Partial cooking

[raintyger]

Decided to try raw. Got a premix to start and am ready, but don' t know one thing. I've heard you should partially cook your meat to get rid of bacteria. I can't find any details, though! What oven temp? How long? How do I know it's done? Do I cook the liver too?

I'm using chicken thighs.

Thx for any help.

 

[carolina]

Decided to try raw. Got a premix to start and am ready, but don' t know one thing. I've heard you should partially cook your meat to get rid of bacteria. I can't find any details, though! What oven temp? How long? How do I know it's done? Do I cook the liver too?
I'm using chicken thighs.
Thx for any help.

Not sure where you read that, but it is not correct..... That's why it is called a raw diet
Raw meat has far more nutrients than cooked meats - please, don't ever feed cooked bones - very dangerous

What meat did you buy, and what mix are you talking about?

 

[Willowy]

On the catinfo website, she recommends partially cooking the chicken thighs. Is that where you got it? I think she gives instructions on there. I don't personally think it's necessary but if it makes you feel better. . .:dk:.

 

[raintyger]

Lisa Pierson's website made the recommendation. You are only supposed to cook briefly, but she doesn't specify exactly how long.

I just got chicken thighs from the supermarket, nothing special. Using TCFeline premix with bone powder.

 

[Willowy]

This is what I found on the site (WAY down in the safety section!):
"Bake (at 350 degrees) the chicken/turkey thighs and liver leaving ~50% of the thigh meat raw. (The time needed varies depending on how thick the thighs are.) I use a Pyrex dish since I will be using all of the fat drippings so I can add them to the ground meat/bones/skin/liver/eggs."
So no set timing, you just have to keep an eye on it, I guess.


If you want to see it on the site, like I said, way down in the "safety" part:
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood

 

[raintyger]

Thanks! Went to her website several times, but just couldn't find it.

 

[carolina]

You can do it if you want, but there is no need for it.....
The entire cat's system is design to deal with raw meat. Freezing the meat helps to get rid of many parasites. 3 days of freezing will help to get rid of Toxo. The FDA recommends 7 days of freezing on -4F for getting rid of Tape and roundworms and most parasites on raw fish.
I feed all my cats raw meat, and started raw with an IBD cat, with his immunity very very low :nod: He never had an issue - on the contrary - he has never been healthier in his life.
It is all a matter of your comfort level.....

 

[carolina]

That premix looks pretty nice actually :nod:
You are using the original, I suppose, right? Once you introduce Chicken, try introducing other varieties - variety is a key - introducing it slowly though :nod:
Hearts are GREAT :nod: I feed both Turkey and duck hearts, and my kitties LOVE IT
Meats, they eat chicken, pork, venison, and lamb (aside from the hearts). When I was feeding ground they ate rabbit, but they don't like the chunks, for some reason :dk:
Hope your kitties like it - do they eat canned?

 

[whollycat]

Lisa Pierson's website made the recommendation. You are only supposed to cook briefly, but she doesn't specify exactly how long.
I just got chicken thighs from the supermarket, nothing special. Using TCFeline premix with bone powder.

Are these chicken thighs with bone or without? Just asking so you don't use the bone-in kind of thighs without removing the bones first when using the premix--it already contains a substitute for bones.

I have never cooked the meat (and liver, and hearts when I have them), just rinse the meat under cold water, grind (bones and all--but do remove about 1/3-1/2 the skin), mix in my supplements (including raw egg yolks), and portion into freezer baggies and freeze. I will say one thing, the cost of the premix is pretty dang high compared to purchasing [human] supplements separately. But a premix is a way to start out feeding raw if you're not sure what to add. I would estimate that I spend about $2.00-$4.00 per a 15-30lb batch of food for three kitties. (I'd have to figure out how much for sure.

) I do know that my supplements last around 6 months or so before I need to order anything. My kitties go through approximately a pound of food a day.

If you don't feel comfortable going totally raw, you can lightly sear the meat on all sides to reduce bacteria--but that is pretty much unnecessary because kitties have a short digestive tract and transit time that is built to handle raw meat.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[raintyger]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies!

To answer everyone's questions--

I'm deboning (and washing and removing about 50% of the skin) my thighs before grinding. As this is a trial, I didn't want to buy a grinder capable of bones yet. We happened to have a no-bone grinder just laying around the house, so as a trial the premix with bones works.

Poppy's on 100% canned with additional water mixed in. I don't think it'll be too hard getting her to eat raw. When we introduce new food to her, she'll turn it away for about 15 minutes. Then she decides she's hungry, it's food, she'll try it.

 

[ldg]

Welcome to TCS! AND to raw feeding!

Another TCS member just brought my attention to the TCFeline premix because it includes MCHA (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) as the calcium source and has fiber in it. I don't make ground, but I feed supplemented frankenprey, and a couple of my kitties would probably benefit from a little bit of fiber.

I hope she loves the food! I hope you'll keep us updated on her transition.

I know Dr. Pierson feeds just chicken thighs and rabbit, supplemented. But I think kitties enjoy (and benefit) from a variety and rotation of proteins. Once she's enjoying her raw food, are you planning on making your own with other proteins? Or is it a little early in the process for you to have an answer to that question? :lol3: Either way - I hope you enjoy making your kitty's food, and REALLY enjoy watching the benefits!

 

[mschauer]

As Laurie said:

Another TCS member just brought my attention to the TCFeline premix because it includes MCHA (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) as the calcium source and has fiber in it. I don't make ground, but I feed supplemented frankenprey, and a couple of my kitties would probably benefit from a little bit of fiber.
 

In case anyone wonders why TCFeline premix is quite a bit more expensive relative to other premixes it's because of the MCHA. It is freeze dried whole bone and expensive. I use it as my calcium source to get the benefit of whole bone.

 

[raintyger]

I think I'm just going to play it by ear as far as different proteins and moving away from the premix.

I may delay starting since Carolina mentioned freezing for 1 week to get rid of worms and parasites...or is the 1 week for fish only? I stuck the chicken in the freezer on Tues. and want to start Poppy on a weekend so I'll be around more often and can monitor her. If I wait 1 week for freezing, that would mean start on the weekend of Oct. 27. I have a few free sample packs of Stella and Chewy's and some other freeze-dried brand that I could start as a snack this weekend.

I considered the Feline's Pride premix, but the added shipping cost ($20) made it unaffordable. TCFeline has a U.S. distributor that doesn't charge for shipping at all. I don't mind that much the premix cost, as Poppy's already getting fairly high priced food (Wellness).

 

[feralvr]

Welcome to TCS! AND to raw feeding!
Another TCS member just brought my attention to the TCFeline premix because it includes MCHA (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) as the calcium source and has fiber in it. I don't make ground, but I feed supplemented frankenprey, and a couple of my kitties would probably benefit from a little bit of fiber.
:

As Laurie said:

In case anyone wonders why TCFeline premix is quite a bit more expensive relative to other premixes it's because of the MCHA. It is freeze dried whole bone and expensive. I use it as my calcium source to get the benefit of whole bone.

This is what I LOVE about this forum. I learn something new all the time on how to make my life simpler with feeding raw. I have been offering more and more chicken breast and thigh, turkey breast and thigh to my true carnies and wanting to make it a balanced meal without having to add and measure all of the supplements separately. This TCFeline premix will make it quite simple (has fiber too ) and since I don't feed FP at every meal, then the cost of the supplement will not be a problem as it will last. The 21 oz. size package should last about 110 single serving meals. :bigthumb:

 

[carolina]

I may delay starting since Carolina mentioned freezing for 1 week to get rid of worms and parasites...or is the 1 week for fish only? I stuck the chicken in the freezer on Tues. and want to start Poppy on a weekend so I'll be around more often and can monitor her. If I wait 1 week for freezing, that would mean start on the weekend of Oct. 27. I have a few free sample packs of Stella and Chewy's and some other freeze-dried brand that I could start as a snack this weekend.

The freezing time is due to the parasites themselves, not because of the Fish. The FDA lists fish due to the fact that fish is the meat that is served raw, as sushi. With that said, keep in mind that's for human consumption - cat's digestive system are built to handle raw meat in a completely different way - shorter, faster digestion and quite more acidic too.
I freeze most of the time, but sometimes I don't. Never had an issue. If I am out of a meat and buy meat from the market, I feed without freezing.
I used to rinse the meats too, but after opening a thread here and asking around about the advantages of rinsing vs not rinsing, I found out that it is probably a matter of comfort level and what you are used to also...... So I stopped rising. And......... not a thing changed - still not issues.
Kitties are way stronger than we make them up to be. :nod:

 

[carolina]

This is what I LOVE about this forum. I learn something new all the time on how to make my life simpler with feeding raw. I have been offering more and more chicken breast and thigh, turkey breast and thigh to my true carnies and wanting to make it a balanced meal without having to add and measure all of the supplements separately. This TCFeline premix will make it quite simple (has fiber too ) and since I don't feed FP at every meal, then the cost of the supplement will not be a problem as it will last. The 21 oz. size package should last about 110 single serving meals. :bigthumb:

I calculated how much TCFeline premix would take to balance 1.5oz meal (what I feed), and it takes one TSP.... that's double of what I use of Call of the Wild. So Call of the wild is 1/2 price and 1/2 of the amount.
My only councern is, would the cats eat that much powder on the top of their chunks? COTW is already a bunch..... I do like the ingredients, just not the amount of powder.....

 

[raintyger]

Does anyone know approximate calorie counts for premixes? Poppy's slightly overweight right now, not too bad, but she seems to gain weight pretty easily. We have to measure her food out on a kitchen scale to the exact 1/8 of an ounce so she won't gain too much weight. I tried contacting TCFeline, but no luck.
 

 

[mschauer]

Does anyone know approximate calorie counts for premixes? Poppy's slightly overweight right now, not too bad, but she seems to gain weight pretty easily. We have to measure her food out on a kitchen scale to the exact 1/8 of an ounce so she won't gain too much weight. I tried contacting TCFeline, but no luck.
 

Any calories would be negligible. The premixes are just vitamins and minerals. Only protein, fat and carbohydrates have calories.

 

[raintyger]

Well, the package says it has fat and egg powder in it. . .
 

 

[mschauer]

Well, the package says it has fat and egg powder in it. . .
 

Oh yeah, egg powder would have calories. Only the premix manufacturer can tell you how many. I would probably just assume it is negligible.

Edit - Correction, they give the guaranteed analysis on their web site so the calories can be calculated. They say 60g is 34.4% protein and 19.4% fat. I have to go to a meeting right now. If someone else doesn't do the calculation before I get back I'll do it.

Edit 2 - They don't say if that is the GA of the product that contains liver or not. Do you have a package of it? If so, what is the GA on the package?