BigGameHoundsmen.com

Before the internet police tell me to go back and search old post, I already know I could spend all day reading old post . The dog food industry changes every day , Ha you could go back and read my old post on dog food that I use to feed , That I wouldn't feed any more. So if you care about what your dogs are eating lets hear what it is and why your feeding it. It just seems like I find a dog food that I like and in a year or two I start having problems with it.

Seems like everyone I know feeds diamond extreme athlete, or nutra nugget. I feed costco kirkland chicken and rice. Not the best food out there but on my budget its great. Stool is healthy, healthy weight, good coat. They constantly perform on it so works for me.

Me and a buddy use to buy Diamond by the pallet from a whole seller for years , We had a whole pallet load and had young dogs throwing it back up older dogs not eating it. Had a rep. come out to the house and pick it up told me it would be tested and he would get back to us. Had to keep calling him and he finally told me it was to much protein ( I called BS and he had nothing else to say about it ) So I'd let a dog starve to death I think before I feed it again. The last I was feeding was Retriever HP if you look it up it has a good rating I had 3 bags opened one and it was full of mold opened the 2nd full of mold the 3rd one you got it full of mold. I had bought the bags four day before. prior to that I was finding cat food in it. Thinking of starting to make my own, Anyone making their own in a dry form ?

Mr Eberl, we should say let's feed a dead horse. lol we would know what they are eating.
I have been feeding mostly been feeding frozen, ground raw beef that they claim to have added 10 percent chicken fat. Feed a little Blue Seal krunchies with it at times.
This combination seems to be good as any of the dog foods i.ve fed. but I wont pay 50$ a bag.

Has anyone tried the Natures Domain from Costco? I'm thinking about trying it because the Diamond chicken and rice is no longer working.

Have fed 26-18 Black Gold for past year, firm stool, dogs like it & seem to be doing well. Delivered to within a couple mile of home for 32.06 for 50 lb. Dealer brings it out of Washington, so for all very current dated. Al

That's pretty cheap for 50lbs.

I feed diamond naturals lamb and rice in off season. And diamond extreme athlete when huntin hard. Been very pleased

Diamond Naturals lamb and rice, black gold in the black bag are what I prefer to feed. Depends what I can get a better price point on.

Hopefully everyone is also feeding meat with whatever dry feed you are using. I use a lot of Bison heart and liver only because we have 1200 of them so it's easy and free for me. Horse meat is excellent for dogs. Find your local guy that picks up dead horses and most of those guys are glad to give one away. Road kill is also a good source of free meat if it's legal in your state. My dogs get some type of meat every day. Meat is free, just need to find a source for it. Nothing better for them then what they are supposed to eat.
Another thing to do is to mix two or more different brands of dry food together instead of using only one type. Feeding only dry food, and only one brand every day for years on end isn't the best for any kind of dog.

I am butcher by trade. I am a meatcutter at a super market full time. I been thinking of going to the auction and getting a cheap steer, old cow, or what ever and tae home a butcher it. depends on the condition of the meat, I would keep the best cuts for myself and then grind the rest for the hounds.

Black Gold changed distributors down here in Texas and I could not get the feed for a while. I tried Diamond Hi Energy and my dogs were crapping more volume than they are eating and I cannot understand that. Dogs are getting overly fat and less muscle tone which I don't like as well. I changed over to Loyal and dogs are a little better but trying to get back on Black Gold. Joe is having the different problems but he is feeding Purina Pro Plan 30-20. His dogs look like heck, poor and long dead hair coat makes them look worse. We can't get back on the Black Gold 26-19 soon enough. I know that these other feeds work well in some areas; perhaps it is the heat down here.
Adios,
Gary

I was feeding retriever high protein a year ago because that's what fit my "budget". My dogs held weight ok but had a lot of waste. It also contains a lot of corn. I'm now feeding Diamond chicken and rice and I use less feed so the bottom line I still spend the same money because I use less feed. I also have a personal theory about feeds containing corn. Corn is a good source to produce fat and create heat with livestock. So if you figure that when your hounds are consuming corn it's creating heat in their body. Then you take them hunting and they start to run and causes more natural heat. So I figure by not feeding a feed with corn my hounds should stay cooler and in turn should be able to run harder and faster. So I figure on that note I am staying away from feeds containing corn and it's healthier. I have noticed a bit of a difference after switching both in the kennel and in the field.

Most dry dog foods are crap. They don't have everything a regular dog needs, let alone a hunting dog. Too many fillers, grains, etc. that the dogs can't digest. As far as dry dog food goes I feed Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete if I can get it, if not I still try to stick with Diamond Naturals. It's the only fairly cheap dog food mine do good on. BUT they get mostly meat throughout the week. They probably only get dry dog food twice a week. I agree with FullCryHounds. Meat is what dogs are designed to eat and that is what they need.

I feed Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete and Costco Chicken and Rice (which is actually Diamond Naturals C&R - just cheaper it also has a decent rating on all the dog food websites).
I can NOT feed my dogs regular Diamond, they would shit themselves to death but the Naturals line seems to work for them.
I have also and do still occasionally feed Black Gold, Taste of the Wild and Nature's Domain (Costco brand and it is Taste of the Wild, just cheaper...all Costco brand food is made by Diamond as is TOTW, the Tractor Supply 4Health brand and many other brands).