help with ASF diet, what is good to feed them?

hey all, just wondering about some foods for my ASF's. i've been having issues with finding babies dead. they haven't been fighting (well, i haven't HEARD them rumbling or squeeling), the dead ones didn't look like they were attacked or eaten, they were just laying there dead.

the breeder i got them from suggested the adults may not be getting enough nutrition and just stop nursing them sometimes.

i was looking up their staple diet (Step 2 Extruded Horse Crunch)to see the nutritional breakdown, and i see there are 2 separate versions of the food i'm giving them. which ones looks more appropriate to you? i don't know which one i have them on right now! i wasn't aware there were 2 and i got it delivered from a buddy last time. but anyways, here's the breakdown:

http://north40.mybigcommerce.com/pro...d-analysis.jpg

http://north40.mybigcommerce.com/pro...t-analysis.jpg

that's their staple food, it's in their tubs all day everyday. i've also incorporated some superworms (which they got freaking NUTS for!), trail mix (peanuts, almonds cashews, whatever other nuts are in there), they eat the bread loaf ends, i've given them some carrots tonight, and somebody suggested finch seed mix/millet. does this sound like it will spruce up their diet enough? is there anything else i can supplement them with on a regular basis which will keep their nutrition up?

thanks!

ETA: i just dug the bag out of my deep freeze, the one i'm feeding them is the 2nd photo. 10% fat. it doesn't say "Peak Sweet" on the bag though? i'm confused. next time i'm going to have to drive the 2 hrs to the feed place myself to compare the different crunches.

Just an observation, your food has almost 4% less protein and 4% more fat than the Mazuri 6F that I feed, and I don't supplement their diets at all.

I do have the occasional tub with dead hoppers. From what I could tell it's either the mothers not doing their jobs or the babies getting trampled when the adults fight. Either way those groups are worthless and get fed off.

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the fat & fiber content is tooo high, I feed hog feed as a staple 3% fat, 5 % fiber.

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Originally Posted by spitzu

Just an observation, your food has almost 4% less protein and 4% more fat than the Mazuri 6F that I feed, and I don't supplement their diets at all.

I do have the occasional tub with dead hoppers. From what I could tell it's either the mothers not doing their jobs or the babies getting trampled when the adults fight. Either way those groups are worthless and get fed off.

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so more protein, less fat? i can't get my hands on Mazuri 6F up here in Canada. trust me, i've tried! but seriously getting things in the reptile hobby just seems like pullin' teeth in Canada. just to get a set of probes it's going to be like $60 because of shipping from the states. can't get big bales of aspen easily, can't get 6F, etc. it's sooooo frustrating!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by llovelace

the fat & fiber content is tooo high, I feed hog feed as a staple 3% fat, 5 % fiber.

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hmm. most of the people here in the lower mainland are feeding the Step 2 Extruded like i am, but most of them have quit breeding them because they just take too long to get up to size. i'm stuck with breeding ASF as feeders, because i breed them in my office in a rental suite and i cannot go with any of the stinkier rats.

what are some brands of hog feed? which one do you feed, and what is it's nutritional breakdown?

i got them a bag of sunflower seeds from CT the other day...should i take it back? i assume they're pretty high in fibre and fat as well, so if i already have too much of that i should stay away from them i suppose.

okay so i spoke with my local pet store and she is bringing me in a bag of hog feed. i'm just wondering if they're all pretty generic or if there are certain hog feeds that are better? i don't know which brand she is bringing or, or the nutritional content but i will post it here when i get the bag.

spamming my own thread!

thought i could come back and edit but i guess i waited too long. anyways, i'm pretty sure the pet store is getting the hog feed from ProForm, and i just did a search on their website and it says they have these types of hog feed:

Starter
Grower
Finisher
Supplement
Premix

but the website doesn't provide any of the nutritional breakdowns. which one of these should i most likely be using for my ASFs?

I have been using the purena hog feed grower and my ASF's have been doing very well on it

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thanks! is there any chance you can post a photo of the bag? or the nutritional breakdown?

looking at the Purina site, there are SO many different types!

http://swine.purinamills.com/OurProd...W/default.aspx

like i said i *think* it's ProForm that my pet store is going to bring in, but i at least want to match the nutrition as close as possible.

Purina makes country acres hog feed also, it's 16% protein

Okay, thanks so much! not sure if Purina is available up here but I will definitely look into it.

okay i spoke to the lady at the pet store, and the brand she carries is Otter Co-op. the specs of the one feed are here

if you don't want to click the link, the breakdown is

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein (min.) 16.00 %
Fat (min.) 3.00 %
Fiber (max.) 9.00 %
Calcium (actual) 1.00 %
Phosphorus (actual) 0.60 %
Zinc (actual) 178 mg/kg
Copper (actual) 30 mg/kg
Sodium (actual) 0.26 %
Vitamin A (min) 12600 iu/kg
Vitamin D (min) 1500 iu/kg
Vitamin E (min) 60 iu/kg
Selenium 0.30 mg/kg

Ingredients: barley, wheat mill run, wheat, ground corn, canola meal and/or soyabean meal, vegetable oil, pellet binder, multiphos, limestone, lysine, methionine, vitamin A premix, vitamin D premix, vitamin E premix, copper sulphate, manganese oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous sulphate, calcium iodate, sodium selenate.

so this^^ one still has 9% fibre, is that going to be too much for them?

my other option is an 18% hog starter pellet, and it's specs are here

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein (min.) 18.00 %
Fat (min.) 3.00 %
Fiber (max.) 6.50 %
Calcium (actual) 0.95 %
Phosphorus (actual) 0.75 %
Sodium (actual) 0.20 %
Vitamin A (min) 14000 iu/kg
Vitamin D (min) 2000 iu/kg
Vitamin E (min) 100 iu/kg
Selenium 0.30 mg/kg
Zinc (actual) 200 mg/kg
Copper (actual) 125 mg/kg

Ingredients: barley, wheat and/or wheat mill run, corn, canola meal and/or soyabean meal, vegetable oil, pellet binder, multiphos, limestone, lysine, methionine, vitamin A premix, vitamin D premix, vitamin E premix, copper sulphate, manganese oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous sulphate, calcium iodate

so the 2nd one has 2% more protein, but it's lower in fibre. let me know what you guys think would be most appropriate!

The second one is the closest match to the one I use. I will, if you need me too, get the break down analysis of what I use when I get home


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Does anyone know if there is a corn and soy free hog grower?

I know there is soy free hog feed but I don't know about corn free


Next time I go to feed store I'll see if they have any pellet food that is corn and soy free for fun

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Well it's fine to have corn in it, if it's guaranteed no GMOs. That's very important to me in my rodent feed. 'Organic' certified hog feed would work. I found some little places that make it on the other side of the country, but I'm hoping to be able to get some over here. :/

http://tapatalk.com/mu/18520cd3-283d-768a.jpg

Here is the stuff I got from them. Going to try them on it and see how they do!

Just remember... it is in no way shape or form and exact science... I am sure they will do fine on it.

You would not feed your horse rat food for the same reason you should not feed horse food to rats. I use Harlan 2018 better than Mazzuri because it has less salt content and therefore they drink less pee less and smell less.

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Originally Posted by luijibored

You would not feed your horse rat food for the same reason you should not feed horse food to rats.

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Rat food is to horses as Rat food is to ASF's.

Neither were "designed" for the species. If you find something that works, it works. :)

This logic is why the majority of us use hog food that costs $9 for 50lbs and works AS GOOD OR BETTER then Harlan or Mazzuri for ASF's.

And actually horse food makes great rodent food! Sweet horse feed is made up of mostly grains. I add it to my home-made mix for a sweet treat.

i can't get Mazuri or Harlad here.

also, if it ain't broke don't fit it! lol.

Interesting thread for the very reason that I feed a little bit of everything to cover all bases.

Currently there is a rat/mouse pellets & a small animal mix (seeds, millet, etc) along with fresh fruits/veggies/bread and whatever else I can find. ;)