Meat grinders

So who’s bought a commercial meat grinder and starting whacking deer and other critters to subsidize food cost. I’ve got the best deal you’ll get from my local butcher$(1lb) and I’m still at $700 a month. I’m thinking between hunting and fishing I could really cut it down. Anyone ever go this route?

 

How many dogs you feed?

 

8 adults, 4 pups.

 

Let's call it 9k a year that you spend on your feed program right now. That's literally That's 4 whole cows butchered. You're looking at 3k+lbs of beef + 1500lb of organs and bones. When in reality feeding raw is done in oz and working You're hard pressed to feed more than 16oz. Even if you got frozen chicken 1/4 from Walmart by the month your not spending 9k a year. Your hustling backwards my man.

 

Yea- I’ve gotta do something. $1 lb seems great and isn’t bad for a few dogs. But I plan on a bigger yard so I’ve gotta subsidize it some how. Gonna start experimenting with grinding small amount of fish and meat and see how the dogs take to it. Shit, they’ll eat 8 week old eggs that have been in the sun- shouldn’t be too bad

 

I do it in the fall/winter. I Don't grind anything though. Usually I'll just chuck em a chunk of animal. You must feed a lot of dogs. Hell, I got 9 and it costs me about $140 a month. (kibble). I can make a modified version of satin balls that is fed as a raw diet meal that will feed them all for around 60 bucks every 10 to 12 days. Pain in my ass though and I can't move my fingers for several days after making them (arthritis) so I don't do it often. Just for maybe a month out of the year or so. I use it mainly to put weight on them in the fall. Wild game though, if you hunt or know hunters, can really chop a feed bill in half or more. As far as grinders go, I'd look at the sport stores like gander mountain etc and buy one that is designed to process bone and all.

I had talked about it a few winters ago on here but never did end up purchasing one.

 

I get 400lbs of raw a month. I don’t watch them grind but the mix is bone in chicken backs and organ meat. For 400lbs I usually add between 20-30lbs of sweet potatoes and 10ths of spinach. No method to the madness- the dogs seem to respond well. I supplement that with purine 1 chicken and rice(kibble). Usually to the time of a 40lb bag a week. Litters change this. My female was so drawn down I couldn’t feed her enough. Also- these are a yard of ABs. My smallest is probably 70lbs.

 

Yea that's a lot more dog to be feeding. Gonna have to shoot a few deer lol.

A good .22lr and a spotlight. You could have your feed bill to zero lol.