What pig feeds to use

[stangs13]

Many people like to use pig feeds as a feed for rats, and since I know my pigs and pig feed I am going to inform you on what to use.

What not to buy-

Purina pottbellie pig food

Medicated feed because you don't want livestock wormer in your little rats! LOL

Starter feeds made to grow young pigs it will make your rats fat!
and they normaly have meds

Whaat to buy

Showtec feeds
or
moormans feeds moormans is the best pig feed period. There starter feed is medicated so its a nono. At 17 bucks for 50lbs it will last you a life time!

Hope it helps!

[Ginevive]

I have been using Blue Seal pig feed in my mix for awhile now. My rats are doing great and are neither overfat nor thin. I make it up with lab blocks, uncooked tricolor pasta, a few healthy cereals, and some unsalted peanuts. My mixture tends to vary month by month in regards to things I add to it, such as cereal types, etc. And my rats love table scraps! (healthy ones of course.) They adore apple peels.. cooked pasta..
The Blue Seal feed that I use doesn't have any medication in it. I use it more as a base for my other ingredients. I think that it was somewhere around $9 for a 50-lb. bag. I do keep watch over the stuff in storage (in buckets) and give it a sniff to make sure that it is not getting moldy.
You are right; it lasts forever! I used to use the SunSeed lab blocks as my staple, but I thought that the rats were getting slightly fat. The pig maintenance feed seems to keep them sleek and healthy.
I guess that corn is bad, though. It can mold and cause respiratory problems?

[Michelle.C]

I have no idea about corn causing respiratory issues, never heard anything about it.

However, feeding rats dried corn isn't the best. Pet grade dried corn sits in those huge bins, mold and fungus eventually develops. Which can lead to liver cancer, among other things.

Not to mention, corn offers little to no nutritional value and is pretty hard for rattie tummies to digest.

[stangs13]

I have never used blue seal before. What is the protien consintration in it? Yeah stay away from sweet feeds also. They are super chunk makers LOL. Corn does mold easy, just have to keep it dry. I don't know if corn is good for rodents or not, I just know they eat it in the wild.

[Ginevive]

I don't use sweet feed. I even stopped feeding it to the horses; they get Blue Seal Trotter feed now. It is mainly something I feed in the winter for some extra calories and heat.
I wonder if I could supplement the rats' feed with cracked corn? I feed it to the chickens in the winter to help them stay warmer..
I threw away the pig-feed bag. I want to say that it was around 12 percent.. I think.

[stangs13]

Ok. You could I guess! Sweet feeds are good for some animals, but they will need lots of exercise so they don't get fat. My lamb is on sweet feed.