Lab blocks

So normally I order the 40lb Native block, but since all the rain and my basement flooding the bag I was using was soaked and had to be thrown out :mad:

Well I ordered a new bag and wont be here till tues or wed and had to go to Petsmart for a temp bag.

Picked up a 2lb bag of Mazuri Rodent block and it had 23% protein. Seems really high in protein but it is only temporary so I guess it wont hurt but I was still shocked

I know many think 23% is too high for rats but I feed Kent rodent block and it is 23% we have been feeding it now for a while and it's worked great. Some production, no cannibalism and everything is running smoothly. At 15.00 for 50lb I'm not likely to switch any time soon. :)

The Rodent Diet 5001 I use is 23%, never had a problem.

Despite the reviews I am not a fan of Mazuria rat blocks. I have found that some rats won't touch it and that protein sensitive rats will flake or become greasy.

Harlen is great but pricey.

I buy a feed store block and it work great for me. I also give scraps and supplement.

The problem with high protein block is, over time, the kidneys have to work harder and harder, and that will start skin and fur problems.
If you aren't using them for very long, ie-feeders, no biggie. If you notice bald spot or them itching all the time, it could be too much protein..
I used to use urea free cattle cubes years and years ago. Took me a while to figure out why my rats were always having problems, urinating blood, loosing hair, etc. That was back before lab blocks were readily available to the public. When I switched over to hog feed, they would slowly waste away from lack of protein. I would buy stuff from the farm store, and it usually didn't have the info on the labels like today's stuff does. Some cattle feed is as high as 40%, and some hog feed is as low as 12%. You just gotta find a happy medium if you're gonna use that kind of feed. Nothing wrong with it, as long as you can keep your breeders healthy.
I've just "been there, done that", and I take advantage of the feed that's made for lab rats.... Way easier than worrying about mixing and how much of this and how little of that. In the end, at least for me, buying a ton at a time, saves me the time and it's almost as cheap as getting hog feed and supplementing...

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4758&page=13


23% is on the high side, but is NOT too high at all. Perfectly safe. :)
But I wouldn't go much higher on a daily basis. It's perfectly safe to feed protein as high as 70% (found in some cat foods) for short periods of time, but not long term, or you'll start seeing negative effects, like Jasbus mentioned.

Yeah, I find that 19% is perfect for rats.
The only supplement I use for rats is a small scoop of 12% sweet feed for tubs where moms have babies on cleaning day. They love the molasses...

I have sweet feed in my mouse/rat/ASF/spiny mouse/pygmy mouse mix. They all love it. :)
There's even a new one at the feed store here that is corn free, which is great. 100% oats and barley mix!

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Originally Posted by rperry03

So normally I order the 40lb Native block, but since all the rain and my basement flooding the bag I was using was soaked and had to be thrown out :mad:

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Been there, done that. :( Since finding out that part of our basement does indeed get wet sometimes, I've put a pallet down there and place surplus feed bags on it. Keeps them up off the floor nicely. Eventually I'll have to replace the pallet, but it's better than wasting feed.

Get some tubs for that feed! You can get massive ones at Walmart for $11! I can fit my whole fat self into one of those tubs with room to spare, I use it for my rat's cage.

There's smaller ones that are about 1/2 the size that are about $7 too.