chicken necks??? - Page 1

Is it OK to give a puppy chicken necks? If yes, starting at what age? Thanks.

I give chcken necks to my pups that are 6 weeks old. I start with one or two. and feed them by hand to make sure they don't choke. I will also start them when they are almost full.

You can also smash them a little bit with a hammer to make the pieces a little smaller. I do it for my cat.

We give pups chicken wings, wingtips, and necks as we wean them. The pups start on wingtips at about 4wks, then by the end of 4wks they're on wings, at 5wks they're eating wings and necks. After that, we move them up to chicken quarters and various other pieces that we get from our chicken supplier (we have a local poultry processing plant where we get all of our chicken).

concerning salmonella & e. coli bacteria, the risks of choking, the amount of calcium in bone for a growing large breed puppy, & the expense & trouble of procuring necks, i would be hestitant to feed any of my animals raw chicken. a complete nutrient dog food suits all protein requirements. it's not what ingredients are in a food, it's what nutrients are there & how easily the animal can extract them. i am curious- please, why do you feed chicken necks?

salmonella and e coli aren't a major concern to dogs...they have a much shorter GI tract that is "hostile" to those. There is just as great a risk of a dog choking on kibble as there is on necks, backs, wings, and quarters. Kibbles are mostly corn and grain, which aren't the proper resources for a dog. The amount of calcium/phosphorous in the bones is helpful and can be altered to suit the pup as it grows. When used in a properly balanced diet, raw foods are better for dogs...you can tell the difference in eyes, coats, stamina, and actually promotes a SLOWER growing in pups than most of the "too high" protein puppy foods that can end up causing problems in large breed pups. Chicken is NOT expensive if you know where to look...we get 40lb (they are labeled as that, but range from 30-60lbs per case) cases for $6USD each.

The amount of calcium in bones is natural, or might be even little bit low for a growing large breed puppy. Chicken necks are not expensive, especially in amounts necessary for a puppy – we get all grain fed, free range, no hormones/antibiotics necks for our dogs at “Whole Foods Market” for $0.59-$0.79/lb. They are as easy to get from the store as kibble food. Even though dog food may suite protein requirements, it contains excesses amounts of corn and rice, but most important, all kinds of preservatives, colors, artificial flavors, and other alien to a dog’s body chemicals that cause many different kinds of cancer and reduce life considerably. Even the best kibble is not the best feeding choice for a dog. The reason I was asking about feeding a puppy is because my pup has an enormous food drive and I was worried she might choke while trying to swallow whole neck. (She is 13 weeks old) I will take Kerry’s advise and try to smash them.

You can either smash them with a hammer, or hold onto one end while they chew on the other end. JDN-US

Oh, Makosh, I thought that you were referring to a baby puppy just starting out on chicken necks. We have some adult dogs that swallow some of their small chicken necks whole. I think, in this case, I wouldn't smash them, but do as Janis suggested and hold one end until she gets the hang of chewing them. You might try Janis' suggestion, with a really big turkey neck. More surface area to really bite down on it and chew it up, piece by piece.

Why would anybody feed chicken necks!!!?