well worth it, IMO), and do the same. Just not today.

I have read often they do much better on a raw diet.

HF

[Goat Servant]

Ozark please tell us more about the benefits of feeding raw, thanks!

[KSALguy]

a raw natural diet improves the over all health of the animal, there are LOTS and LOTS of informative sites out there on the topic,

some of the benifits is alergy problems are removed, skin problems are reduced, teath are kept in better shape with less plaq, the dog is not gassy, it can help in joint problems, weight controle, the dog droppings are fewer and will naturally crumble and disolve in a few days,

dogs were not ment to eat grain, or vegtables, they are naturally Carnivores, they need meat, dry grain based kibble food is a relatively recent invention that came about thrugh mass industry production around the world wars time, back then it cheep and gave people jobs, now its a blown out of proportion industry.

its actually not that expencive to feed a dog raw meat, you can get cheep chicken quarters in 10lb bags anywhere from 2-5 dollers a bag depending on the store and the location, you can grow alot of your own meat, you can hunt for a good bit of it, compair these costs to the amount you pay per bag of kibble,

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by KSALguy

a raw natural diet improves the over all health of the animal, there are LOTS and LOTS of informative sites out there on the topic,

some of the benifits is alergy problems are removed, skin problems are reduced, teath are kept in better shape with less plaq, the dog is not gassy, it can help in joint problems, weight controle, the dog droppings are fewer and will naturally crumble and disolve in a few days,

dogs were not ment to eat grain, or vegtables, they are naturally Carnivores, they need meat, dry grain based kibble food is a relatively recent invention that came about thrugh mass industry production around the world wars time, back then it cheep and gave people jobs, now its a blown out of proportion industry.

its actually not that expencive to feed a dog raw meat, you can get cheep chicken quarters in 10lb bags anywhere from 2-5 dollers a bag depending on the store and the location, you can grow alot of your own meat, you can hunt for a good bit of it, compair these costs to the amount you pay per bag of kibble,

Yes, all that.
I cannot yet feed all raw to my LGD's though I would like to in the future. Right now I feed about 1/2 raw and 1/2 good quality dogfood.
Dogs also need less food when they are eating raw.

[XCricketX]

That's where we are with the dogs... like today they got a rabbit meal with some kibble.

Cricket

[Cannon_Farms]

www.rawfed.com has a ton of myths and facts listed about a raw diet and allot of other information.
I did want to make a beware of note, when feeding raw many insist you have to have veggies or make the diet very complicated (see myth #1) and there is no need for it.
Organ meats are about the hardest thing to find, but only if you dont know where to look, there are several online companies that sell them, I use www.blueridgebeef.com as they are local, but in all reality a good varriety can be found at walmart to an ethnic store. I just like mine packaged and ready to go, less smelly that way with the tripe to me.

[GG]

Hi Emily,

I'm going to be butchering a few goats in the next few weeks -- a couple that will be shared between the people and the dogs, and a couple that will be cut up for the dogs only.

When you butchered knowing that all was going to the dogs, did you bleed out the carcass as you normally would? I was thinking not bleeding out the carcass would result in additional nutritional value for the dogs eating the end product, but wondered if doing so would change how the meat kept or anything else I may be overlooking. What do you think?

Thanks!

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by GG

Hi Emily,

I'm going to be butchering a few goats in the next few weeks -- a couple that will be shared between the people and the dogs, and a couple that will be cut up for the dogs only.

When you butchered knowing that all was going to the dogs, did you bleed out the carcass as you normally would? I was thinking not bleeding out the carcass would result in additional nutritional value for the dogs eating the end product, but wondered if doing so would change how the meat kept or anything else I may be overlooking. What do you think?

Thanks!

Hi there,
I did not bleed out the ones I butchered for the dogs. In fact I shot them and then walked away and did a few other things until the reflex kicking was over(my least favorite part). Then I just hung and cut them up into meal-sized pieces. It should keep just fine in the freezer and as you say, its more nutritional value for the dogs.
Good luck with your butchering.

[ozark_jewels]

Just butchered two of my parents chickens that were older than the hills. One hen, one rooster. Skinned em, cut em up and bagged them, bones and all for the dogs. Reminded me again how much more I'd rather butcher a goat anyday over poultry.Blah.

[bstuart29]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Just butchered two of my parents chickens that were older than the hills. One hen, one rooster. Skinned em, cut em up and bagged them, bones and all for the dogs. Reminded me again how much more I'd rather butcher a goat anyday over poultry.Blah.

I know Emily butchering older chickens can be such a pain sometimes, I myself would rather butcher deer anyday. Emily just was curious did ya skin or pluck the chickens?

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by bstuart29

I know Emily butchering older chickens can be such a pain sometimes, I myself would rather butcher deer anyday. Emily just was curious did ya skin or pluck the chickens?

I always skin my chickens, and I certainly wasn't going to take the time to pluck my dogfood chickens. So yes, they were skinned.

[bstuart29]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

I always skin my chickens, and I certainly wasn't going to take the time to pluck my dogfood chickens. So yes, they were skinned.

I see your dogs aren't good enough for plucked chicken Only teasin I don't blame you I always skin mine and they are eaten by me.

[Jeanette]

Originally Posted by sungirl

Some days we just give it raw, or boil them and feed it to them that way. Great way to use up some bones, and give them something to chew on.
Patty.

Boiling the meat and especially the bones actually makes them less digestible and as for the bones makes them more dangerous for the dog. A raw bone is easier to chew up and digest than a cooked bone. Cooking leaches out minerals and fat both of which a dog needs, especially an active/working dog.

Someone mentioned that it is often cheaper to feed a dog raw - while that is not always true in the short run (especially since groceries have gone up so much) it is almost always true in the long run because you will have fewer health issues and therefore fewer vet bills.

Jeanette
Hondo, TX

Always Learning!

[GG]

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Good luck with your butchering.

Thanks! I've been studying your posts and photos on butchering goats, and will be following your advice throughout. Butchered many a fowl and rabbit, but this will be my first experience butchering goats.

[KSALguy]

just curious why you cant go all raw on your LGDs Emily?