Raw Food Diet, Day 465- True Prey Model Feasting

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Big Pupi breaks it down: Heya fellow feasters. Every so often we get all science-y and medical-ish on this blog, and this particular post is going to (sort of) be one of those times.

As all of you know, my brother and I are fed a prey model diet. What this means (in a really teeny tiny nutshell) is that all of our feasts are constructed from fresh, raw foods and follow percentages based on the physical make up of prey animals. There is a fairly strict calcium to phosphorous ratio that must be followed, and those amounts are based on the ratio of muscle (phosphorous) to bone (calcium) in animals on which we'd like to hunt and feast. We also include organs (kidney and liver) at about 10% of the overall diet to ensure we are getting proper nutrients. Finally, some raw feeders - like my parents - give blended fruits and veggies each day to mimic the stomach contents of a kill. When a wild canine takes down prey, the stomach and liver are always the most coveted parts of the animal, and I know why... they are SO TASTY! While adding fruits and veggies is debated amongst the raw community, my folks like to think that this pureed plant matter adds fiber and additional vitamins to our diet.

Most of the time we need to feast on a variation of the raw diet. Since it is just not possible to toss Stanislaw and me a whole rabbit, my people have to manufacture ways to ensure that the proper ratios are met and we are provided with a proper and varied nutrient profile. In the past, we have always eaten 2 meals per day: one RMB meal (Raw Meaty Bones that are about 50% meat and 50% bone), and one meat and organ meal. That's a pretty common method for raw feeders, especially those with small dogs. However, large dogs may get a whole chicken or rabbit as a day's meal - organs and all - and that would prove to be a balanced feast.

Another major aspect of raw feeding is the idea of balance over time. We believe the practice of feeding a 100% "complete and balanced" meal twice a day every single day at the expense of variety is a huge a mistake. Our parents don't eat the same exact, "100% balanced" meal for every meal every day... they don't even feed their CHILDREN 100% balanced meals every single time they feast! Proper nutrition in humans is met through variety and balance over the course of a few days or a week, and we apply these theories to canine feasting.

It is super important that Stanislaw and I get many different types of protein over the course of a month, week, or even throughout the day. We also get different types of fruits and veggies, from apples to carrots to green beans to squash. This helps to prevent allergies from developing and it also exposes us to many different amino acid profiles, vitamins and minerals.

Now onto our meaty menu for next week, and what exactly it was that made me look so beggingishly at my mom~
Since Stanislaw and I are too small to feast on a whole prey animal in one sitting, we've always feasted on the "homemade" version of the diet using RMB meals and meat meals. But things are about to change. After spotting a coupon for "buy one get one free" whole fresh chickens, mom decided to pick one up for each of us and feed us in true prey model style. For less than $1 of cheese money per pound of feast (an AWESOME deal!), Stanislaw and I have an entire week's-worth of breakfasts and dinners lined up.

Mom broke down each chicken, removing the skin and excess fat as she went. The pieces were then weighed and divided into 8 oz. of feasting per day for me and 10 oz. for Stanislaw. The meals kept coming until there was literally nothing left (except the skin and fat which went into the trash). Even the baggie of guts was used - the necks counting as an RMB piece, the gizzards and heart as muscle, and the kidney and liver as organ meat. Stan and I were even allowed to give our chickens a test by snacking on the hearts while we waiting. Delish!
We already have a meal defrosted and waiting for tomorrow, but after that we'll be feasting on chicken for a week until the entire feasts are gone, with each of us eventually consuming our very own, whole bird. Some days our phosphorous intake will be high, and some days our calcium intake will be high, but by the time we have finished our chickens we will have taken in an overall ideal ratio of meat:bone:organ... a perfect balance over time. And that's what prey model feasting is all about.

As mom broke the tasty bird in pieces, Stan watched the floor carefully in case a morsel escaped from the counter. A chicken tail wound up flying off, but Stan had it in his mouth before it ever touched the floor. Great success!
The human meat locker has a few baggies chilled and ready for feasting, and the rest of our chicken deliciousness is in our meat locker being kept fresh and frozen solid.
We're excited! Since wings and necks are the easiest things to get, Stan and I have always eaten those chickeny parts. But this time we get to have backs and breasts and ribs. Crunchy yumliciousness!

We'll let you know how it goes. (It's going to be fabulous!)
Jealous?
Big Pupi.