Nutritional help for lactating moms?

[Shadera]

Most of my rat moms have decent sized litters, 10+ pups. As they lie there straddling the big pile to feed them, I can't help but wonder if there's something else I could be giving them during this time to give them an added boost to help keep up with those physical demands. Is there something I can give? I saw something somewhere about soy formula, but I'm skeptical about that one.

I feed Native Earth (Harlan) 4018.
Ingredients:
Ground wheat, ground corn, wheat middlings, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, soybean oil, calcium carbonate, dried brewers yeast, dicalcium phosphate, iodized salt, L-lysine, DL-methionine, choline chloride, niacin, vitamin A acetate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride,thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium oxide, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, chromium potassium sulfate.

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (minimum) 18.9
Crude Fat (minimum) 5
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5
Calcium 1.01
Phosphorus 0.61

And give half a small Innova health bar a couple times a week as a treat.
Ingredients:
Turkey, Chicken, Ground Barley, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal/Rolled Oats, Potatoes, Rice, Chicken Fat, Herring, Flaxseed, Apples, Carrots, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Egg, Garlic, Vitamins/Minerals

Guaranteed Analysis %:
Crude Protein (min) 20
Moisture (max) 10
Crude Fat (min) 8
Crude Fiber (max) 4

[ThyTempest]

You seem to be doing a great job now....unless you notice that your moms are losing a lot of weight or just seem to not be quite right...I wouldnt worry too much about it.

If you are just looking for a quick boost, hard boiled eggs are good treats, but some of our rats wont eat them, so good luck if you try that. We usually split 1 egg between 2 big males, 3-4 females or a couple of nursing moms.

[Shadera]

Thanks for the input, I'll give them a bit and see if any will take it. I haven't noticed any looking thin or anything like that, but I can just imagine those little ones sucking all the nutrients right out of them and want to offer something to give them a boost as you said. I've noticed that they do eat quite a bit more trying to keep up, and I'd like to ease some of that strain on their bodies if I can.

-bows- My gratitude.

[kc261]

I don't think they "need" anything extra; you are already giving them a high quality complete feed. However, it shouldn't hurt to offer some extra stuff as a sort of insurance that they aren't missing anything in their diet.

Lots of people feed a large assortment of table scraps to their rats. I think Joanna (frankykeno) is the one who talked a lot about keeping a tub of scraps in her fridge that were saved especially for the rats. If you do this, just be sure you read up on the foods that need to be avoided.

You could also make up something similar to Becky's mix (it is stickied somehwere in the feeder section) to use as a treat or supplement.

If you try the eggs, and they don't like hardboiled, you could try scrambled. I actually preferred to do it that way, because it is super fast in the microwave (not the best texture when cooked that way for humans, but not one of the rats complained!), plus it is easier to divide between multiple rats.

[Shadera]

Another great tip! I do scrambled in the microwave for the birds already, I can just toss in an extra egg for the rats. Great idea, thanks.

[JenH]

I found dehydrated vegtables (including greens) in the rodent snacks at PetsMart. I hydrate some of those and add it to a scrambled egg for our blue tongue skink and give the other half to the rats.

They eat every crumb....

[nixer]

if anything i would just give something high in calcium also something high in protein

[littleindiangirl]

I think you are also already feeding a great diet, and pretty much what people have said is what we do. We keep all dinner scraps and give it to the mothers and colony. I also like to visit everyday and give them a dog treat, but you are doing excellent by giving them innova and harlan. Can't do much better than that!!

[RichsBallPythons]

ALL I CAN SAY IS PEAS PEAS.

Their high in vitamins and minerals for rats. And they go nuts for them. My breeding rats get them once a week and wont touch the Mazuri till the bowl is empty.

[rebeccabecca]

Stay baway from soya as it causes cancer as does corn. I feed mostly healthy scraps from the kitchen. They get eggs,cooked chicken bones which are a great source of cal, oranges,apples,bird seed, whole grain bread, rice, pasta, of course I only have 5 so it's easier. I'd say collect cooked chicken bones and feed them to the moms they need it! mine also get holistic dog food w/o corn,dog cookies, they have a very varied diet.