Rodents on Raw

[SatanicIntention]

I breed rats for pets. Very, very occasionally.

I use a homemade, mostly organic food mix(many more ingredients than the cheaper mix I have a recipe on here) and feed Mazuri 9F blocks 3-4 times per week. They get mix the other days.

I use Wellness Senior dog food in small amounts. Get dry tri-colored pasta(all sorts), slow cooking oatmeal, black oil sunflower seeds, pine nuts, goji berries, banana chips, bags of dried fruit(different kinds), dried cherries, kashi go lean, kashi go lean crunch(2 boxes each), raisin bran or total flakes, cheerios, puffed wheat/puffed rice, crispy rice, orzo, wild rice, brown rice, couscous, some other dried grains(organic), muesli, dried blueberries(or a cereal with blueberries in it).

Honestly any whole grain cereals with fruit/nuts without any added sugar. Brown sugar isn't too bad like what Kashi has in it.

Please Jay, you CANNOT mimic the correct diet. Rats are omnivorous and need meat in their diet. If you cannot provide that, then please don't keep them. The lab blocks provide all of the micronutrients that you are not reasonably able to.

Do not feed them raw meat. They cannot process it and it would make them sick, like it does us(although I love my steaks barely seared and mooing slightly.. surface bacteria's gone anyway).

Do not feed them alot of uncooked or even cooked fruits and vegetables. It gives them the runs. Frozen veggies/fruits in small amounts a few times a week is fine.

I have had rats, even from awful breeders and pet stores, that have lived over 4.5 years on MY DIET. I rarely have to deal with mammary tumors or cancers. My guys/gals act young up until they are ready to pass on.

Too many nuts and dried fruits can be detrimental to their health(either too much sugar or too much of one mineral or another ie: selenium). Moderation is key. I like to get the in-shell walnuts, pecans, filberts, etc and give them to them. Keeps the rats busy for awhile.

If you want a detailed list of what I put in my mix, I will look in the bins and try to identify.. I just made 60lbs+ of it 2 nights ago. Cost was very low also and it lasts a very long time for my 26 rats.

I just want to reiterate that they NEED the lab blocks to be healthy. If you are unable or unwilling to provide that for them, then please rehome them. The lab blocks contain nutrients that you would be unable to easily provide to them and it would not be ethical IMHO.