diet: split peas and lentils

I've mixed up buckets of Becky's rattie mix (b/c I bought so much of the individual bags, I ended up w/about 2.5 molasses buckets worth. :rolleyes: )

Can I sub something else for the split peas and lentils, nutrition-wise????? They're eating everything else but scattering the sp & l's to the bottom of the bedding OR in the little girls cage they're all just left in the bottom of the crocks. I can't afford to just keep vacuumming or throwing the ingredients out.

They're getting yogurt treats, have lab blocks, becky mix and water all free choice. The only difference btwn Becky's mix and what I did, is that I didn't use any muesli cereal, just 100% bran flakes, puffed rice and puffed wheat, oatmeal and the cheerios. Would there be detrimental nutritional value if I just don't use the split peas & lentils in the next batch??

Oh, and the dog food is Iams' Large Breed kibble. A little bit higher protein, but I had about 1/2 bag left over. Will Iams' Kitten food be good enough for the nursing mommies??? Squeeky got kind of thin, despite my feeding her the fresh foods, chkn bones, and free-choice mix and blocks.

Thanks!

http://www.ratnutrition.com/suppleme...forbiddenfoods You might find this helpful. Also I have been told that lentils can be dangerous to rats. Hope this helps.

Nancy, thanks for posting that link. It was very informative.

Thanks Nancy! I've been looking for that link ever since I lost it when our hard drive died. Basically beans and lentils are proteins...I think about 1/2 cup is about the same as 1 oz of meat that way. So as long as they are getting the protein from a good dog food or other source I'd think you'd be fine. Mine get enough protein that I don't always add in the peas and lentils as they don't eat it all that well either. Remember Becky's mix is a guide, you can play around with it and the rats will enjoy the variety. Mine is different every week depending on what I see on sale or add in (ends of boxes of cereal, bit of dry pasta left in a bag, etc.) I just make sure the basics are there (good dry kibble, lab block, large flake old fashioned oatmeal, etc.)

If you can find a dog food that has 18% or less protein, you would be better off. Higher fat is what you are looking for, when feeding pregnant/nursing moms. I use Wellness Senior, but not everyone can($12 for 8lbs). Nutro is a good food too, get the Senior.

Sometimes I put peas and lentils, sometimes I don't. My mix(about 50lbs every 3-4 months) varies every time I make it. I like adding Kashi GoLean, Kashi Crunch, any of the fun granola cereals, whole in shell nuts(walnuts, pecans, filberts, etc), raisin bran, brown rice, oatmeal, whole flaxseed(2-3lbs each time I make the mix, it works wonders on their coats and skin), tons of tri-colored and wheat pasta, wild rice if you can find it, rice chex, wheat chex, puffed wheat and rice, etc.

I would stick with a lower protein, higher fat content mix. High protein is harder on their kidneys and makes them more susceptible to allergies(itching and scabbing ickiness). If a female has problems holding weight regardless of what you are feeding her, I wouldn't breed her again. It's just not worth it, IMO, to have the babies undersized and her body wasting away. Takes alot of time to get them back to weight. I have one female, Reggie, who had 14 babies and lost a dramatic amount of weight. The babies were all good-sized though. We haven't bred her again as it just takes too much out of her and she was exhausted all of the time.

Hope that helps a bit! And no, Lentils and dried peas aren't poisonous :) If they were, my rats would have been dead years ago, LOL.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Hope that helps a bit! And no, Lentils and dried peas aren't poisonous :) If they were, my rats would have been dead years ago, LOL.

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I don't recall saying they would kill your rats. I have heard repeatedly that lentils were hard on rats as far as digestion, along with dried beans etc.

Thx all!


Isn't the raisin bran sort of a mixed blessing??? I almost bought a box of it, but with the raisins sprinkled w/sugar, I didn't succomb.

Other than the higher protein in the reg. dog kibble that was leftovers, and the muesli cereal, I've got the other things in the becky mix. Whole peanuts, cheerios, tri-colored pasta, oatmeal, cranberries (just a few of those and the bulk, unsweetened raisins) yadda yadda :blahblah: :blahblah: :D

Another good HI FAT substitute? I give the thin pbutter or olive oil/ bread as treats, but was wondering if there's a better way that I can put it into the mix/diet.....Would the flaxseed have some more fat to add?

I've heard it alot too, and read it on alot of inexperienced or unknowing peoples' websites. I've asked my vet and she says they're fine. Some rats like them and some don't. Beans, peas and lentils are a very good source of protein as well as helping to prevent cancer and other illnesses. Here's a good reference I found that talks about the effects of beans on rats in the 4th paragraph:
http://www.americanbean.org/HealthNu...d%20Cancer.htm

I've found that canned cat food helps, as well as tuna, salmon, etc. You can give a little bit of puppy food here and there, a well as cooked pasta, raw liver(chicken or beef, no preference), you "can" cook the livers, but the smell is gawdawful(or is that just me?). Yogurt is good, soymilk/almond milk via water bottle is well-enjoyed and gives some calories. You can also go to your veterinarian and ask for a few cans of Hills Prescription Diet a/d. It has calories and fat galore and is meant for putting on weight or animals recovering. Each can should only be around $1 or so. You can give a bit of that every day, and it will help her keep the weight on better.

Naaaaw, Becky....that's just YOU!!!!!:P :P Yuuuuuuummmmmm Liver and onions!!! Lots of onions and liver. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm


Thanks for the ideas... I should have thought of the A/D food. Pesky has to eat it b/c of her damaged jaw, so I almost always have some on hand. I'll start feeding some of that in dibbles to the mommies if they start losing weight.

they regularly get yogurt as the drops as treats, but usu. two or three at a time. I'll check into the soymilk, and maybe tofu. (?) WE don't drink/eat that stuff... :puke: but I can buy it for our ratty sweeties. :)


RuLyn