After a few years of feeding Arden Grange, I am now feeding 4 of my 6 dogs Skinners Field/Trial duck and rice. Have to say I'm very pleased - with the way the dogs have taken to it, no change in condition (that's good) and most of all the price difference!

The two litters I've bred were reared on AG puppy food, no complaints there either. I'm wondering if anyone has used Skinners puppy food to raise a litter and if so, the verdict. Thanks

Yes, and I'd never do it again.  I raised two labrador litters on it, and they were unrelated to each other.  Their stools were just never quite right on it, but the worst thing for me was that I got very weak pasterns in the puppies.  I still have one, and there's no sign of any problems now at nearly 4 years old, but from about 7/8 weeks both litters had terribly slack pasterns.  I changed the two I kept onto JWB at about 12/14 weeks, and they improved with a lot of time.  I still fed the adult food though - mine were on F&T Salmon & Rice, which i fed for a few years and was happy with :-)

Yes, I weaned our first Golden Retriever litter on Skinners. They were fine, although I never had completley firm poos from the pups.

The second litter we had, were weaned straight onto the large breed puppy Arden Grange food. Although both litters had different sires, the second litter were noticeably bigger, chunkier, and we didn't have any loose stools right through to when they went to their new homes. They all had wonderful fluffy coats also.

So out of the two foods, would use Arden Grange again, not Skinners.

Had most of my gang (10 dogs) on the Duck and Rice for a couple of years but last year they started to refuse it and they're not a fussy bunch. Assumed they must have changed something in the recipe as the poos weren't as good. Now on raw, N. Diet and Applaws/Arden Grange

I've been using Skinners Field & Trial puppy for the last 8 years, and had no problems with it at all. It's easily digested, breaks down into a lovely porridge for easy weaning, can be used on puppies as young as 3 weeks old if early weaning is needed and all the puppies have thrived on it. I'd highly reccomend it.

Plus it's VAT free.

Wouldn't recommend it for rearing a large litter, it's just not enough .Doesn't put enough oooomph into the puppies. hard to explain .

I agree with the previous comment.

The difference in the two litters I've raised was very noticeable! The first litter weaned onto Skinners, the second Arden Grange.

''Wouldn't recommend it for rearing a large litter, it's just not enough .Doesn't put enough oooomph into the puppies''

Sorry I don't understand that, Why does the size of the litter matter????

Also interested in asking re size of litter? Do you mean difference between large and small breed, maybe?

Thanks all for comments.

Gundogs ...10/12 large hungry pups , obviously more drain on mum than her say having 5/6. Therefore  your weaning product has to be top notch.I start on Royal Canin weaning porridge. Welpi or Lactol / goat milk /sheep milk/evaporated milk half half warm water plus cereal /porridge for breakfast .Nothing like a whelping box full of porridgy puppies all licking it off the bowls and  one another ...wears them out  and they all fall asleep !
Raw minced tripe , chopped hardboiled eggs , mixed with Royal canin puppy weaning , gradually getting less sloppy for lunch . Rice pudding or scrambled eggs for tea depending on whether hard boiled eggs had been given.Evening.. Tripe/raw minced beef  plus Royal canin.
Personally I feel puppies / adult dogs are like people in that some will absorb their calcium and nutrients from one source , some from another. I personally don't just feed a dry all in  one complete.Most pups are going to a pet home , where a variety of food will be offered, including table scraps, despite being given a diet sheet

I have raised litters from 1 pup to Once raising a litter of 14 puppies (Mums 8, foster 6) all on a diet of Skinners topped up with Skinners Puppy Milk until they leave here. Most pups tend to gain nearly a kilo, some over a kilo a week on it, and Bassets aren't a small breed in fact they are considered a medium/large breed. All puppies have been fighting fit and boisterous bundles of fun on it. I wouldn't use anything else.

Yes, my two gundogs just started to refuse Skinners D&R last year.  Now one on fish and potato and other on premium chick and rice from workinghpr.  Hell of a job to find them some alternative to the skinners but fine now after having to trail and error with other food.

My adult dogs are on Skinners F&T Maintanance.....they didn't like the Duck or the Turkey flavour ones.

> I personally don't just feed a dry all in  one complete.

Same here.  Pups are used to a huge range prior to leaving me.