What do you feed your rats?

Just wonder what brand of food you feed your rats, and why you chose that brand. Also, do you give them any else to eat other than the lab blocks?

I know that many people use dog food to feed their rats. That should be a choice up on that poll there. I personally do not breed rats yet, but I plan to start in a few months and I plan to feed exclusively dog food.

Now a better name for this thread would have been "what brand of lab block do you feed your rats?"

Not that it makes a difference but I had the same thought that if you wanted to breed rats you had to feed them some type of lab block..however, if you want to know what breeders feed their rats, there is a much wider range than the three brands you listed, you'd have to include hog feed, dog food, lab block, scraps, and I've heard of a few others but those are the ones that come to mind. Just a thought tho, I'm not bashing your thread, because I love threads like this! They are very helpful to the aspiring rat breeder!!!:gj::gj::gj::)

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Originally Posted by Powerspythons

I know that many people use dog food to feed their rats. That should be a choice up on that poll there. I personally do not breed rats yet, but I plan to start in a few months and I plan to feed exclusively dog food.

Now a better name for this thread would have been "what brand of lab block do you feed your rats?"

Not that it makes a difference but I had the same thought that if you wanted to breed rats you had to feed them some type of lab block..however, if you want to know what breeders feed their rats, there is a much wider range than the three brands you listed, you'd have to include hog feed, dog food, lab block, scraps, and I've heard of a few others but those are the ones that come to mind. Just a thought tho, I'm not bashing your thread, because I love threads like this! They are very helpful to the aspiring rat breeder!!!:gj::gj::gj::)

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Yeah, I should of put more thought into it. But I did list "Other", I guess the hog feed, dog food and scraps would fall under that.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention!

Dave

Harlan

Mazuri! Fresh fruits, veggies, chicken, seeds, cereal, nuts, etc.etc.etc.

Mix: Brown rice, lentils, barley, oats, millet, sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, safflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sweet feed

Treats: insect treats from Wild Birds Unlimited, meal worms, fruit, veggies, live crickets, cooked pasta, yogurt

I feed my rats a mix of Iam's dog food, Goodlife Recipe cat food (I originally fed the indoor version, but screwed up a few days ago and got the regular stuff; seems okay though), some sort of granola (right now, Just Bunches), some oatmeal (either the unprocessed stuff, or a packet of quick oats with dehydrated fruits/berries and flavoring), and a handful of peanuts now and then (usually a day or two before I clean the bins).

I also feed 'whatever else' is laying around, which will include some veggies (often cooked from restaurants), table scraps, canned dog food, the occasional bugs, and bones.



EDIT: I switched the dog food recently from some very expensive toy breed dog food, and since I switched to the Iams, I've noticed my rats don't eat as much and look a bit more active.

mazuri. i can get it locally, and it's $23 for a 50lb bag.

I switched to a different dog food recently. Its plain type carried at my Winco, doesn't have dyes in it and is .33 cents a pound. Production hasn't changed and rats seem just as healthy :gj:

I occassionally give pregnant females hardboiled eggs, they love them!

Man, some of you feed your rats like kings! I just started a colony 1.3 and I bought a 25lb. bag of Mazuri Rodent. Was wanting the Mazuri Breeder 6F. The guy I got the rats from fed them Kent. Kent's protein is 23%, I think lower protein is a little better as my rats are getting bigger now. But that why I post this, is to get an idea of what is better and what else they can eat.

Thanks, and keep posting!

Dave

Doggie Bag dog food

I feed Doggy Bag dog food. My rats and mice thrive on the stuff. I tried feeding a lot of different things and the Doggy Bag is BY FAR the most productive way for me to go.

Hog feed might be more economical, but its too small to sit on the 1/2" hardware cloth so I didn't really consider it a viable option in my rat racks.

I pay less than $0.29 per pound for the Doggy Bag. The rats eat a ton of it, which is great because when they eat they grow, and when they grow FAST they stay profitable.

I guess that if I could find Mazuri cheaper I would use it, but its not worth it to me. I don't have to be able to tell people, "I feed Mazuri. My rats only get the best!". The dog food is fine for the animals, and just fine with my pride LOL.

The Mazuri costs me about $0.45 per pound.

It makes sense to me. One bag of food lasts me about a week with two racks. With 30 racks up breeding full time I am going through 15 bags of feed per week with those 30 racks. I save $96.00 per week by feeding the Doggy Bag.

That's $400 a month.
That's $4800 a year.

With the money that I save in feed costs (and by using pine instead of aspen) I could replace all of my racks with Freedom Breeders over the next few years LOL. However, I just use the money that I save to lower my operating costs and offer my rats at a better price than my competition.

Doggy bag dog food. :gj:

I can get Kent lab blocks 50lbs for $12.99, thats .26 cents a lb. but Kent is higher in protein. Anyone ever use this? Still looking for Mazuri Breeder 6F. But I may have to check into this Doggy Bag food.
I have never seen this brand, where do you get it?

I plan to use doggy bag when I get going as well.

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Originally Posted by saber2th

I can get Kent lab blocks 50lbs for $12.99, thats .26 cents a lb. but Kent is higher in protein. Anyone ever use this? Still looking for Mazuri Breeder 6F. But I may have to check into this Doggy Bag food.
I have never seen this brand, where do you get it?

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Tractor Supply Co I believe.

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Originally Posted by Shenzi Sixaxis

Tractor Supply Co I believe.

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Thanks, I found it on their site. So, do you think this be better that Kents Lab Blocks?

Link to the site.
http://http://www.tractorsupply.com/...40-lb--5073121

I feed my rats Kaytee Forti-Diet brand lab blocks, which is what the pet stores where I live carry. I wish I could find something in bulk quantities, though. If the lab blocks run out before I can get some more, I let them have some dog kibble, which they seem to love. They also get lots fruit and veggie scraps and other leftovers.

Kaytee is terrible food. For any animal they make it for, it's all horrible.

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Originally Posted by Rhasputin

Kaytee is terrible food. For any animal they make it for, it's all horrible.

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What's so terrible about it?

The ingredients, and their quality.

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Originally Posted by Rhasputin

The ingredients, and their quality.

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Well, I did check around online, and you're right..... Kaytee seems to have lots of bad reviews. Darn! That's all I ever seem to find for sale where I live. My rodents do seem to be healthy, but it's not the only thing they ever eat. I wonder if it would be healthier for them if I just switched to a high-quality dog kibble? That would definitely save money.....

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Originally Posted by wendhend

Well, I did check around online, and you're right..... Kaytee seems to have lots of bad reviews. Darn! That's all I ever seem to find for sale where I live. My rodents do seem to be healthy, but it's not the only thing they ever eat. I wonder if it would be healthier for them if I just switched to a high-quality dog kibble? That would definitely save money.....

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Check out that Doggy Bag dog food! I posted a link to it a few posts back. If I can't find the Mazuri Breeder 6F for a good price and just might give that a try!

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Originally Posted by wendhend

Well, I did check around online, and you're right..... Kaytee seems to have lots of bad reviews. Darn! That's all I ever seem to find for sale where I live. My rodents do seem to be healthy, but it's not the only thing they ever eat. I wonder if it would be healthier for them if I just switched to a high-quality dog kibble? That would definitely save money.....

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That also depends on what your opinion of "high-quality" is, especially with dog food. The majority of cheaper dog foods (Beneful, Kibbles n Bits, etc.) is corn. That's really all it is, corn mixed with some animal fat. Try a dog food such as Nutro's Natural Choice (usually about $20 for a 50lb bag), but supplement it with meats and fresh fruits, veggies, etc. It isn't a fantastic food, but it is still cheap, and much better than Doggy Bag or other brands commonly used.

i'd like to know where you're getting nutro anything for $20 a 50lb bag. fed it to my dogs for a long time, and have never found it for less that $35 for a 40lb bag.

off topic i know. sorry..

Kent, 15 bucks for 50lbs, and the guy I buy it from drops it right off at my house

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Originally Posted by kylerimb

i'd like to know where you're getting nutro anything for $20 a 50lb bag. fed it to my dogs for a long time, and have never found it for less that $35 for a 40lb bag.

off topic i know. sorry..

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Petsmart very often has it on sale. Tractory Supply often has it on sale. I fed it to my dogs, too, many years ago. Never paid more than $20/25 for a 40 or 50lb bag.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

Kent, 15 bucks for 50lbs, and the guy I buy it from drops it right off at my house

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How long have you been using Kent, and how are your rats doing on it? Do you get it from Great Lakes Rodents? I can get it for $12.99, but its like a 15 mile drive one way.

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Originally Posted by starstrukk

That also depends on what your opinion of "high-quality" is, especially with dog food. The majority of cheaper dog foods (Beneful, Kibbles n Bits, etc.) is corn. That's really all it is, corn mixed with some animal fat. Try a dog food such as Nutro's Natural Choice (usually about $20 for a 50lb bag), but supplement it with meats and fresh fruits, veggies, etc. It isn't a fantastic food, but it is still cheap, and much better than Doggy Bag or other brands commonly used.

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Which formula do you use? There are a lot of different ones.

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Originally Posted by starstrukk

That also depends on what your opinion of "high-quality" is, especially with dog food. The majority of cheaper dog foods (Beneful, Kibbles n Bits, etc.) is corn. That's really all it is, corn mixed with some animal fat. Try a dog food such as Nutro's Natural Choice (usually about $20 for a 50lb bag), but supplement it with meats and fresh fruits, veggies, etc. It isn't a fantastic food, but it is still cheap, and much better than Doggy Bag or other brands commonly used.

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Beneful and Kibbles and Bits are horrible choices to feed to anything: they have dyes, including the cancer causing red dye.

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Originally Posted by saber2th

How long have you been using Kent, and how are your rats doing on it? Do you get it from Great Lakes Rodents? I can get it for $12.99, but its like a 15 mile drive one way.

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been using it for over a year now, I switch from Mazuri and saw no difference. besides the obvious drop in price lol. 26 bucks vs 15... huge difference.

the only thing i ever noticed a difference with, is when i switched from pet store rat food to Mazuri, i noticed their fur wasn't as soft with the Mazuri, Kent is the same way, pretty dry feeling fur, but besides that, 100% healthy, big production rats.

I get it from a local guy that buys in bulk and resells it, his parents live in my neighborhood so when he visits them and gots an order for me, he drops it off right at my house, that to me is the best part lol

When I get my colony going I plan on feeding them O'le Roy dog food mixed with black sunflower seed.

Dyes, corn, and soy are horrible for mice and rats. Not to mention the toxins that could build up in your feeders, being fed to your snakes and lizards.

i use kent when i can get it, but i found a cattle range block at co-op thats half the price and virtually the exact same thing, just a bit lower on the protein (20%), now its down to 18%. but the rats do great on it, and you cant beat $9 for 50lbs ( kinda irks me though, 4 months ago it was $7 for 50lb :( )

I use Mazuri 6F for my rats. I have to get my local Co-Op to special order it for me, though, in the 50 lb. bags and it does take a few weeks for it to arrive, so I usually have them order more when I pick up an order. In any case, since Mazuri is manufactured by Purina, any store that buys from Purina should be able to order it for you. But tell them the Purina stock number is the 5M30 or they might wind up ordering you the small, 2-lb. bags. ;) The 50-lb. bags at my local Co-Op are $23.99 each, so not a bad price. Mazuri is great for females gaining their weight back after birthing a litter of babies.

I don't feed mine anything extra, mainly because I don't have the time to prepare extra things like fruit, veggies, etc. It's for that reason I don't have lizards, and if I'm not willing to prepare daily salads for reptiles, I sure ain't doing it for the rats. LOL If I have extra table scraps, though, I may start giving them to my rats. I didn't realize that it was OK for feeder rodents. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Bellabob

When I get my colony going I plan on feeding them O'le Roy dog food mixed with black sunflower seed.

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That's probably WAAAAAY too much protein for rats. It'll be hard on their kidneys, and you may find you have a lot of sick feeders.

Try mixing it with oats instead. You can get a 50lb bag of oats at a feed store for $10-$15, and it should be 50% ish of their diet.
You can also buy barley in 50lb bags at about the same price.

I was usng mazuri and switched to kent. I was keeping breeding cards with litter numbers and dates. I did not notice any difference between average numbers and average time between litters switching over. I can get kent for anywhere between 11-13 depending on how much is ordered where mazuri was running me 25-30. I have only been running kent for about 7 months but like I said numbers are still about the same. I may be going to change over to the doggy bag next as I have a TSC going in about 5 miles away and the grainery is about 20 miles away so I may be able to save even more money by cutting out gas. My numbers are back down to 15 breeding females but at one time I was up to around 40 so my numbers were pretty spread out and gave me a good enough average to satisfy me.

i get 50lb bags of mazuri for 16 bucks a piece but i got a nice drive to get there. i just buy 5 bags so i dont have to pick anymore up for at least 6 months

So is dog bag dog food ok?
We bought that and we tend to crush it up... But I have no clue what happens to the food... It's always gone... Do they hide the food? Do I always keep the bowl filled?

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Originally Posted by Tidus10

So is dog bag dog food ok?
We bought that and we tend to crush it up... But I have no clue what happens to the food... It's always gone... Do they hide the food? Do I always keep the bowl filled?

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Doggy bag dog food is not ok, it is great. There's no need to crush it up.

Do the rat pups also eat the doggy bag stuff?

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Originally Posted by Tidus10

Do the rat pups also eat the doggy bag stuff?

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When they are weaned they will! Just like any other food.

I used to use Doggie Bag. I have way less deaths since I stopped using it. I found that at 2-4 weeks old, I was getting a lot of dead pups. They just weren't growing fast enough on it.

When do they get weened?

I looked up the kent food but i have a question, Do you feed your rats the dog food? I didn't see a rodent food on the website but i may have just missed it lol.:D

i can't find it on their site either, but its called rodent diet, just got 10 bags yesterday.

Ive been using the Doggy Bag from TSC and its working great for me. I havent had any deaths other then some at birth. But other than that i dont have any problems with it.

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Originally Posted by Tidus10

When do they get weened?

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Right around 3 weeks of age I believe!

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Originally Posted by Akira

I looked up the kent food but i have a question, Do you feed your rats the dog food? I didn't see a rodent food on the website but i may have just missed it lol.:D

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Kent does sell the Rodent Labs blocks, some feed stores carry it and a guy at our local show sells it. Comes in 50lb. bags, and sells for around $12.00-$17.00 around here.

Long live Mazuri (or Harlan)
Harlan is what UC Davis uses for their KOMP Genetic study...I figure my snake food should be at least "lab grade"

I use Mazuri too. Works great.

I know a few labs at UC Davis also use Purina lab feed for their colonies.

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