Inflation and Prey-Model Raw

[anatess]

Hi All -

So I just went on my monthly shopping for dog food. This time, I went with "common" meat sources and no "exotics". Spent my normal at the exact same butcher shop I've been going to for the past 10-ish years and realized I ended up with only 23 days of dog food. Usually, for this amount of money of non-exotics, I never make it under 30 days. I just reviewed my receipt and I realized beef has gone up a lot. I usually get 80/20 ground beef at $2.99/lb, beef hearts and kidneys at $1.99 a pound. I got the chicken breasts on a bulk sale on 10-lb packages but chicken backs are supposed to be only 99cents/lb. Everything else is slightly elevated in price. This is the first month the butcher raised prices since the price hike post-pandemic in 2020. Before 2020, I can get beef hearts for $1.29/lb and 80/20 for $2.49.

How are things in your neck of the woods?

Here's my receipt that shows the prices at the butcher's.

Note: The Wafer Chocolate is for me. Don't feed this to the dogs, they'll die!
Boulder Freezer Quart is generic brand "ziploc" bags I use to hold a day's worth of food.
I only have Angus now. Bullie and Gizmo has passed on in 2020, so this is just for one 11-year-old dog.

Far as I can remember, these are the weights:
Ground Beef 80/20 = 5 lbs
Tilapia = 3 lbs
Catfish = 3 lbs
Pork Ribs = 1 lb
Pork Steaks = 2 lbs
Pork Chops = 1 lb
Beef heart = 1 lb
Chicken Backs = 3 lbs
Fresh Meat (Turkey breast) = 1 lb
Chicken Liver = 2 lbs
Beef Kidney = 2 lbs
Fresh Meat (Chicken breast) = 10 lbs

Total Weight - 34 lbs
Total Price - US$ 120
Price/lb = $3.5/lb

I separate out the meals in one day portions. Here's 4 days that goes in the fridge. The rest goes to the freezer.

 

[helsonwheels]

You should see the prices of meat at our grocery stores up here 🤬 2 T-Bones 1” ish thick = 63$!

As you probably know I buy my raw already done in pounder’s @ 1.80 per lb. 2x per day x 30days =108$ monthly. But this is from a farmer n I go myself or my youngest pick it up as he also feeds his 3 dogs the same. I do feed the new puppy 2lbs n 3/4 per day. Just recently took the 3/4 out cause she’ll be 6months old on the 1st n already weighs 65lbs. If I buy raw in a pet shop it would be 3x what i pay per day for each. I would definitely do what you’re doing. But…. Have you looked into buying a cow for your freezer? Yes you do pay upfront but down the road if you do the math it’s way cheaper. You can keep the tough parts like the “round roast” etc the butcher cuts n ground it for the dogs. I bought a steer about 750lbs cut up, vacuum sealed n was 3300$ last summer. Don’t forget much cheaper in USA. IF I would buy at a grocery store, we did the math n came out to 7000$. I kept the organs, heart, tongue, marrow bone section for the dogs. I used other bones to do collagen n broth.

There‘s a reason why I sold everything in the city n bought an acreage. Get my own freezer meats.

 

[2BullyMama]

Prices here are getting high too….. we stocked out freezer last year with 1/4 cow, was $1200, we continued to slowly fill the freezer knowing these prices would be coming. We also stocked up a freezer of pups food before the increase hit. But, weekly grocery for the ,two of us went from about $125 to $210.

 

[anatess]

@helsonwheels @2BullyMama I am so jealous that you can buy in big bulk like that! I only have a teeny chest freezer.

 

[helsonwheels]

@helsonwheels @2BullyMama I am so jealous that you can buy in big bulk like that! I only have a teeny chest freezer.

Freezers will out last any fridge. If you see a used one for a good price or even some people gives them for free if you picked them up. My standup freezer I bought like 10yrs ago or more. Then last yr I decided to but a cow so I needed a big freezer. My standup one is now for the dog’s food. I don’t know in the USA what website people can put up ads. Like here in Canada we have kijiji n Craigslist. Just a thought.

 

[anatess]

Freezers will out last any fridge. If you see a used one for a good price or even some people gives them for free if you picked them up. My standup freezer I bought like 10yrs ago or more. Then last yr I decided to but a cow so I needed a big freezer. My standup one is now for the dog’s food. I don’t know in the USA what website people can put up ads. Like here in Canada we have kijiji n Craigslist. Just a thought.

Hard to do that here in Hurricane-Power-Outage-For-Weeks Florida...

 

[Moebrane]

Hard to do that here in Hurricane-Power-Outage-For-Weeks Florida...

My Katie is just over 5yrs, started getting allergies last year
Vet gives antibiotics and predator (steroid)
Poor girl is covered with hot spots, ears runny
Tried some different foods, no luck
Dr had blood tested and said she was allergic to "about everything"
Dr prescribed "Allercept" chots and she has finished three months of that with no improvement
Her face is rubbed raw and bleeds
I am going to get some chicken backs and broccoli tomorrrow
I give her krill oil also
Her Brother Conor is perfectly healthy, thank De Lawd

Gots to have a generator here in "youse Florida"