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On this page, you will find all the information you need to start your pet on a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet. If you are looking for a more general overview of raw feeding, simply head over to our Raw Feeding Page.
There you will find answers to frequently asked questions such as what is raw feeding? Or why should I raw feed my pet? Alongside a long list of useful resources to help get you started and find out whether raw feeding is right for you and your pet.
There are two main methods of raw feeding, they are:
- Prey Model Raw (PMR) or Whole Prey model
- BARF Model (Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding or Bones and Raw Food)
On this page, we focus on the BARF Method of raw feeding. However, if you would like to learn about the PMR approach, simply follow and head over to our Prey Model Raw Page.
What is the BARF method of raw feeding?
BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding or Bones & Raw Food and this method. This method could be considered a little trickier than the Prey Model Raw approach, as its responsibility to ensure your pet is getting the correct ratio of muscle meat, bone, and offal.
BARF feeders make their pets meals by separate sourcing components of different animals and putting them together to mimic the correct ratio that their pet requires. The BARF method of raw feeding is excellent if you have a fussy pet and want to switch or start them on a raw diet but cannot get access to whole prey, or just simply prefer this method over Prey Model Raw (PMR).
There are two different feeding methods for BARF feeders, and these are the DIY approach, where you make your pets homemade meals from a verity of proteins, following the BARF percentages. Or there is a second option in which you can purchase commercially prepared raw food from raw feeding manufacturers and distributors; this is how we feed our girls a raw diet.
Initially, we started about following the DIY approach but soon realised how time-consuming it was to batch prep all of the girls’ meals for the month. Which lead my partner to have a quick Google search to see what raw feeding suppliers were out there, and we found a company called Scruffles Pet Supply’s who are no longer operating.
After ordering from them for over a year and a half, the company, unfortunately, closed, so we had to do another search but soon realised that there are numerous different raw food suppliers out there. We now order our girl’s food online from various companies as it’s so simple, and we love how much variety they are getting,
The company we mainly rely on though is Durham Animal Feeds, Raw Food Review, they are great and offer attractive prices, eco-friendly packaging and free delivery to certain areas. If you live in the North East of England, like me, then I would suggest checking them out. Follow the link above, to check out a previous post all about the company and their excellent selection of raw food.
BARF Raw Feeding Percentages
If you are a raw feeder or someone wanting to start their pet on a raw diet and want to follow the BARF method, then the percentages are a little different than the PMR method. The difference between the two methods is that PMR feeders do not think it appropriate to feed their pets vegetable matter or any carbohydrates, therefor they feed a strict carnivore diet.
Percentages for the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) method are:
- 70% Muscle Meat
- 10% Raw Meaty Bones
- 10% Organ (5% of this must consist of the liver)
- 10% Fruit, Veg or Dairy (Such as Kefir, Goats Milk or other appropriate dairy sources but not cows products)
If you choose to feed the BARF method and do not want to give your pet fruit, veg or dairy regularly in their meals then just follow the percentages for Prey Model Raw (PMR) and add veg, fruit or diary in when you feel like it.
Benefits of Feeding The Barf Method
- Easy access to raw food
- A more varied diet for your pet
- Plenty of prepared BARF food on the market so you will not struggle to get hold of raw food
- Great for fussy pets
These are simply a few of the many benefits of feeding the BARF method to your canine or feline companion.
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