Dairy foods for rats.

[Darkice]

When i was in grade school we did a feeding experiment on rats. The controll group ate regular rat food with water. The dair group drank milk and had milk products like cheese for food.
The milk rats got huge quick from all the fat but didn't live as long.

Now if we feed our rats low fat dairy products like skim milk which is fortified with calcium will they be better feeders for reptiles? Given thet they will have stronger bones.
Since they are feeders can we gutload them with healthy things like we do crickets? And make them bigger faster and healthier?

Im new to breeding rats and am picking up my first trio of ASF's in a couple days.

[MarkS]

Well, they might like a little Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. But then again, who wouldn't?

[MDB]

I would stick with the normal feed/water

[Herpquest]

You could do that with Norweigen rats, but ASF's are basically small seed and root feeders. Their digestive systems could not cope with such a rich diet. If you want to increase size, feed gut loaded crickets/locusts as an addition to their regular diet a couple of times per week.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

There is always steroids...

LOL, no I would not feed anything out of the norm. Feed them what they are supposed to eat, so they grow at the pace they are supposed to grow. Remember these are living breathing animals that rely 100% on you for their care. Take good care of them and don't try to make them do things they are not supposed to do.

just my 2 cents.

Mike

[littleindiangirl]

Norway Rats are lactose intolerant, it will make them sick if you feed them only milk. I assume the same for ASF's.

[Darkice]

Ill stick to the regular diet then. Would hate to wipe out my breeders.
They might enjoy some soy milk though.