# Big dog food cooking day



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well folks, here I go. Since I am off this week I am trying to get ahead a bit on cooking for the dogs (even though the delivery date for my freezer got moved to March 3rd). I have almost 10 pounds of chicken hearts and nearly 40 pounds total of chicken legs and thighs (boneless, skinless) in progress. I also already cooked and packaged out 4 pounds of pasta. While the first batches of meats are cooking I will get out the food processor and puree about 10 pounds of greens. 

I think the people in this house will either be eating left overs or take out tonight. There won't be any will for cooking a human dinner left in me tonight.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have scheduled Friday for a big batch cook for the animals - we are down to the last few packs from my last mammoth effort, and somehow they all seem to be salmon and chicken - the cats are about to give up on me and go rabbiting! They like salmon about once a week, but not moreoften...


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

fjm how much do you cook on one of your big cooking days? Your portions are way smaller than mine. I use 2 pounds of my meat/heart mixture every day!


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The basic cookup is 5 or 6 pounds of meat, and about a pound of veg - that makes enough feed all four animals for about a week. But if I have the energy I process another 5 or 6 pounds of raw, mixing beef or rabbit or salmon and chicken, and adding veg for the dogs. Nothing like the sort of quantities you deal with, but 30 little trays cooling, and the same number set out waiting to have vegetables or extra stock added, do fill the kitchen up a bit!


----------



## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Yep, looks like a takeout night. I did a big batch last week for the freezer, but I've done a small one since just to refrigerate and use right away. I usually do more rice than pasta, do you use whole wheat or regular? What is your plan for food on your trip, will you be taking all home cooked?


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Caddy said:


> Yep, looks like a takeout night. I did a big batch last week for the freezer, but I've done a small one since just to refrigerate and use right away. I usually do more rice than pasta, do you use whole wheat or regular? What is your plan for food on your trip, will you be taking all home cooked?



Caddy I don't do any rice (at least one dog shouldn't eat it, don't remember who just now). I use whole wheat pasta of what ever shape (rotini, elbows, penne) that I find on sale. I have a big stock pile in my downstairs pantry. I plan to package meals for the trip using the food saver, but I may take something dry to have on hand just in case something goes awry. At this point though I think they would have to be very hungry to be willing to eat kibble, so my back up food might be freeze dried raw. I am about half way through my cooking and green grinding, but wanted to sit and chill for a few minutes before I go back to the food processor. And what better way is there to take a break than to check in with PF?


----------



## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Ahh been there done that!
I just wanted to mention, although maybe it isn't an issue for you, back when I was cooking for my dogs the started to get fussy about only liking the food that was freshly cooked, not eating it when it had been cooked and then frozen. So I continued to prepare big batches but would put it in Pyrex dishes and freeze it raw, taking out one every few days to bake it in the oven. Just an alternative to keep in mind!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

TP so far that doesn't seem to be a big issue. They just really love fresh food (even if it has been in the freezer). I microwave the meats and pasta before I serve their meals so nothing is super cold when they eat. Thanks for the tip in case I see any changes.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

What a bunch of industrious ladies you all are! Poor Molly has to eat like a wild animal.....her meat is raw...........but I do weigh and package everything for freezing in 4oz. portions. I just packaged 5lbs of chicken legs, 3lbs of pork and 2lbs of lamb....it will last
more than a month because she also gets kibble and canned rotated into her diet.....I go thru a lot of plastic sandwhich bags!


----------



## pudellvr (Dec 1, 2016)

You guys are incredible! I am trying to wrap my head around the cooking for your dog thing. I just don't think I am up for dealing w organ meats. Ick. I do cook chicken thighs and rice w carrots to keep in the freezer for upset tummy or special treats. I would like to do some real food topper for Percy's dry kibble. While I somewhat like the idea of raw or cooking all his food, I don't think I can keep up with it. And the cost of frozen commercial raw is out of reach.


----------



## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

I agree pudellvr about commercial raw being way too expensive. I don't cook a lot of organ meats, but really any raw meat is hard for me whether I'm cooking for us or the girls. I go through tons of plastic bags too Molly, I use containers too but I just don't have that many. Lily I'm surprised that you warm the dogs meals, mine get it right out of the fridge.


----------



## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

I would love to see more pictures of the entire cooking process and the finished products from anyone who does this.  I am such a food nerd. I love this stuff. I keep intending to do this for my kids but I haven't done it in ages. I'm considering getting a chicken or two and keeping it in the crock pot long enough for the bones to cook down too.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Commercial raw would definitely have us in the poor house! Shell, I will try to think to take some other pictures for you the next time I do a big cooking day (probably sooner than I care to plan for, but will be needed to be prepared for our road trip). The only organ meats I cook are chicken hearts (which I mix in with the other meat) and chicken livers (in my sensory experience the worst part of this, raw they feel like snot and cooking they smell worse).


----------



## UKpoodle (Jul 22, 2015)

pudellvr said:


> You guys are incredible! I am trying to wrap my head around the cooking for your dog thing. I just don't think I am up for dealing w organ meats. Ick. I do cook chicken thighs and rice w carrots to keep in the freezer for upset tummy or special treats. I would like to do some real food topper for Percy's dry kibble. While I somewhat like the idea of raw or cooking all his food, I don't think I can keep up with it. And the cost of frozen commercial raw is out of reach.


Think we must be quite lucky in the UK as raw feeding has really taken off and there are loads of suppliers who deliver frozen meat in bulk, everything from minced turkey to rabbits heads to pigs pancreas, straight from the meat factory! There are also some of these big commercial companies who do frozen 'nuggets' and package them up in fancy bags/boxes and charge a fortune, but I've never used them.
It costs me approx £50 (62USD at the current exchange rate) per month to feed two spoos on raw. As an example, 14lbs of minced meat (an all in product containing ground bone, meat and offal) costs me around £8-£10, depending on what kind of meat it is. There are companies who do it even cheaper, but you have to put in really large orders and unfortunately I just don't have the freezer space! 
Not sure how that compares to what you guys pay over there?


----------



## pudellvr (Dec 1, 2016)

What is a favorable percentage of offal/organ meat to muscle meat for dogs? We have a new meat market in town. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## UKpoodle (Jul 22, 2015)

pudellvr said:


> What is a favorable percentage of offal/organ meat to muscle meat for dogs? We have a new meat market in town.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The rule is 80/10/10, that is 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal (of which 5% should be liver). Heart (and tripe I believe) also counts as meat, not offal.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Ah, I think I spot another DAF customer! I bought a small chest freezer for the garage a few months ago in order to buy in bulk - the minimum order for free delivery is £50/$60, so I buy a few more expensive things like the premium minced salmon as well as the 14 pound boxes. I really like that they do bone free meat as well, so that if you feed meaty bones it is easy to balance their higher bone content. I am making up batches at the moment, so will post some photos when it is all done.


----------



## pudellvr (Dec 1, 2016)

No one local sells that kind of mince. Where does one get it in US?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## UKpoodle (Jul 22, 2015)

fjm said:


> Ah, I think I spot another DAF customer! I bought a small chest freezer for the garage a few months ago in order to buy in bulk - the minimum order for free delivery is £50/$60, so I buy a few more expensive things like the premium minced salmon as well as the 14 pound boxes. I really like that they do bone free meat as well, so that if you feed meaty bones it is easy to balance their higher bone content. I am making up batches at the moment, so will post some photos when it is all done.


Haha! Yes you're right, I've gone back to DAF since we got Gustav back in November. Gunther went off his raw food for a long time but funnily enough as soon as the puppy started on raw he suddenly decided he liked it again, so thankfully he's back to a fully raw diet.
I like to get the bone free meat chunks - off cuts of chicken fillets which they freeze into large chunks. I've just got a batch of whole lamb hearts too which my two love. I tend to rely on the minces to get the offal they need, as the liver that DAF sells comes in big chunks, way too much for one meal.


----------



## UKpoodle (Jul 22, 2015)

Forgot to say fjm, try the rabbit bones next time you order. They cut them into small pieces and they're quite soft, so I'd imagine they'd be perfect for your little 'uns!


----------



## kayla_baxter (Jul 17, 2015)

I'm lucky that I get a pretty sweet deal from my store for raw. My normal discount is about cost and the raw company I feed does a monthly staff program where they give $120 retail cost for $60. So I can feed my mini boy and the cat totally raw and the Dane and doodle mutt half raw for about $100 a month for commercial ground raw and meaty bones. That's going through just over 2lbs a day. The kibble the big dogs get with their raw I get free from work, so $100 isn't a bag monthly bill to feed over 200lbs of animals. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## shell (Jul 10, 2015)

This thread inspired me. This morning I threw 2 pounds of ground turkey some chicken heats and some chicken liver into the crock pot. I am going to add Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and a bit of broccoli later. I put someturkey stock in there and may add a bit of rice or noodles. This is not balanced in any way so I am just going to use it as a topper but I am sure they will love it!


----------



## pudellvr (Dec 1, 2016)

Ok, I have found where I can get ground chicken backs w meat for $2.50/pound and whole chicken hearts for $3.50/pound. 
Do I add that to the chicken and rice that I already cook? Should I grind the hearts? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Chicken backs are around 45% bone. You don't say what chicken you are feeding at them moment, but I would try mixing 1 pound ground backs with 2 pounds boneless meat, 1/2 pound hearts (heart can be a bit rich for dogs not used to it) 1/4 pound liver (preferably beef) and 1/4 pound kidney or other organ meat. That brings the total percentage of bone closer to 10%, and adds the recommended 5% liver, 5% other organs. As you will be cooking bone, I would simmer it gently in water, rather than roasting it, or serve the whole lot raw with cooked rice. No need to grind the hearts!


----------



## pudellvr (Dec 1, 2016)

Currently I cook boneless skinless thighs and shred


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## LipstickandWhiskers (Feb 16, 2017)

If you can buy the organ meat already ground up, it's easy peasy! I use a crock pot to make Lola's food once a week and wouldn't cook it any other way. I've tried making everything individually, but my kitchen was a hot mess and it took forever to measure every single item for each individual serving. Now I lay out 21 tupperware containers and scoop out of the crock pot. The containers have measuring marks on the side, so you can get each meal close to equal in amount. I do cook the organ meat separate, but that tiny pan and the crock pot are the only thing you have to clean.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Lipstick&Whiskers said:


> If you can buy the organ meat already ground up, it's easy peasy! I use a crock pot to make Lola's food once a week and wouldn't cook it any other way. I've tried making everything individually, but my kitchen was a hot mess and it took forever to measure every single item for each individual serving. Now I lay out 21 tupperware containers and scoop out of the crock pot. The containers have measuring marks on the side, so you can get each meal close to equal in amount. I do cook the organ meat separate, but that tiny pan and the crock pot are the only thing you have to clean.


I am cooking for two standard poodles and a German Shepherd dog and I am not home many weekends, so cooking once a week would still be too large a scale and not too practical when I am traveling. It has become easier to mass produce food once or twice a month than to be forever trying to keep a couple of days ahead. I think your system would work for me if I only had one dog. To me your pictures seem to represent about 1 1/2-2 days of food for my three.


----------



## LipstickandWhiskers (Feb 16, 2017)

shell said:


> I would love to see more pictures of the entire cooking process and the finished products from anyone who does this.  I am such a food nerd. I love this stuff. I keep intending to do this for my kids but I haven't done it in ages. I'm considering getting a chicken or two and keeping it in the crock pot long enough for the bones to cook down too.


I have pics, a few on Lola's Instagram, that show everything we use, how we balance it nutritionally, and how we cook it. Using the crock pot is a HUGE time saver.


----------



## LipstickandWhiskers (Feb 16, 2017)

Oh wow! I can't imagine cooking for three big dogs. I wasn't able to fit the green beans or apples into the crock pot so I added those the containers afterwards. Having that many fur babies is just like having kids, I'd have to cook every day haha


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Lipstick&Whiskers said:


> Oh wow! I can't imagine cooking for three big dogs. I wasn't able to fit the green beans or apples into the crock pot so I added those the containers afterwards. Having that many fur babies is just like having kids, I'd have to cook every day haha


I use almost 2 pounds of meat a day. I cook everything separately and freeze large containers or meal packet portions (vacuum sealer) if I need to make road worthy or dog sitter easy meals.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Cook up day today - only cooked, I think, as I am going away and not everyone appreciates raw feeding in their kitchen! Standard batch - 3 pounds complete beef mix, 1 or 2 of complete chicken, 1 or 2 chicken muscle only, half a pound of mixed veg cooked in some of the gravy, and I think there are still a couple of sweet potatoes in the fridge and some frozen green beans that can go in as well. 6 pounds of meat feeds all four animals for around a fortnight, so my cook ups are miniscule compared with lily's!


----------

