Rat Food?

[Classicrocker42o]

So I'm getting a breeding pair.

And was looking at an old bag of cheap dog food (4 dollars for 15lb). I know dog food isn't best for nursing mothers, but the nutrition seems to be alright from my knowledge. I'm going to head up to the farm supply store to check out what they have to, but was just wondering about this.

American Value-

Crude Protein, min.........................18%

Crude Fat, min..............................7%

Crude Fiber, max............................5%

Moisture, max................................12% (Doubt this matters?)

Ingredients- (I know corn is cheap, but the ones the closely follow it seem alright.)

Ground Yellow Corn, Wheat Middings, Meat and Bone Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat Preserved with BHT and Citric Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Choline Chloride, Propionic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Copper Sulfate, Dimethylpyrimidinol Busulfite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamin Monoitrate, Biotin, and Folic Acid.

This might not be enough, but what about mixing some of Becky's Rodent Mix, and maybe some hog food or something from the farm supply and every now and then some table scraps like eggs, bones, peas, and whatnot?

[Classicrocker42o]

Whoops skiped a line in Ingredients after Copper Sulfate.

- Vitamin A Supplement, Mangnous Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, and Menadione.

[cobweb2000]

By itself the dog food will not be nutrionally complete, so yes it will need to be supplimented with a grain mix, veggies and your table scraps.
I use a grain mix called Sue Bee's that I got from a pet rat forum and they do fine on it along with dog food (rats are pets in my house, not food).

Just keep an eye on protien levels for the male and the female when she is not nursing. The 18% in the dog food is fine for them, but if you suppliment with eggs, bone and meat, the content will go up. Fresh veggies and whole grains will be better for their health in the long run.

[Clear]

For the same price you are paying for that dog food you can buy rodent food. I pay $16 for 50# of mazuri 6f. I also believe kent is cheaper. A proper diet plays a big role in the feeders. When I used dog food the rats smelled worse, hair stayed oily and the poop was gooey. Switched over and all that changed.

[Classicrocker42o]

I thought mazuri was more like $25 for 50 pounds? Or is that just for the 9f which would be a little better for a breeding?

Would a tractor/farm store have kent as well?

[suzuki4life]

For the same price you are paying for that dog food you can buy rodent food. I pay $16 for 50# of mazuri 6f. I also believe kent is cheaper. A proper diet plays a big role in the feeders. When I used dog food the rats smelled worse, hair stayed oily and the poop was gooey. Switched over and all that changed.

where are you located? I pay $24 for the same 6f.

[littleindiangirl]

I pay $24 for 6f, which seems to be the norm, and $26 for 9F, each is always in 50# bags.

[XGetSome]

I use Rodent food, but cant find it locally. So i gotta drive 2 hours to get it. When i cant i just used Dogfood. I never see a production drop, but the food gets wasted more, and i think the cages stink more......Cant really tell. I can say one thing ive got a Ton of rats and the dogfood works.

[matt71915]

TSC can order kent stuff
the 19% rodent stuff is what i use and it works good

[Kevin_Hornby]

The big problem with feeding dog food is your rats will stink way worse.