does anyone know if anyone makes a ready made up barf diet?I dont expect it will be cheap,but im still not confident my dogs are getting all the nutrients they need(I feed various raw mince,chicken wings,,cooked chicken,usually with a base of orijen,and a brewers yeast tablet,and kelp),and itd be nice to know there was a good meal in the freezer!thanks!

http://www.naturalinstinct.com/

We won some at a show in the Summer, its seems really good (although not cheap if you have large dogs like mine !)

thankyou,will have a look!

If you are using orijen why not consider raw meaty bones diet rather than barf . That way you are only giving meat (or fish) and no worries about balancing this and that.

I struggle with the precise definitions of Raw Meaty Bones and BARF diets - I dislike the 'anti' style of ranting from proponents of one against the other.  However there is good advice to be found in reading about both, if you can stand to wade through the evengelical nature of some of the US and Australian  sites!

What exactly is it that you are worried about?  Do you want to be feeding vegetables, fruit and grains?  Are there specific ingredients you already know are missing (I didn't see offal in your list for instance)?  If you support the raw diet with kibble - what are your percentages?  Do you cook the chicken just for the dogs or is this leftovers?

I find that getting the correct balance of meat to bones and offal is easier when managing larger amounts - how many dogs are you feeding?

There are commercially prepared 'raw' foods but I don't think anyone can do it as well as you as you are feeding to your own dogs likes, dislikes and needs.

hi,thanks for your reply,i think im just a born worrier.I just have two collies at the moment,although Im considering another pup(getting broody!)(just looking,and coo ing a lot at present),Id love to see Jess running and playing with another young dog,as ive always had at least two,and it feels wrong walking just one,Flyss can only make the rec at the bottom of the street,now.Whether to wait till flyss has gone,i dont know,maybe itd be kinder.Jess certainly looks and acts as fit as a fiddle,but shes young,most look fit when theyre young!could be harbouring deficiencies!I give about half raw and half kibble,and i generally try different meat minces with each order,this time i had beef and kidney mince,lamb mince,poultry chunks and heart chunks(i get chicken wings from asda)I give cooked chicken mainly for flyss,as shes poorly with lymphoma and i wanted to be nice to her,probably share two a week between them,and the cats.I do give liver,too,small amounts and cooked(flyss very sensitive tum)As for fruit and veg-im not sure!i dont feed it at the mo apart from a bit of cooked leftovers.flyss will chomp the odd raw carrot.jess still buries her bones,i swear shes not wired up right!ive got a lovely friendly butcher ,and i dont take advantage as she doesnt eat them!(bones,not butchers!)she will usually have the wings though.ive read so much from various sources,buti still worry!I wont give up,though!

sorry dogs a babe wasnt getting on any soap box about the differences just suggesting that collie pam looks at both and decides which she thinks is more appropriate for her thoughs. Its just that often when we talk raw we all think we mean the same diet and sometimes we dont so it gets confusing.
When I talk about how my dogs are fed (raw meaty bones) it is pure meat and fish no fruit or veg carbs in any other form etc. Its only recently when pople start say what about fruit and veg etc I realise we arnt all on the same train. lol
natural instinct complete I believe would be BARF style. Personally I think you go down which  ever route you feel is appropriate for you and your dogs. Its just that sometimes when people say raw and is it difficult and what about balancing etc they are talking usually about barf not rmb

Basically in my view you read and reasearh and make up your own mind I wont be preaching !!

>sorry dogs a babe wasnt getting on any soap box about the differences

Tee hee - no I appreciate that and I didn't mean advice from real people either.  It's just that 'we' often suggest that people read up on the different styles of raw feeding without realising how preachy the websites can be.  Some of them would have you believe that their way is the ONLY way!!

Incidentally I take the middle ground and don't know what I'd describe my feeding style as!  I don't feel like I'm a BARF girl as I don't routinely feed fruit, veg or carbs as part of their diet (or consider it necessary) but they do sometimes get these as 'leftovers' or as treats because they like them.  Also, some veg trim or peelings are better in my dogs than on the compost, and it certainly does no harm.  I don't feel entirely RMB either as the only meat I feed on the bone is chicken and lamb, I feed a larger variety as mince or chunks, I don't include fur or feather and I'm a bit sqeamish about whole rabbits.  When I talk about balancing it's about getting the ratio of meat, bone and offal right.

...I used to think I was indecisive but now I'm not so sure...  :)

I used to be indecisive oh thats me and dont get me started on vaccines , I really am not so sure lol
and yes I think we feed very similaly in that mine get left overs more as atreat than anything and since particulaly little one is such a greedy guts a bit of cooked veg is at least low in calories wont touch them raw !