Feeding Rats Dog Food?

[Jt.]

I've been trying to get my hands on some Mazuri6f for a while. Ordering it online costs me $55 for a 50lb bag and that is just too much so I'm calling around today to see if anyone can order it in for me for a cheaper price. I've been feeding some cheap block food since my only other option is paying $7/2lb of Mazuri or feeding dog food, so I've been feeding a mix of dog food and this block and everyone is doing fine on it. I have two mice that just had decent sized litters (19 babies total). I'm about to go check the dog food's ingredients and see if this would be an acceptable diet until I can get block. They are greasy on it and smell bad though, so maybe I won't use it once its gone. Can anyone recommend a diet that won't make them greasy but is a good price? (other than Mazuri and such, as I am having a hard time finding someone to order those types of foods)

Have you thought about feeding a home made diet like this one? http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28391

I feed a variation of that and my rats and mice do very well on it.

[Jay_Bunny]

I just read the ingredients on the dog food I have for the rats as emergency food (though I have been feeding it to them on an almost daily basis because I have not gotten a bag of mazuri yet) has red #40 in it. Guess I'm just going to throw away what is left and stick with the block food I found.

I was thinking about doing a home-made diet but I'm going to wait and see if I can get some lab block ordered in for less than $30.

[suzuki4life]

Colorado. Why?

curious where mazuri was $18/bag...

mine just hiked up an extra $5...and I buy it by the skid

[littleindiangirl]

Jay, (or anyone) try Kent rodent food. It's cheaper than Mazuri, and seems to be that a lot of feed retailers can order it.

[Jay_Bunny]

Thanks! I'll stop by the store tomorrow and see if they can order it in for me. I just showed my husband some numbers on how many feeders we go through a month and while we only have 11 snakes, he was shocked at how many we go through and how much each one costs. I think I have the go ahead to start breeding more rats and mice.

[sassy-pants]

curious where mazuri was $18/bag...

mine just hiked up an extra $5...and I buy it by the skid

Might be shipping. AFAIK, there's a Purina factory around here in the state that makes the 6f, which would drop shipping costs a bunch. I might be wrong, but I remember my supplier saying something along those lines.

[ericswan_1]

I just switched over from dogg food to kent 23% rodent diet and they love it and its only 13.50 for a 50lb. bag. it the only rat food I can gt with out spending 55 or so per bag. all my breeders are doiing real good so far on it my mice production seems to be doing real good and i dont think they are eating so much either.

Eric

[Mike Schultz]

I couldnt find any rodent food on the kent website.

[pastorD]

I am relatively new to the forum but have been a (lurker) for some time now. I read as much as I can because you folks really put out a lot of good information in your threads. I have been raising a small colony of mice and rats for about 9 months now with all the info I have gleaned I now feed my stock a 50/50 mix of cheep 17% protein Retriever Dog food from Tractor Supply and Harlan Lab block.

I have two tubs of mice (1.4 each) that will not eat the Harlan and are doing horrible. They have thinning oily hair are fat and have stopped breeding. I am in process of stopping the dog food and feeding only the Harlan. The other 2 mice tubs and the 3.9 rats in their respective tubs are eating the Harlan mix and really look great and produce outstanding healthy litters. I was using only the Retriever Dog food at first but after contacting Harlan and finding a supplier about an hour away, I have begun to shift to a 100% Harlan diet. As I shift, I see my stock getting healthier and my litters are getting bigger. However, some rodents do not prefer the Harlan and I hope I can get them to accept it or I may have to replace them. I believe it is like anything else if you get the choice of Twinkies or broccoli, well you get my point even rats are what they eat.

[Jt.]

I have two tubs of mice (1.4 each) that will not eat the Harlan and are doing horrible. They have thinning oily hair are fat and have stopped breeding.

How old are they? They may not be able to breed any more due to age. Old ex breeders tend to get fat.