OK, I know this topic has been done to death but I cannot for the life of me work this out!!lol
I am trying to price the difference between how/what I feed now to feeding raw.  Can anyone help?

I have a large breed 9 month old who eat 20kgs of RCJunior per month costing £50
3 gundogs which eat 15kg CSJ per month(approx) costing £20

My large breed will be around 30 kgs adult weight
1 small gundog aged 2 - 14kgs (perfect)
1 small gundog aged 11 - 16kgs(slightly overweight since spaying)
1 medium gundog aged 5 - 20kgs (perfect)

So, can anyone work out how much (obviously approx) it would cost to change everyone to raw?  Probably talking DAF frozen packs, some bones, etc.

I can feed 3 Leonbergers, 50+kg each, for around £45 to £50 per month. I get mine from an abattoir so probably cheaper than supplier? That includes meat, carcass, necks etc. bones are free and as many as I like.

I would say you will need 1.5kg of food a day to feed all 4 dogs. At a quick look on the DAF site if you fed them the assorted box of minced meats it would cost about £63 per month. But do not forget the freeby bones etc you may be able to get from the butcher which help bring the costa down.
It costs me about £100 a month to feed 3 Bernese with a combined weight of 169 kg.
Aileen

I used the raw food calculator and assumed the following % of bodyweight: 

large breed 9 month old - 30 kgs adult weight - 3.5% for active growing puppy = 1050 grams per day
1 small gundog aged 2 - 14kgs (perfect) - 3% to maintain = 420 grams per day
1 small gundog aged 11 - 16kgs(slightly overweight since spaying) 2% for older less active dog needs to lose weight = 320 grams per day
1 medium gundog aged 5 - 20kgs (perfect) - 3% to maintain = 600 grams per day

Total mince per day = 2390 grams which is just over 5 packs (pack size 454g).  I buy minced chicken, tripe, economy meat, beef and lamb at an average cost of 50p per pack

You currently pay £70 per month for kibble.  5.25 packs of raw mince per day works out at £78.75 per month.  I haven't calculated the price of bone or offal, or bags of kibble for back up, but in the past when I've looked at my figures I reckon it costs me on average £1 per day per dog (I have 2 at 30kg and one at 13kg) to feed raw.  It's all going to depend on how much you pay for your food.

You may need to tweak the % amounts I've quoted based on energy and exercise as well as how efficiently they manage their food.  At different life stages, and time of year, I've had youngsters on 4% and older less active dogs on only 2%.  All depends...

Looking at it another way;

RC Junior at the costs you have given is £2.50 a kilo and approximately £1.66 a day assuming you feed 666g per day (20kgs/30 days per month)
CSJ is £1.33 a kilo and £0.66p a day assuming you feed all 3 gundogs a total of 500g.
This means it currently costs you a total of £2.33 a day to feed all your dogs and so would be your target to break even on raw.

Using the 2.39kgs dogsababe gave as the total amount of meat you would feed you should be looking at a cost of around 97p per kilo to pay out the same as you would now.  I don't know how much DAF charge but that should give you an idea of the kind of target price you should be looking for.

WOW! Thanks you brainy lot!! (Luddingtonhall, you lost me completely.lol!!)

My lot used to be on Raw and I got all the meat/bones from my local butcher but it was all too samey so I stopped then when pup came along, I don't have the knowledge or experiecne to rear her on raw.  I tried to keep the oldies on Raw but pup wouldn't eat her kibble(who can blame her!!).  Now, it's getting to the time where I put her onto adult food and looking through the different types of food, I realised that I wanted to go back to raw.  I'm going to use DAF this time as I want varitey and it's a better type of bone I can get for them.
What company is it that minces bones into the meat?

I've looked at this post with interest. But what about the cost of supplements, added to the raw feeding? From books I've read it's highly unlikely to get the correct balance on raw alone ... or maybe it isn't?

Well, although I put that I would feed meat & bones, my dogs also get leftovers and with 6 people eating meals/snacks in our house, that accounts for a lot of leftovers.  Right now, my lot get milk and cereal mixed in with the morning kibble.  And then I put a bowl out for leftovers during the day.  This usually has bread and fruit(apple cores and melon skins for eg) and then after tea, their will be dinner scraps added.  I don't give my kids any supplements as they have a varied diet, so why would my dogs need it.  My dogs also get chicken wings/legs and fish but I buy these now and locally so I didn't bother to add that into the first post either.  I also buy a turkey leg each week and they get eggs too.  I mush up the shells so they don't notice.  So between that lot, i don't feel the need to supplement.

Also, I like to think of raw feeding more like natural feeding.  If you imagine what dogs or even wolves would have ate all those years ago, it would have been very similar(to raw) and opportunistic.  We went out for a lovely walk on Sunday and found some blackberry bushes that were ripe.  My dogs had a great feast munching on those(as did me and the kids!!).  Dogs wouldn't have had a 'complete', balanced meal.  They ate to survive and did really well.  Much better than we feed them now!

I understand that, guess I should have worded it to those people who do already raw feed ... do they give supplements to 'ensure' everything is balanced and if so how much does that factor in?

I know it's not always that easy to get everything just right - said as a long time vegetarian (not now) who was extremely anaemic once 'cause I didn't get the balance right. I think left to their own devices dogs would actually manage their diets rather well - however, a human is in charge! I'm asking as I'm thinking along similar lines to you ... going raw ;-) With 6 fit and active, working dogs all with good appetites cost IS a consideration. I would like to say that money is no object but it is ... they already eat considerably better quality grub than I do! I know what costs I have now with kibble and the usual extras of vegetables, raw, eggs, etc. You've asked the first bit of the question with some great answers given ... I'd like to sit back and see what else comes along ;-)

Trialist, I completely understand now.  Are you thinking like me?  Cost is an issue these days, especially when I have 4 kids to feed too!

I remember back in my grandfathers day, he would feed all his kennel tripe with a mixer biscuit.  The mixer was a type of carb mix thing and the tripe was for the meat content.  Why is that such a bad thing these days? To mix both types of feeding.  I think that would be a be cheaper to feed a lot of dogs with a mixer and meat and maybe that would be more balanced?

RAW FEEDERS???Any thoughts?

> I think that would be a be cheaper to feed a lot of dogs with a mixer and meat and maybe that would be more balanced?

I feed mine with mixer and raw meat (sometimes cooked rice instead of mixer). Meat is a mixture of butcher's pet mince (contains offal), chicken wings/poultry necks etc, Prize Choice meat, eggs, pilchards, fruit, veg, small amounts of our leftovers - curry etc etc :) They get fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin and recreational bones. I've been feeding the older one (14+) this for 13 years and the younger one (who is 10) since she was about 16 weeks. They are different breeds - the older is a Battersea 57 Heinz and the younger an Aussie.

A healthier pair of dogs you couldn't meet. Older dog is in perfect health for his age (apart from a slight bit of stiffness in his rear end) and our vet reckons he looks about 9 :) Younger dog is also in perfect health. They never have stomach upsets or runny poos and eat everything and anything as quickly as possible and have never had any problem eating grain.

To add - I don't calculate any ratios. I do weigh quantities of the meat so they don't get too much. Certainly don't stress about it :)

> But what about the cost of supplements, added to the raw feeding? From books I've read it's highly unlikely to get the correct balance on raw alone ... or maybe it isn't?

I'd be interested to read this material and to understand what your author/s say are the dietary gaps (can you point me to one of your books please - I'm happy to do a bit more revision).  It's all too easy to miss things out BUT it's my experience that with the right planning you shouldn't have to add costly supplements

I do supplement menu gaps, for instance none of my dogs have ever taken to raw fish (and I don't have a good supplier for this either) so as I can't get this into their raw diet, they get a fish kibble meal once a week with added salmon mousse and tinned sardines.

I also feed some supplements for health reasons - one of my dogs has allergies and he benefits from Garlic and Fenugreek tablets from Dorwest during allergy season, another dog has recently been diagnosed with a nail condition so he gets an essential fatty acids supplement and I'm very careful now to ensure he gets the correct ratio of liver.  Interestingly his nail condition seemed to have been managed well enough with his diet and it only came to light when I dropped his weekly fish meal and reduced the amount of liver I was feeding...

This was my problem when I fed raw, I had to order frozen, plus delivery and it worked out much more expensive than a mid range decent complete (especially when you factor in supplements, which are not cheap).

No freebies around here the butchers charge for every scrap, and local abatoir won't deal with General Public.

My lot have been raw fed now for about 5 years. I have never added any supliments. They are fit and healthy glossy coats shining teeth and good strong bones. I just make sure they get  a wide variety of things including bone, meat, offal, fish, eggs, yoghurt, veg. They have chicken carcass twice a week chicken necks twice a week, raw sprats 3 - 4 times a week, eggs once, yoghurt once, They have minced complete including bone, offal, liver, tripe and chicken and an oily fish complete with fish bones (Crushed) fish, tripe and crushed veg. They also have plain tripe most days to which I add the above in rotation. They have table scraps and when I can get them they have lamb rib racks prob once a month. Sometimes I get bags of "stuff" from the butcher which may include sausages, chicken bits, odd scraps of beef fat, kidneys etc... When I go to the butchers who prossess my human meat he gives my all sorts of bits and I often buy pig/cow/sheep tongues and chop them into lumps the girls love them. Raw feeding is all about variety and ballancing diet over a longer time. You cannot raw feed a completly balanced diet in every meal (Unless you get a pre-made complete mix) and chewing bones is needed for teeth so would still need to get them occasionally.
Some butchers charge for scraps some do not, but at £1.50 a carrier bag full (Locally) or there abouts I do not complain.
It may cost about the same as a mid range complete kibble but I am happy to pay as I would not be happy feeding anything less then a top grade high meat content kibble like Orijen. That is more expensive than raw for me.
Raw feeding is not right for every person or every dog but it suits us. I know someone who feeds nothing but chicken carcass and tripe and has done for years her large breed dogs thrive on it and are happy and healthy. Others who feed what may be considered rubbish food and again they have happy healthy dogs. A local woman feeds nothing but Bakers and her dog looks well on it and it suits his tummy!
No two dogs are the same and it is trial and error to find something both you and your dog is happy with.
Aileen

I agree with merlot  very good post and close to what I do (sounds like she has a good buthcher too which I dont :()I  have been feeding raw for 5 + years now. Mine get mostly raw meat and fish I only add veg too Brookes food because she needs to lose abit and it bulks her food up. I am of the school of thought that dogs are carniivores and dont need carbs so the odd carbs they get is optional and not obligitory. Think that is probably the biggest difference i raw feeding beliefs but you do as you you decide is best for you situation and dogs
It costs me about £50pm to fee 40kg gsd 30kg flat coat and a tiny pomx I know it would cost me more on kibble ( not that is the reason I feed raw although cost is a factor) A large bag of medium range kibble would last about 6 weeks for my gsd and would be in the order of £45
As for sourcing currently I get most of my food from albion but what I cant get from them I top up woth another supplier that way they get a fair range of food plus odd supermarket bits if on chea as well as tinned fish. I dont add suplements my understanding after research is that with a good range of food and if possible as near its original state as is practical ie beef chunks not mince ( I do feed mine as well) dogs will get a goodenough balanced diet. I am happy with the health of all of mine 

I feed 7 golden retrievers on raw. I have a delivery from Landywoods every 6 weeks which costs me £50 then a delivery of tripe from Albion every 6 weeks which is around £45 and I visit an abbatoir for bones and ox hearts once every 3 weeks and spend £15. So I spend approx £125 every 6 weeks and I used to spend that every 4 weeks on complete food. If you can buy in bulk it does work out much cheaper than buying smaller quantities.

Mel.