On our farm, it’s immensely important for us to utilize as much of each animal as possible. We work really hard to raise our animals well and we are so grateful for the nourishing meat they provide for our family and our community. However, there are some parts of the animal that are less desirable and we want nothing to go to waste.
A huge part of being as little waste as possible is to offer those less desirables as food or treats for pets. These items are all safe, human grade (except the chicken pet grind since it has ground bone) and are great sources of protein, fat, & nutrients. And the feet are like nature’s toothbrushes for dogs!
We will dig into all of our pet options, share some resources and walk you through how you can start incorporating some of our farm products into your pets diet.
Where to Start
If you’ve never fed your dog raw before, you may prefer to start with some items you can gently cook. However, as long as your dog is young & healthy, feeding raw should not be an issue.
We’d recommend consulting your vet before making any diet changes.
It’s always a good rule of thumb to start small when starting to feed raw and increase bit by bit over time until you're confident your pet is adjusting well to the changes.
A Breakdown of our Farm Offerings for Pets
Here are some items we offer that you can feed both gently cooked or raw. Just a few tablespoons on top of their dry food is a great way to start.
pet ground pork - roughly 80% meat and 20% fat, learn more about raw pork for dogs here
pet organ grind - roughly 45% liver, 15% heart, 20% kidney, 10% spleen and 10% fat
pork liver
pork heart
pork kidney
pork spleen
beef liver
chicken liver
chicken hearts
These are the items you must feed raw, since they contain bone. Any cooked bone can splinter and thus it would not be safe for your pet.
chicken pet grind - roughly 40% ground meat & skin, 60% bone
chicken feet - best for small/medium breeds or large breeds that don’t gulp, classified as raw meaty bone, great for dental health, recommend 1-2 feet per day during outside time, learn more here
pig feet - best for larger breeds, classified as raw meaty bone, full of protein & fat, great for dental health, recommend 1 foot per week during outside time, learn more here
pork snout - contain protein, a little fat, iron and plenty of collagen, recommend 1 per week during outside time
beef marrow bones - recommend feeding under supervision for 20 minutes at a time, 1 per week, learn more here
Finally, these items below are given more sparingly or as treats and must also be fed raw or frozen. We’d suggest feeding outside since it can get messy. Both of these items can help remove plaque and tartar, provide entertainment and are a good source of protein, glucosamine & chondroitin
pork tails - recommend 2 per week
pork ears - recommend 1 per week
For the feet, tail, snout and ears, we recommend supervising your pet the first few times they enjoy their treats to make sure they aren’t trying to swallow them whole.
They are meant to be slowly enjoyed and gnawed at before consuming. If your dog is just too excited and eats them too quickly without chewing thoroughly, you may wish to cut them into smaller pieces or ask your vet for further advice.
Transitioning to a 100% Raw Diet
Pets require a good balance of several essentials and I definitely suggest working closely with a vet if you are looking to move away from dry food completely to a raw only diet.
Most raw food diets recommend feeding 2% of your dogs weight daily. So if your dog is 100 lb, you would feed 2 lb per day, split over 1-2 meals. Smaller dogs will require a higher percentage however.
For puppies, you’d feed 10% of their weight daily, split over 3 meals.
Here is the rough breakdown of what they would need:
80% muscle meat
10% bone (must be fed raw)
10% organ
Here’s a great resource from a local vet if you’re looking to transition to raw only.
We also have a great relationship with a holistic vet in New Bern who offers amazing services especially if your dog is having health struggles. Check out her website here.