Has anyone noticed a prefference with store bought and "wild" or hobby farm raised?

So our cats, at this point, will eat bones. Ribs/backs/legs/wings. No issues.

Week or so ago, we had rabbit legs, and everyone devoured them in minutes. Larger bones, so clearly they do fine.

Last night we had chicken backs. Lots of meat still on them, skin, some had kidneys attached. They hummed and hawed for about half an hour before eating those!

I was pondering, other than the possibility that they just like rabbit more.. the chicken is all factory farm raised, while our rabbits are fresh from the hobby farm. Is it possible they sense/smell the hormones and antibiotics in the chicken?

Not only is it illegal to use hormones in chicken but it's very detrimental to growth. Antibiotics are usually administered in the food if they are at all (usually cheaper to let the sickies die than administer medicated food to everyone). I think it is very possible that just the quality or health of the animal can be smelled. Amos loves mutton but when someone gave me a lamb that died of malnutrition Amos would not eat it and he LOVES lamb! I definately think their incredible sense of smell picks up more than we could ever imagine. Just look what sniffing butts provides- information about the other animal such as gender, age, hormone levels (spayed/neutered or not) etc.

I haven't bought any hobby farm raised or wild as well as the same species store bought, but do find a huge difference in taste personally between different qualities of food. Take chicken, some places pump it full of water to add weight, factory farm with 8-10 chickens in a box and feed poor quality meal. Others free range and feed appropriately, but have less deaths, and disease, a better flavour and a price tag to go along with it. Whenever the PC brand chicken goes on sale half price, I stock up, it's that good.

Wild caught game is really good, but can't compare to store caught, as I've never had store caught game. (okay, bought, I'm tired.) Organic is the holy grail, but you feed the best that you can afford, and if that means some of the lower quality meat mixed in with the higher quality, that's still better than no raw at all.

Ever eat rabbit? Full of bones but really really good, and very highly flavoured, way more than lamb or wild caught birds. Not surprised your little guys loved it. Way better than any flavourless, factory raised chicken, but try the PC grain fed free range ones sometime, I bet they eat it no problem.

Pastured is the holy grail. Farmers can feed organic grain to cattle still but grassfed is always better and species appropriate. I always strive to provide as much wild and pastured meat as possible.

I will have to ask if he pastures his stock! Oh, how exciting!

I will be on the look out for that chicken, T, thanks.

(I've had rabbit, I hate it )