Chicken Backs

S

sheltielover

Forums Regular
Has anyone out there any idea of the calories in a skinless chicken back? I have researched the internet to no avail. I purchased 40 pounds of chicken backs and I have to know the calories. My sheltie already has some weight issues so I am very careful.
 
I never heard of a raw feeder counting calories lol I think most base their amount of food given by weight... as in my dogs get about 2.5-3% of their body weight and an overweight dog would get about 2% of the body weight. That might make things a lot easier for you. :) Getting a dog's weight under control on raw is super easy so it shouldn't take long to get them back to their desirable weight.
 
ClantyreSheltie said:
I don't know that it matters, it's all bone anyway. Not a lot of usable meat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree. I would hope one wasn't feeding more than 1 or 2 a week. 40lbs of chicken backs is enough bone for like a year! My THREE dogs go through a little over three pounds of bone a month lol and they weigh 50lbs all together.
 
Thanks everybody for your input! I realize I don't have to count calories but I am so concerned about him gaining weight because of his owner's ignorance!! LOL I will continue to weigh his food- but that too, is confusing to me. If he gets about half a pound a day, what about what the bones weigh? Meat with the bone like chicken backs weigh high but it is mainly the bone!

Bailey's Mom
 
I would just feed 2-3% of his body weight. If you are concerned about how big a piece to eat, weigh the backs and feed accordingly.
 
sheltielover said:
Thanks everybody for your input! I realize I don't have to count calories but I am so concerned about him gaining weight because of his owner's ignorance!! LOL I will continue to weigh his food- but that too, is confusing to me. If he gets about half a pound a day, what about what the bones weigh? Meat with the bone like chicken backs weigh high but it is mainly the bone!

Bailey's Mom
Click to expand...

You're making this harder on yourself than it has to be lol! If he eats 8 oz a day, just weigh out 8oz. I'm guessing he's only going to need (if he's been on raw for a while) one chicken back a week so if that doesn't weigh 8oz when you put it on the scale, throw some meat or his organs for the week in with it. If you go light one day, add more the next day... as in say 6oz one day then do 10 oz the next day. You just want balance over time. My dogs get about 3 oz a week of bone, and eat the same amount as yours so it should be roughly around there. If the back weighs more than 3 oz it's not the end of the world, just watch to make sure the poop isn't too chalky. if it is, cut back on the size of the back, or add liver to the bone meal to balance it. If he's overweight now, you should only be feeding 2% of his weight. Mine are perfect weight and maintain their weight on 3% but every dog is different.
 
sheltielover said:
If he gets about half a pound a day, what about what the bones weigh? Meat with the bone like chicken backs weigh high but it is mainly the bone!
Click to expand...

You are soooo over thinking this. :smile2: Quit that.

Here's the deal. Feed him about half a pound a day, or a bit less. If he starts getting tubby, feed less. If he starts getting skinny, feed more. It's that simple. Food weight is not the only thing that will affect his overall weight. Some foods digest better than others, some go right through them. You can't control everything by micromanaging the perfect # of ounces of a meal.

Feed 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% organ, averaged over some period of time. Chicken backs are like 90% bone, so you need to balance those with meat or organ. I never really fed them because they aren't very nutritious. It's like us eating nothing but saltines.
 
ClantyreSheltie said:
You are soooo over thinking this. :smile2: Quit that.

Here's the deal. Feed him about half a pound a day, or a bit less. If he starts getting tubby, feed less. If he starts getting skinny, feed more. It's that simple. Food weight is not the only thing that will affect his overall weight. Some foods digest better than others, some go right through them. You can't control everything by micromanaging the perfect # of ounces of a meal.

Feed 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% organ, averaged over some period of time. Chicken backs are like 90% bone, so you need to balance those with meat or organ. I never really fed them because they aren't very nutritious. It's like us eating nothing but saltines.
Click to expand...

Well said. When I first started raw feeding about two years ago I weighed everything and blah blah blah. Fast forward two years later, I throw a hunk of meat down on the floor and they eat til they're full, pick it back up and do it all over again. I have three pups who beg all day long but when it comes to eating, they know how to regulate themselves. As I said before, it's so simple to keep a raw fed dog's weight under control because you're aware of exactly what they're eating so it's much more simple than using kibble. If he's overweight now, feed 2% of his body and you should see it come off pretty fast. If he acts hungry, ignore him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top