[Blacksheep]

I did the math and my three kids will be eating only a poundish a day. Not bad seeing as last time I raw fed, there were two big dogs and two small ones.

I have been trying to get into a co-op but couldn't in the closest one so I'm going to another one not too far from here. I'm renting a freezer at a butcher and my monthly budget came out around $82 (including freezer rental.) This is for mostly organic (but all free range) meats including but not limited to turkey, duck, chicken, fish, and rabbit. The boys don't care for beef so not even gonna bother with it. I'm hoping to raise some of my own rabbits this year as well. I thought about guinea pigs but my roommate is absolutely cavy crazy and I felt it would just be rude to breed and slaughter them while he is there (with his sows.) Also some rats are on the menu (frozen for snakes by a friend with some beautiful boas.)

So does anyone else have a budget? What is yours like?

 

[Sasami]

I spend about $50-$65 a month (it's a range because it depends on what I buy that month, the $65 is more if I get something pricier like lamb) to feed three dogs ranging from 20-22 lbs (all are American Cockers). On average they eat a bit less than a lb and a half of meat a day all together. The current foster dog gets 1 or 2 RMBs a week which come out the same budget.

If I'm on a budget, I can easily feed all three dogs for $30-$35 a month. It would just mean more chicken and hearts than usual that month and not much red meat (besides the hearts) or fish.

I use the same freezer that's used for human food, it just means I have to go to the store more often and can't take advantage of bulk ordering.

When I shop, I have price limits for different meats that help me budget:

Chicken: Must be under 0.70/lb (usually the cuts I buy are 0.49/lb), will go a bit higher for hearts, gizzards, and livers

Turkey: Must be under 1.30/lb

Goat: Must be under or around 3.00/lb and how much I buy depends on other deals as it's pricey

Beef: Must be under 2.00/lb (the cuts I get tend to barely pass at 1.99/lb)

Duck: Must be under or around 1.00/lb

You get the idea . It really helps to set limits based on what you're comfortable paying.

The staples of my dogs' diets change depending on sales but currently they're mostly getting chicken backs (0.49/lb or less), chicken necks (0.49/lb at one store, a bit more at another), turkey necks (1.20/lb), turkey tails (0.25/lb), duck wings (1.00/lb), chicken breasts (given to me for free), pork shoulder (1.00/lb), goat (various cuts for 3.00/lb), beef heart (1.99/lb), pork kidneys (0.70/lb), chicken livers (1.20/lb), lamb heart (0.99/lb), sardines (2.99/lb), and chicken gizzards (1.10-1.29/lb depending on store).

There was a time when I wasn't feeding any chicken because I got duck (necks and backs) for cheaper. For a while lamb was a staple because I got lamb on sale. Sometimes they get lots of chicken eggs if we get some for cheap/free. And once I was given a bunch of pork chops for free so the dogs got those almost every day. So really, I just go buy what I can get for cheap while still maintaining a variety of bone-in, boneless, and organ meats. Most of the prices I gave are after sales, too...look for meats about to expire. That's often the only way for me to get cheap beef or pork.

I wouldn't spend much for rabbit, to be honest. It's one thing if you're raising it yourself but for now I wouldn't pay a premium for it. Rabbit is very lean, too lean to be a staple. It's nice for variety but not particularly nutritious for dogs. See if you can find a good source for lamb, goat, or pork .

 

[Blacksheep]

Holy cow thats good! To be honest, I know spyro and loki tend to fast themselves so I'm forced to do gorge/fast even at 2% lol. Meat will probably last more than a year. As far as the freezer space rental, half of it will be designated for us humans too :thumbsup:
I like to garden so things like berries (that will probably be bought) can just go in the freezer and pulled out for things like smoothies and muffins.

 

[Dragonrain]

I should try to keep track of what I spend some month. I never really bother much to calculate it. I only have one dog, and he's on the small side. However, I spend a bit more than I would normally because my dog can't eat any poultry. Figures, because poultry is usually the cheapest around here.

So yeah, I guess I don't really have a budget. I just spend whatever and don't worry about it. I think it would be cool to raise my own meat for the dog someday, but my preference would be to raise poultry and yeah....that's a no go with my current dog, unfortunately.