101 Ways to Save Money on Raw Feeding

I know you’ll agree with me when I say that saving money on raw feeding is a must! We don’t want to waste money on raw food any more than we want to flush it down the toilet.

The problem is that you can easily find yourself wasting hundreds every year if you don’t know the easy steps to take in order to decrease costs by as much as 80%. Have no fear! I have 101 tips that will help you save money on raw feeding.

Feeding raw isn’t just about raising healthy dogs (though that’s the #1 priority!). It’s also about saving money. People tell me all the time that they can’t afford to feed their dogs a raw diet.

The opposite is true. You can’t afford NOT to feed your dog raw.

Use these ways to save money on raw feeding and you’ll save more money than you ever thought possible. And not only will you save month to month, you’ll also save thousands on vet visits and medical care throughout your healthy, raw fed dog’s life.

This is a long list so I’ve placed my TOP 5 tips at the very top (numbers 1-5)! If you do nothing else, do these first 5 things!

1. Weigh meals.

A lean dog is a healthy dog. Weighing meals not only keeps your dogs light and fit, it also keeps you from wasting money on overfeeding. There’s nothing wrong with eyeballing meals, but if you’re trying to stick to a budget it’s best to weight them.

2. Add fat.

In my opinion, this is the single best (and fastest) way to reduce costs. If you have a dog who isn’t keeping weight on (whether he’s very active or has a faster metabolism), instead of upping his food (if you’re already feeding 2.5-3%) try adding fat to his diet. This will give him the added calories he needs without overfeeding him. A higher fat diet will also help with energy, and skin and coat health.

3. Pre-portion meals.

Pre-portioning meals will help you make the most of what’s in your freezer. If you’ve been feeding raw for a little while, you know that things get lost in a freezer (or two) full of meats, bones and organs. And when you come across 20 lbs. of forgotten chicken feet, you may not be able to feed them until you go out and buy more meat to even out the ratio. Make sure everything you have is being well utilized!

4. Don’t buy pre-made raw food.

Aside from the fact that it’s low quality and you don’t really know what you’re buying because the pet food industry is unregulated, pre-made raw food is as much as 10x more expensive. I never recommend pre-made raw food and I never will. Support your local meat markets and farmers instead.

5. Create relationships with local hunters.

This is a must in my book! Hunters love what they do and if they can share their kills with someone who can make good use of them, most are more than happy to do so. Many hunters will field gut an animal, leaving the organs behind. In this case, you’ll only be able to get your hands on bones and unwanted scraps. But if they do bring the whole animal back you may be able to get your hands on unwanted organs as well. Just know that hunters can’t sell or barter for these things as it’s illegal.

6. Store meals in reusable containers.

While I really like my Weston Food Saver, it’s far more economical to store proportioned meals in reusable containers.

7. Get to know local anglers.

Just like hunters, anglers often have fish meat, bones and organs that end up in the trash.

8. Feed one meal per day.

When fed two times per day my dogs ate ½ lb. more each day than they do now. That’s 1 lb. more per day that I was feeding the two dogs. Once I switched to one meal per day their bodies became extraordinarily more efficient and I had to back off of how much I fed them because they were putting on too much weight.

9. Make bone broth.

Bone broth is extremely nutritious and costs next to nothing to make.

10. Take up canning.

Canning bone broth ensures that you have a good supply, year-round. If you’re anything like me, then cooking bone broth isn’t your favorite thing in the world to do. I don’t like leaving the crockpot on overnight (Spoiler: thanks to that awful episode of the TV show This Is Us) so I end up sleeping on the couch to keep a close eye on it. I like being able to cook a lot at one time and canning it so I don’t have to spend too many nights on the couch. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t feed it as often.

11. Feed more organs.

While the ideal raw diet ratio is 80% muscle meat, 10% organ and 10% bone, there’s no harm in feeding a bit more inexpensive organ meat in place of muscle meat so long as you adjust the bone content as well to keep stools firm.

12. Feed more bone if needed.

While the 80/10/10 rule still stands, some dogs need more bone than others. If your dog has loose stools, increase the bone percentage of their meals. I’ve seen many people feed too little bone. Some dogs may need as much as 20%. Know your dog!

13. Feed some “extras.”

In my eBook I explain the difference between organs and “extras,” as I call them. Extras are things like intestines and tripe that have little-to-no nutritional value in the form of vitamins and minerals but can still be added to meals and make up around (but no more than) 10%. They are extremely inexpensive parts of an animal.

14. Buy in bulk.

Buying prepackaged meats and organs from the supermarket is costly. Instead, you should be buying in bulk from your local meat market. Bulk means 30+ lb. boxes.

15. Buy what’s on sale.

Yes, I just told you NOT to buy from your local supermarket, but there are cases when you can spend less by buying meat on sale than buying the same meat in bulk.

16. Clip coupons.

Coupons for meat are few and far between, but when you do find them you can save some extra cash!

17. Order frozen meats.

Always specify that the items you order in bulk be frozen. Meats that have never been frozen or are already thawed when you pick them up will cost you more.

18. Ask what’s in the back.

When I used to buy from my local meat market, on pickup day the owner would always say “Hey I’ve got _____ in the back that I have too much of. Do you want it?” Heck yes!

19. Create a strong relationship with your local meat market owner.

How nice would it be to have someone call YOU when they need to get some meat off their hands? I can tell you from experience that it’s pretty awesome.

20. Ask your meat market to pull out their price list.

Most meat markets have a printed price list. They’re not going to let you see it, but here’s what you can ask. “While I’m here, can you pull out your price list and tell me the cheapest cuts you can sell me, from each animal?”

21. Buy unclaimed orders.

It happens more often that you’d think. Someone places a large (or even small) order with their local meat market then backs out when it arrives. Let your market know that you’d be interested in any orders they get stuck with. When they call, ask them if they can negotiate on the price since you’re taking it off their hands and promise to pick it up that day.

22. The bigger the order, the better.

If you have the freezer room ask your local meat market if they can offer a discount on a large order. When I say large, I’m talking 500+ lbs. Some meat markets might want you to buy 1,000-1,500 lbs. or more. This purchase will last you a year if you have 2-3 medium-large dogs.

23. Buy in bulk with a friend or friends.

If a local store is willing to give you a discount on a large order, but the order is more than you need or can fit in your freezer, get other local raw feeding friends to place one big order with you. This will help you meet the store’s requirements.

24. Make deliveries for a small fee.

Buying in bulk is a little messy. Some people don’t have a truck bed and have to put the large boxes in their cars. A friend willing to pick their orders up for them and deliver them to their house could be worth spending a little extra money for the delivery.

25. Buy inexpensive cuts.

Filets are for birthdays, if you so choose. For every other day of the year focus on buying inexpensive cuts of meat. The quality of different cuts only varies according to tenderness. The nutritional values are all pretty similar. So, a tough, inexpensive cut is just as healthful as a coveted filet.

26. Buy odds and ends.

Things like chicken heads aren’t on the average person’s grocery list. Anything that isn’t in high demand will be far less expensive, maybe a little harder to get your hands on, but worth calling around about.

27. Buy things that are taboo to eat in your country.

While chicken feet are a popular bar snack in other parts of the world they’re pretty taboo here in the US. They are fairly cheap here and contain lots of healthy connective tissues, as do all poultry feet.

28. Stay away from delicacies.

Duck heads are a popular choice among raw feeders, but make sure you’re buying duck heads with the tongues removed. Duck tongues are a delicacy and not something you want to pay extra for.

29. Ask your local meat market for trimmings.

Before you ask your local meat market for trimmings they’d otherwise throw away, you need to be a paying customer and establish a relationship. I urge you not to walk into a meat market for the first time and ask for freebies. You’ll lose out on a good relationship.

30. Buy seasonally.

We don’t really eat seasonally like our ancestors once did, but come Thanksgiving there are a lot of turkey heads and turkey feet to go around. Most of the year, these items are hard to get ahold of so stock up while you can. I personally like to buy Goose heads and feet during the holidays while White Oaks Pastures has them available!

31. Ask your local meat market if they’d be willing to offer a referral program.

If you know other raw feeders in your area ask your local meat market if you could earn a discount by sending bulk order customers to them. Remember, you need to establish a strong relationship first, before you start asking for these money-saving options.

32. Ask your local meat market if they offer a pet grind.

While I do preach against feeding grinds, if you’re really pressed for money your local meat market might be able to sell you an inexpensive grind made from scraps that they otherwise would not be willing to give you.

33. Connect with other raw feeders in your area.

As raw feeders you understand that budgeting is a must and will be able to help each other out.

34. Join a co-op.

Co-operatives are voluntary organizations, open to people able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, which can vary. Raw feeding co-ops are a great way to save money when buying bulk.

35. Create a co-op.

No raw feeding co-op in your area? Then create one!

36. Buy from local farmers.

Above all else, I want to see you supporting local farmers who raise their animals on organic and natural diets, in natural environments, ethically. Buying directly from farmers can be less expensive than you think.

37. Buy local scraps.

Local, small-scale farmers who sell directly to the public often do their own butchering and because of this, some of them are willing to supply raw feeders with pieces and parts that would normally be discarded.

38. Help small-scale farmers value add.

Local, small-scale farms are always looking to value add. If the farmer raises chickens and sells the meat locally, chances are, they’re composting the heads, hearts, feet, lungs, kidneys and possibly even the liver. Buy all of it that you can!

39. Be open to taking livestock that has to be unexpectedly culled.

Sometimes an animal doesn’t make it to market due to injury. Farmers lose money every time this happens. Create a relationship with your farmer and let them know you’re open to taking unusable meat off their hands. For instance, a local beef farmer recently called me asking if I wanted a whole cow. She had broken her leg and had to be put down. The meat was good, but the farmer didn’t have buyers for it because she was an older cow which is less desirable meat. Always make sure the animal hasn’t been put down with chemicals. In this case the cow was put down with a shotgun.

40. Ask for small grow outs.

A “grow out” is an animal being raised for market. Sometimes an animal just doesn’t grow as fast as the others. Many small-scale farmers don’t want to take smaller animals to markets, to sell. They want to sell uniform products. Ask your local farmer if you could buy any animals that didn’t grow to market weight for a discount. This would apply to poultry, rabbits and other small animals.

41. Purchase livestock on sale.

“Everything must go.” is an unfortunate situation some small-scale farmers find themselves in. Though it’s an unfortunate situation for a farmer, it’s an opportunity for you to get your hands on animals for butchering. If you’re not comfortable butchering an animal yourself, you can take it to someone local for processing.

42. Contact local butchers.

Local, small-scale butchers are hard to come by these days, but they do still exist! If you’re lucky to live close to one, start a relationship. One reason to do this is because they can call you when someone is selling an animal for slaughter that they need off their hands immediately. For example, recently a sale fell through on a cow and the farmer was offering $500 off the purchase price to get him sold fast. That’s big savings!

43. Ask for scraps.

Just like local meat markets, butchers toss out trash bag after trash bag of scraps on a daily basis, and may be willing you let you in on some freebies.

44. Fat by the box.

Buying fat by the 30 lb. box full is a HUGE win. The last time I bought 30 lbs. worth of fat trim from a local butcher it cost me $5.

45. Bones, bones and more bones.

Botchers have more bones than they know what to do with. And I’m talking marrow bones for bone broth. $5 per 30+ lb. box is what I pay.

46. Unwanted organs.

People who send their animals to local butchers don’t always see the value in organs and don’t request those parts be packaged and given back to them. Ask for any unwanted major organs, minus the digestive tract.

47. Buy an extra freezer.

It’s not fun to have to turn down freebies or good deals just because you don’t have the freezer space.

48. Buy a whole cow.

Buying a whole cow is easier than it sounds. Simply contact the butcher shop for a reference on who to buy from and that seller will deliver to the butcher for you. All you have to do is pick up your packaged meat. The benefit of buying a whole cow is that you can request that they package EVERYTHING for you. That includes fat trim, organs, the head, tail and feet, etc.

49. Buy half a cow or a quarter of a cow.

Not ready to commit to buying a whole cow? You can buy a half or a quarter. The only downside is that you may not get the organs.

50. Visit your local fair every year.

The 4-H kids work hard every year to bring their finest animals to the yearly fair. After they’ve shown the animals, most put them up for auction on the last day of the fair. Anyone can bid and the money raised goes to support the 4-H program. If you do put in a winning bid, the animal will be delivered to the local slaughterhouse for you. It’s a great way to support your community and give back! Plus, the purchase is tax deductible.

51. Get to know local farmers at fairs.

The fair is a great chance for you to get to know the small farmers in your area. You never know who is right down the road from you with market-ready livestock.

52. Get to know local homesteaders.

Homesteaders understand the desire to break away from the status quo in order to feed healthier foods. They also have a strong belief (one that we should all have) that nothing should go to waste. When they butcher a rabbit or chicken, homesteaders would much rather see the heads and feet (etc.) go to someone who can use them vs tossing them in a compost pile.

53. Ask friends for unwanted/freezer-burned meat.

Freezer burn does diminish the quality of the meat, but there’s no real harm in feeding it to your dogs. Plus, it’s free! A little here and there is okay.

54. Place an add on Craigslist.

Place an ad on Craigslist for unwanted/freezer-burned meat. You’ll get emails from people who are curious about why you want it (and you may get a mean email or two), but an ad like this can put you in contact with generous people who are getting ready to spring-clean their freezers. Just be careful when meeting people you don’t know. Always meet in a public place and if you don’t feel comfortable feeding your dog meat from a particular person (if you’re worried about someone having ill intensions) then go with your gut and toss it in the trash.

55. Join local Facebook groups.

You can ask for unwanted freezer meat and join agricultural groups to find unwanted home-grown meat or hunted meat.

56. Start hunting.

Hunting is a great way to contribute to your state’s conservation efforts and also fill your freezer with fresh, wild game.

57. Start fishing.

If hunting is too out of your comfort zone, start with fishing. A fishing license and gear is inexpensive and well worth the investment. Even just a couple of fishing trips can save you a good chunk of change.

58. Buy bait fish.

Mullet is an inexpensive bait fish where I live. It’s about as long as my hand and a healthful addition to my dogs’ meals.

59. Ask friends for unwanted fish heads.

Fish heads are normally thrown in the trash. If you live near a lot of water like I do, you probably have friends who fish and toss the heads.

60. Fish oil instead of fish.

Buying fresh fish from the store is extremely expensive. If you have no cheaper way of getting your hands on fish, fish oil will be a less expensive way for you to add omega-3 fatty acids to your dogs’ meals.

61. Call local wildlife rangers about fresh roadkill.

In the unfortunate situation where an animal such as a deer gets hit and killed by a car, call your local wildlife rangers and ask them to come to the scene and go through the procedures to allow you to take the animal for harvest. This might sound like an odd idea to those who live in populated cities, but it’s common not to let an animal go to waste in rural areas.

62. Create a relationship with your local wildlife rangers.

There are times when rangers have to put injured animals down and having you as a contact to pick the carcasses up for harvest is a win for both sides. Just make sure the animal wasn’t given drugs at any time. Usually, a fast death by shotgun is how they’ll take care if it.

63. Don’t overfeed.

People overfeed their dogs all the time. In doing so they’re spending money that they could be saving and putting weight on their animals that is unhealthy.

64. Don’t feed treats.

Unless you’re actively training your dog there is no need for treats. Treats disrupt the fasting period in between meals and are simply not needed. Your dog is going to love you whether you feed treats or not and a well-mannered dog doesn’t need to be bribed to obey simple commands.

65. Start homesteading.

Our food system is extremely fragile these days. Not only that, but factory-farmed animals live unimaginably horrible lives and the end result is a less healthy meat. Raising your dogs’ meat (and your own) is rewarding and incredibly beneficial for your dogs’ health. This is a big step to take, but well worth every bit of energy you put into it.

66. Buy local eggs.

Where I live there are eggs for sale signs everywhere. Some eggs around here sell for as little as $2 per dozen. That’s $2 for fresh eggs that came from happy hens.

67. Buy eggs seasonally and freeze.

While it’s best to feed eggs fresh, chickens lay seasonally and production drops off in very cold and even very hot weather. Other times of the year chickens lay abundantly. This means that someone selling eggs from their backyard flock might have times when they’re up to their eyeballs in eggs and can’t sell them fast enough. Offer to buy their eggs any time this happens (at a discount) and freeze what you don’t feed, for later in the year.

68. Feed eggs to tolerance.

Eggs shouldn’t be overfed, but you may be able to feed them more than you realize. A whole raw egg (shell and all) is a complete source of nutrition. Instead of feeding one per meal, for example, you may be able to feed 2-3 depending on your dog’s tolerance. Feeding to tolerance means that you feed that food so long as it doesn’t give them runny stools or an upset stomach. Every dog is different so know your dog!

69. Raise chickens for eggs.

Backyard chicken flocks are a fast-growing trend. Chickens bred for laying eggs will lay as many as 6-7 per week. Just a few hens, fed chicken scraps and feed, can supply you with dozens of eggs per week at little cost.

70. Raise chickens for meat.

Meat chickens grow quickly and are ready for butcher in as little as 8 weeks. You may even be able to raise enough chicken in one batch to last you the year.

71. Raise ducks for eggs.

Duck eggs are extremely nutritious but hard to come by. Dogs with dry skill and brittle hair benefit greatly from the fats found in raw duck eggs, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on these expensive eggs. A flock of 5 female ducks (hens) is all you need for an abundant supply.

72. Raise ducks for meat.

Red meat is the most expensive meat on the market because of it’s high nutritional value and all that goes in to raising a red meat animal. Meat ducks grow quickly and are a very healthy supply of red meat. Feed them weeds and kitchen scraps on top of their daily feed to greatly lower the cost of raising them to butcher weight.

73. Raise quail for eggs.

Quail eggs are generally even more expensive than duck eggs, by weight. These little birds are easy to raise and don’t need a lot of room. They’re so small that you could even raise them on kitchen scraps, inside your city apartment.

74. Raise quail for meat.

Quail grow to butcher weight by 8 weeks. That’s a fast turnaround time. They eat very little feed and are easy to manage. Buying quail at the store is very expensive. Raising your own is well worth the low costs.

75. Sell eggs.

If you raise enough birds for eggs you may end up with extras on a regular basis. Sell the eggs to offset your costs.

76. Sell hatching eggs.

While eggs for eating can sell for between $2-$8 per dozen, hatching eggs (eggs fertilized by a male) can sell for as much as $100 per dozen if you have really nice, show quality birds (chickens, ducks, turkeys or geese).

77. Sell chicks.

Invest in an incubator and sell day old chicks. Chicks generally sell very quickly.

78. Save blood.

Blood is incredibly nutritious. When butchering, make sure you’re collecting the blood. If you can get blood from a local butcher you’ll likely never run out.

79. Invest in a small farmer.

Know someone who wants to start or expand a small farming operation? Invest some money for a percentage of the animal products in return (meat and/or eggs).

80. Buy small livestock for seasonal butchering.

Sheep and goats are fun to raise each year. You can buy young stock and raise them up over a few months, then butcher and fill your freezer. They’re much easier than raising a cow or even a hog and are very healthy red meat.

81. Raise turkeys and geese.

These birds are not prolific layers but are good for meat. Geese produce red meat while turkeys are considered white meat.

82. Raise rabbits.

Rabbits are one of the easiest animals to raise for meat. They reproduce well and a good line of rabbits will produce quite a lot of meat. They are also extremely quiet and easy to handle.

83. Sell livestock.

While the goal is to raise livestock to fill your freezer, if you have quality livestock you may want to sell some animals instead of butchering. For example, a top-quality rabbit might sell for $75-$100. It’s smarter to sell that rabbit than butcher for 5-8 lbs. of meat.

84. Take unwanted livestock.

Some people struggle to get rid of aggressive livestock animals or animals that are getting up there in age. These people generally find it hard to butcher their livestock and would rather give them away so someone else can do the deed. For example, many people end up with unwanted roosters each year and want to give them to someone who can use them.

85. Sell manure.

The manure from all of these animals is highly sought after by gardeners. Especially rabbit manure. You’ll either need to use this manure on your own garden or find a way to get rid of it, if you like on a small piece of land. Bag it up and sell it to offset your costs!

86. Raise fish.

Raising fish is becoming ever more popular and helps you ensure that your dogs are eating clean fish that haven’t been in contact with chemicals that are seeping into our oceans at alarming rates.

87. Contact local restaurants to see what they do with unusable meat.

There’s a good chance you can find a restaurant willing to call you when they have raw meat they’re no longer able to use.

88. Swap goods.

Have too much of a good thing? Remember, variety is key to a healthy raw diet! Find fellow raw feeders who need more of what you have and less of what they have.

89. Prep meals well in advance.

There are few better feelings than having a month’s worth of prepped, frozen meals in your freezer. What I’ve found is that if people don’t keep a constant supply of meals ready to feed they’ll end up overfeeding the dogs for a few days when the meals run out. That overfeeding can really add up!

90. Use an accurate, digital scale.

My little $10 digital scale was worth every penny. When using my old scale, I packed plenty of meals that were “close enough” to the weight I was shooting for. That can result in overfeeding. While I generally eyeball meals these days, I wouldn’t have wanted to start this journey without my trusty digital scale.

91. Stay away from all branded products.

I see people waste 100s upon 100s of dollars every year on poor quality, unregulated, untested and unproven supplements. “Let food be thy medicine.” Don’t waste money on anything that is branded. The only exception to this rule is a quality fish oil if you’re unable to get your hands on whole fish.

92. Check your freezers regularly.

Because it’s happened to me (and I know it’s happened to others) I have to add this to the list. Check your freezers! I lost 400+ lbs. of meat to a freezer that died on me. I didn’t realize it until 2-3 weeks later. Because it takes a freezer full to the brim of meat about a week to thaw I could have saved the meat if I had been diligently checking the freezer for malfunction. Another time, I packed a small freezer full of about 100 lbs. of meat and before it froze in place it fell against the door and opened it. I didn’t see the spill until the next morning. Lots of meat lost.

93. Watch your dogs eat.

This is a given for raw feeders. ALWAYS watch your dogs eat. Never leave them alone. If they choke (it’s very rare) you need to be able to help them. At the same time you can be sure that one dog isn’t stealing from another and that they aren’t burying food. Where I live, buried food would be found by foxes and coyotes and I’m not interested in feeding the wildlife around here.

94. Don’t toss slightly “off” meat.

When I was a kid I was told that it wasn’t good to cook and eat meat that turned brown or “bled” in its package. Today I’m not scared of a less than vibrant red piece of meat after learning that it doesn’t mean it’s harmful when it loses its luster, and I’m certainly not going to toss uncooked meat in the trash that can go to the dogs if I know I won’t eat it in time.

95. Don’t put up with picky eaters.

If your dog turns his nose up at certain foods, put his uneaten meal back in the freezer and give it to him at his next meal time. Do this until he eats what you give him. He won’t starve himself and will decide it’s not all that bad. It took my boys 3 or 4 days to give in and eat duck heads and now they are a favorite.

96. Don’t leave meat sitting out.

Did you know that your dog’s raw meals are about 70% water? Meat left sitting out to thaw will lose moisture. Moisture loss results in lighter meals. I choose to do a slow thaw in the refrigerator, overnight.

97. Feed the bloody juices.

All packaged meat will lose some moisture in its package. When I open a package from White Oak Pastures I always let the juices drip into the bowl as well. Don’t want those nutrients going to waste!

98. Feed the fur and feathers.

I teach people not to overfeed fur and feathers, but there’s no reason to avoid them completely unless your dog doesn’t handle them well. I feed my dogs whole quail with their feathers still on and rabbit heads and feet with fur intact. Neither makes up too much weight in a given meal, but in a year’s time can add up to some small savings.

99. Feed whole prey.

Be very choosy about feeding whole prey. Don’t feed whole prey that has been fed a diet of GMO feed or has been dewormed with chemicals. However, if you can get your hands on something like whole rabbit that has been properly raised, you can feed it whole after freezing it for 1-2 months first. To give you an idea of the weight difference, rabbits are processed when they reach 4 lbs. After being skinned and the organs removed, the clean carcass weighs in at about 2.5 lbs. That’s a big difference!

    100. Fast your dogs, weekly.

I fast my dogs once a week. Because my dogs eat once a day that means I feed them 6 times per week. I don’t fast to save money. I fast as a benefit to their health. There are incredible fasting facts that are being discovered every day! But while improving their health through fasting, you’ll also save some money. Win, win!

    101. Make sure your dogs are getting plenty of water.

A dehydrated dog is a malnourished dog and a malnourished dog will need more sustenance through their meals. A well-hydrated dog will not require more food on top of their daily requirement.

 

Note: Know your state laws before following any of the suggestions outside of the feeding and buying tips. The giving away of certain animal parts is prohibited in certain states. If you have any questions, contact your local agricultural department.