Here at Hallslake we have 2 main feeds that we are happy to endorse. In a nut shell, we start our puppies on a RAW Weaning Paste, and move them over to Beco complete Dry Food. For more specific information please read on.... It's worth mentioning that we don't make any money from promoting these food's, we purely do it as we want the best for our dogs and would like them to receive a good diet to prolong their healthy & happy life. The less preservatives & E-numbers, the better!
We start our puppies from a very young age (2-3 weeks) on Natural Instinct RAW diet. Dogs have evolved to eat meat and bone. The structure of their jaws, their teeth and their digestive system have not changed at all since the days that they would hunt and scavenge for their food which is why it makes sense to continue to feed them raw meat and bone, just as nature intended. It is also extremely appetizing which helps encourage a very young puppy to try it as a first food alongside it's mothers milk. The mother will continue to feed her puppies milk, as much as they like until around 6 weeks, and she will then start to wean them off. The sooner a puppy is starting to eat solid food alongside the natural mothers milk, the less pressure there is on mum, and the bigger and stronger the puppy will become, as well as making for a less stressful weaning process. For more information on RAW food, have a look at the website for Natural Instinct;
https://www.naturalinstinct.com/
Natural Instinct is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (“BARF”) for dogs and cats providing a balanced nutritional and delicious diet. Recipes are packed full of the highest quality, fresh produce. Ingredients range from a wide variety of human grade 100% British raw meats with bone and offal to a selection of fresh vegetables. Natural supplements are also included packed full of additional vitamins, anti-oxidants and nutrients such as sea kelp, Scottish salmon oil and spinach.
We are aware that even though RAW it is a very good option for your puppy, many people are not comfortable with RAW food for their pets, or just don't find it convenient. Because of this, following on from the RAW Weaning Paste, at between 6-8 weeks of age we gradually change our puppies over to Beco Pets Puppy food - Free Range Turkey with Pumpkin & Spinach.
We have researched extensively in to complete dry foods looking for a food of equal quality to that of a RAW diet. Beco Pets have a fantastic food made of Human Grade meat (not meat meal which is a processed form of dried meat used in most kibbles today. It tends to be made from untraceable low quality cuts, bones and sometimes even feathers & beaks. It's very high cooking temperatures break it down, but it is tough to digest, less tasty and less nutritious than freshly prepared meat diets). Beco Pets also use vegetables and pulses instead of grains. They are more digestible and more nutritious. On top of the fact the food it's self is very good, Beco Pets also have a fantastic philosophy about the environment and sustainability. All of the products and packaging are very carefully chosen, and made using ethically sourced ingredients (for the food) and degradable, compostable, natural or recycled / upcycled contents for their toys, bowls and poo-bags. This can only be a good thing!
Check out their website for more information or to order food in advance of your puppy coming home;
https://www.becopets.com/
We will send all our puppies home with a 2kg back of the Beco Pets Puppy food, and if you are interested in continuing with a RAW diet we are also able to give you a voucher to order 4kg of frozen raw food to be delivered to your home. Just ask us when you come to collect your puppy. We are very lucky to also be able to give you a goody bag courtesy of Beco Pets including a stuffing free toy, poo-bags (compostable / non-plastic) and a voucher for 30% off your first purchase with them.
