I keep forgetting that the Ray's which is not close to me but still within like, 3 miles, has a MUCH better selection of meat-things that are perfect for dog stuff. Today I went to a nursery (to buy a pot, but didn't) and on the way home stopped at Safeway, and found no good deals on chicken (which I need for bones) so I went to the Ray's across the street to see what they had. Now, Ray's is not normally too incredibly cheap, they are usually slightly higher priced than the big box stores. Ray's is small, only in Oregon and Northern California, and they often carry local products and have a lot of badass foodstuffs so I like to shop there anyways.
Sooo, I go in, and am looking over the meats, and spot this package of chicken. I instantly knew what it was, a package of backs and necks, perfect for what I need. Then I look at the price. $0.59 per pound. Okay, for GP, that's a GREAT price for chicken frames and whatnot. (Remember, I am in Oregon, and don't get sales tax.) So I get a bag and stick the chicken package in and underneath it is ANOTHER ONE! And another, and another, and one more way up in the back. So I bag all five of them then spot the little package is turkey backs and organs for $0.99 a pound and bag that as well.
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| 18.5 pounds of chicken, 1.35 pounds of turnkeyness |
I get odd looks at the checkout counter, and I can tell the lady is going to ask. "What do you do with all these?" I tell her I make dog food, because my dog is
dumb has food intolerances. She understood, and the lady behind me knew someone who also made dog food instead of buying it blah blah blah... They looked a bit startled when I told them he eats it raw. I love doing that.
I bring my meats home and stash them in the freezer. Now there is no space, and Mom has yet to take a look in there and see my most recent meat plunder.
Envy you for finding such good deals! I got those odd looks as well when I bought 10 packs of turkey necks last week.
ReplyDeletePrices for red meats have gone up an average of $.50 for pork and $1.20 for beef around here. Luckily poultry has stayed low and somewhat regular in price, but those red meats are getting worse by the week it seems. I'm glad I stocked up on pork shoulder when it was below $1.50 some months ago and hoard whatever steak nobody eats (when I cook it I am quite generous with trimmings, too).
DeleteThere's this one guy at the Ray's closer to me who knows that whenever I'm buying a somewhat odd looking piece of meat, it's going to the dog. He thinks it's totally cool and the first time he asked what all the oddities were for he was very interested once I told him. I like the checkout people who show interest instead of reel at the thought of what the meat is for.
Yummy stuff! I got decent deal on chicken drumsticks.. Haven't fed bone in chicken mostly bits of boneless or ground turkey and chicken.
ReplyDeleteI use a good amount of chicken, not only for bone content but also due to recent uber high prices for red meat (compared to 6 months ago). I can get around the "don't use chicken as the main protien" deal that a lot of rawfeeders seem to think is law because I am crafty and add in canned mollusks. They make up for whatever is not present in the chicken and keep my meat-budget within reason. A lot of rawfeeders (who haven't done a load of research) don't actually "balance" the meals with Nutritiondata like I do, either, so some don't know what they are lacking, or have excess of. I've touched on that a bit in the past but plan on writing more about it sometime soonish, within the next couple months or so.
DeleteI really like turkey, since I can get it for $0.69 a pound here regularly (and occasionally cheaper, but more if organs are included) and it's got more nutrients than chicken does, specifically iron, so when I use turkey I don't need clams or gizzards. The only problem is it's turkey backs, and they contain a huge amount of bone compared to chicken quarters,which is what I usually get for the same price.
I got the chicken backs this time because I never see them, and it's what I prefer to use for Conker, since just about one back is perfect for his bone needs (and they were cheaper than quarters). When I get quarters I get a ton more meat, but the bone amount varies depending on which third I use (leg, thigh, or whatever that little part of the spine is called) and I'm a bit obsessive about getting things right or equal as often as possible. I know it's a bit overkill, but it's just how I operate.