So I'm waiting for approval to lurk on the Yahoo raw feeding forum... But I thought I'd solicit some info here.
Right now the adult girls are getting Nature's Variety patties in the evening until I can sort out my home-prepped raw feeding. They'll get morning kibble meals at least until our bags run out, and at that point, we'll decide whether to go full raw or not-- one reason we'd wanted to keep up kibble was so we could board them easily. But I'm pretty confident that the place we use will feed my guys raw for me, so I'm less concerned now.
Anyway, I'm also awaiting some info on a lead for an affordable chicken neck and back supplier. The chicken outlet stores here don't carry them. Until then, chicken leg quarters are my best deal. We also haven't decided whether we'll grind or feed whole, and I know all the arguments in favor of each-- it's going to be a matter of how we feel most comfortable.
If I can't get backs and necks at a good price around here, and I end up using primarily leg quarters, do I need to add some bone meal or egg shell? The other meats will be probably pork necks and ground-meat-only beef or turkey (any exotics will likely be NV patties or freezer-burned meats from friends). I'm having a really hard time getting my head around making sure the ca/phos ratio is correct. Some sites and books suggest that leg quarters are just right, others say they're too meaty, and so you need to be sure that they or any meat-only meals in the rotation are supplemented by Ca. And if we're still feeding kibble for another couple of months, I'm not sure it's much of an issue, really... But after that?
Ugh. I'm so confused. They love it so much and I think it will be cheaper for us in the long run and better for their health, but right now, trying to get my head around the many many MANY differing opinions on it is tough.