What to Feed
a Boerboel
The complete raw feeding guide by Jordan Pittman — 20+ years of raising world-class South African Boerboels. No fluff, no corporate pet food propaganda. Just what actually works.
See Exactly How Jordan Feeds His Dogs
Before you read anything else — watch this. Jordan breaks down his complete BARF raw feeding process from preparation to serving.
▶ Subscribe on YouTubeRaw vs. Kibble — The Truth
A Boerboel eating kibble is like putting diesel in a Lamborghini. Technically it runs. But you're destroying the machine from the inside out.
Kibble was invented for convenience — not for canine health. It's ultra-processed, high in carbohydrates a dog's body was never designed to metabolize, and loaded with preservatives that compromise long-term organ function. The Boerboel is a working dog. A guardian. A 150+ lb apex animal. It deserves fuel that matches that biology.
Raw feeding — specifically the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) or prey model approach — gives your dog what its ancestors ate. Whole protein, raw bone, organ meat, natural enzymes intact. The results speak for themselves: cleaner teeth, tighter muscle, smaller stools, better coat, higher fertility, and a dog that moves like it was built to move.
"I switched my first Boerboel to raw and within 90 days the transformation was undeniable. Kibble is a shortcut that costs you in the long run."
The 80/10/10 Prey Model Ratio
This is the blueprint. Everything in a raw-fed Boerboel's diet flows back to this ratio. Memorize it. Live by it.
The prey model diet mimics what a dog would naturally consume if it were hunting and eating whole animals in the wild. The breakdown is simple and has been validated by raw feeders worldwide for decades. Jordan uses this as the foundation of every single meal he prepares.
Jordan's go-to base protein is green tripe — the unbleached, untreated stomach lining of grass-fed ruminants. It's packed with naturally occurring digestive enzymes, probiotics, and the ideal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. It smells like nothing you want near your kitchen, but your dog will lose their mind over it. This is the 80%.
Boerboel Feeding Chart — By Age & Life Stage
Every stage of a Boerboel's life requires different feeding frequency and quantity. Use this chart as your baseline — then adjust based on what you see on the dog.
| Life Stage | Age | Feedings/Day | % of Body Weight | Est. Daily Amount | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Puppy | 8–12 weeks | 4× | 8–10% | ~0.5 – 1 lb | Start with single protein (chicken). Introduce slowly. Soft RMB only. |
| Growing Puppy | 3–5 months | 3× | 6–8% | ~1 – 2 lbs | Begin introducing variety. Add tripe. Monitor stool consistency. |
| Adolescent | 6–11 months | 2–3× | 4–6% | ~2 – 3 lbs | Add organ meat (start low). Growing fast — watch ribs, not a scale. |
| Sub-Adult | 12–18 months | 2× | 3–4% | ~2.5 – 3.5 lbs | Transitioning to adult portions. Introduce harder RMB (beef ribs). |
| Adult (Active) | 18 mo – 5 yrs | 1–2× | 2.5–3% | ~3 – 4 lbs | Full prey model. Adjust upward for working/active dogs. |
| Adult (Breeding Female) | 18 mo – 5 yrs | 2× | 3–4% | ~3.5 – 5 lbs | Increase protein pre-whelp. High-quality organ essential for litter health. |
| Senior | 6+ years | 2× | 2–2.5% | ~2 – 3 lbs | Reduce bone slightly. Add more organ. Joint supplements recommended. |
⚠️ These are starting baselines. You manage a Boerboel by how it looks and feels — not by a number on a scale. You should be able to feel (not see) the last 2 ribs. If you can't feel them, cut back. If you can see them, increase.
"Obesity is the silent killer in this breed. An overweight Boerboel is a compromised Boerboel — bad hips, reduced fertility, shortened lifespan. Do not let your dog get fat. It is not love. It is neglect."
How to Transition to Raw
Switching a dog from kibble to raw is one of the best decisions you'll make as an owner. Do it right and it's smooth. Do it wrong and you'll blame raw feeding for a digestive storm you caused yourself.
Puppies from Exotic Boerboels arrive already on raw — that's the advantage of getting your dog from a breeder who's done this for 20+ years. If you're starting with an adult dog that's been on kibble, here is Jordan's step-by-step transition protocol:
Fast the Dog for 24 Hours
Not cruel — necessary. An empty digestive system accepts raw food far better than one still processing kibble. Give fresh water throughout. This resets the gut environment and prepares the stomach acid levels for raw digestion.
Start With ONE Protein — Chicken
Chicken leg quarters. Period. Simple, affordable, digestible, and available everywhere. This is the starter protein for a reason. No mixing proteins at this stage. No organs yet. Just chicken — muscle and bone — for the first 2 weeks.
Watch the Stool — This Is Your Dashboard
Stool is your report card. Firm, small, white-ish stools = perfect. Loose stool = too much bone or organ. Runny = introduction was too fast. Yellow/mucous = digestive upset. Adjust based on what you see. Give it 5–7 days before changing anything.
Introduce Green Tripe at Week 2
Once stools are solid and consistent, add green tripe as part of the muscle meat portion. Start at 25% of the meal and work up to 50–60%. This is the cornerstone of the diet. It introduces probiotics naturally and makes everything else digest better.
Add a Second Protein at Week 3–4
Now rotate in beef, turkey, or pork. Protein variety is key to nutritional completeness. Introduce one new protein at a time, always watching stool. If one protein causes issues, remove it and try again in 2 weeks.
Introduce Organ Meat at Week 4–6
Organ is rich. Too much too fast = diarrhea guaranteed. Start with just 1–2 oz of beef liver per day, added to the meal. Work up to the 10% target over 2–3 weeks. Your dog will love it. Go slow anyway.
Full Prey Model by Week 6–8
By now you should be hitting 80/10/10 with rotating proteins, consistent stools, and a dog that is visibly responding — better coat, more energy, cleaner teeth. This is what raw feeding looks like when done right. Stay the course.
Where Jordan Sources His Raw Food
One of the biggest barriers to raw feeding is people thinking it's expensive or hard to source. It's not — if you know where to shop. Jordan has been feeding large volumes of dogs for 20 years and has this system dialed in.
🏪 Sam's Club
- 10-lb bags of chicken leg quarters (cheapest per pound for RMB)
- Bulk ground beef (80/20 blend works well for variety)
- Whole turkey (seasonal — stock up when prices drop)
- Pork shoulder/ribs for protein rotation
🏭 Restaurant Depot
- Beef hearts — massive cuts, extremely affordable, high-protein
- Beef lung — great filler protein, dogs love it
- Chicken backs in volume — excellent RMB at near-wholesale price
- Turkey necks in bulk — great for medium/large breeds
🛒 Costco
- Whole chicken in multipacks — cost effective for variety
- Salmon (when on sale) — rotate in for omega-3 boost
- Beef chuck roast — quality muscle meat at bulk pricing
- Lamb when available — excellent rotation protein
🥩 Raw Pet Food Suppliers
- Green tripe (fresh or frozen) — look for local farms or raw co-ops
- Whole prey items — mice, rabbits, quail (advanced feeders)
- Pork spleen, beef pancreas, chicken livers in bulk
- Search: "raw pet food co-op [your city]" for local networks
🌿 Local Farms & Ethnic Grocers
- Ethnic grocery stores often carry organ meats mainstream stores don't stock
- Local hunters — venison, rabbit, wild boar (excellent rotation protein)
- Local farms for fresh tripe, green pork/beef organs
- Facebook Marketplace raw pet food groups in your area
💡 Jordan's Cost-Saving Tips
- Buy in bulk and freeze — raw keeps 3–6 months frozen
- Get a chest freezer (life changing for raw feeders)
- Rotate 4–5 proteins — keeps nutrition balanced and cost averaged
- Never buy pre-made raw patties when you can buy whole cuts for 1/4 the price
Foods That Are TOXIC to Your Boerboel
These are not "foods to avoid." These are poisons. Even small amounts of some of these can cause organ failure or death. Know this list. Share it with everyone in your household.
Supplements Jordan Recommends
A properly balanced raw diet is naturally nutrient-dense. But these targeted supplements fill the gaps and take your Boerboel's health to the next level — especially for breeding dogs and high-performance animals.
Fish Oil (Omega-3)
Wild-caught salmon oil or sardine oil. Anti-inflammatory, supports joint health, coat condition, and cardiovascular function. Essential for breeding dogs and older Boerboels. Add 1–2 tsp per day for adults.
Probiotic / Digestive Enzymes
Especially important during the transition period and for dogs with sensitive digestion. Green tripe already provides natural probiotics, but a quality canine probiotic supports gut microbiome balance during stress or illness.
Kelp Powder
Natural source of iodine for thyroid regulation, plus trace minerals that raw diets can sometimes be light on. Sprinkle a small amount (1/4 tsp) over meals 3–4 times per week. Don't over-supplement — iodine excess is also a problem.
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Critical for a breed this size and weight. Boerboels are predisposed to hip and joint issues. Starting joint support at 12–18 months is preventative medicine. Natural sources: chicken feet, trachea, green-lipped mussel.
Raw Eggs
Nature's perfect food. Whole raw egg (shell and all if tolerated) provides biotin, Vitamin D, selenium, and high-quality protein. Jordan feeds 2–3 per week. The egg shell is a bioavailable calcium source — grind and sprinkle for dogs that won't eat it whole.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Small amount (1 tsp in water bowl or food) supports gut acidity, reduces yeast overgrowth, and acts as a natural flea/tick deterrent when added regularly. Use raw, unfiltered ACV with the mother culture — not the filtered grocery store version.
Common Feeding Mistakes to Avoid
Jordan has seen every feeding mistake in the book. These are the ones that cause the most damage — and they're all 100% preventable.
❌ Overfeeding "Out of Love"
This is the #1 killer of potential in this breed. People equate food with affection. An overweight Boerboel has compromised hips, reduced drive, lower testosterone/estrogen levels, and a shortened lifespan. The dog doesn't need more food — it needs leadership and structure. Feed by condition, not by guilt.
❌ Feeding Cooked Bones
Say it again: cooked bones splinter. They become shrapnel inside your dog's digestive tract. This is an emergency vet visit waiting to happen. Raw meaty bones only, always. And never leave your dog unsupervised with large marrow bones (they can crack teeth).
❌ Too Much Organ Too Fast
New raw feeders get excited and dump liver into the bowl from day one. The result is a week of diarrhea that scares them off raw feeding entirely. Organ is rich. Introduce it at 5–7% max and work up to 10% over 3–4 weeks. Your dog's gut needs time to adapt.
❌ Feeding Only One Protein Forever
Nutritional completeness requires variety. A dog eating chicken only for 3 years is going to develop deficiencies. Rotate proteins. Beef, turkey, pork, lamb, venison, salmon — the more variety, the more complete the nutrition and the more resilient the gut.
❌ Using Xylitol-Containing Peanut Butter
People use peanut butter to give medication or as a treat and don't read the label. Many brands now use xylitol as a sweetener. Always check the ingredients. Safe brands: natural peanut butter with only peanuts and salt. If you see xylitol — throw it away.
❌ Judging a Boerboel's Weight by a Scale
Boerboels vary dramatically in frame size. A 140-lb well-muscled male can be perfectly lean while a 140-lb soft male is overweight. Learn to read condition by feel. You should be able to feel the last two ribs without pressing hard. That is your target condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Kibble and raw digest at completely different rates. Kibble is slow to digest; raw is fast. Mixing them creates a digestive timing conflict that can lead to fermentation in the gut, bloat risk, and inconsistent stools. If you're transitioning, do it by meal — raw for one meal, kibble for another — and then phase kibble out entirely over 2–4 weeks.
Dogs' digestive systems are built for raw meat. Their stomach acid (pH 1–2) destroys bacteria that would make a human sick. A healthy dog on a balanced raw diet has a robust immune system that handles naturally occurring bacteria without issue. Practice basic food safety: wash your hands, clean prep surfaces, thaw in the fridge (not on the counter), and don't leave raw food out in the bowl for more than 30 minutes. Handle it like you'd handle raw meat for your own kitchen.
Start with chicken leg quarters — the bone-to-meat ratio is perfect for puppies and the bone is soft enough for young teeth. Add green tripe at week 2. Puppies from Exotic Boerboels arrive already eating raw, so if you're getting one of Jordan's dogs, the transition is done for you. Puppies eat more frequently and a higher percentage of body weight than adults — see the feeding chart above. Never free-feed a Boerboel puppy. Structure and scheduled meals build discipline and make it easier to monitor intake and health.
When bought strategically in bulk from Sam's Club, Restaurant Depot, and Costco, Jordan's raw feeding program costs roughly $2.50–$4.00 per day for an adult Boerboel. Premium kibble for a giant breed runs $3–$6 per day — and delivers inferior nutrition. The cost difference is minimal. The health difference is enormous. Factor in reduced vet bills (better teeth, better gut, fewer allergy issues) and raw feeding actually saves money long-term.
Respect your vet's expertise in medicine — and find a vet who understands raw feeding for nutrition advice. Most conventional vets received minimal nutrition training in vet school, and much of what they did receive was sponsored by pet food companies. There are thousands of raw-feeding breeders with decades of evidence, and a growing number of veterinarians who support species-appropriate diets. Do your research, trust what you see on your dog, and find a vet who is open to a conversation about alternatives.
A chest freezer is the single best investment a raw feeder can make — they run $150–$250 and pay for themselves in the first bulk purchase. If you absolutely can't have a chest freezer, buy in weekly batches from your grocery store and keep it simple: chicken leg quarters, ground beef, and chicken livers. You don't need an elaborate system to feed raw well. You need protein, bone, and organ. Start simple.
Green tripe is the gold standard, but it's not always accessible. Substitute with: beef heart (extremely nutrient-dense, often called a "superfood" in the raw feeding community), chicken gizzards (affordable and widely available), or a quality probiotic supplement to compensate for the lost digestive enzyme benefit. Keep searching for a local tripe source — once you find it, stock up and freeze.
Dogs are facultative carnivores — they can digest plant matter but don't require it. In the wild, they'd get minimal plant material from the stomach contents of prey. If you want to add vegetables, stick to leafy greens (kale, spinach) or squash, finely blended or lightly steamed to break cell walls. Avoid starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn). Never replace meat with vegetables. The diet is protein-first, always.
Ready for a Raw-Fed
Exotic Boerboel?
Every puppy that leaves Exotic Boerboels is raised on the exact diet you just learned about. They arrive healthy, structured, and already on raw — giving you the best possible start with the greatest breed on earth.