a must read about rodent diet

[Raptor]

i simply meant, i dont understand why most people want lower protein, when the good stuff formulated specifically for breeding rats is 3%-9% higher protien.

Mouse/rat people (the ones who show rodents) claim that too much protein in the diet can cause sores. I haven't seen this in any of my mice though. So, that's where the low protein idea might have come from.

[SnakeKB]

Some say high protein causes kidney failure too. I don't know if it's true. I might do a study with soft furs feeding them strictly 30% protein cat food and find out.

As far as companies advertising there food for breeding rats, purina may have 23%, Mazuri 6F is 16%, Dog food is 18-25%, Hog feed is 14-17%. Who's to really say what's better. It seems we all are producing young without a problem so what's it matter.

[BAMReptiles]

just one of those things i think about lol

the kent brand rodent feed is also 23%

i prefer not to use the dog food just because of how nasty it makes their fur. its quite a noticeable difference from when i fed dog food in a pinch a few times, compared to feeding the 20% range block or either of the actual lab rodent diets.

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

Considering the dog also got table scraps..I'll pass. Also..

http://www.feingold.org/Research/dye-studies.html
http://www.tegutalk.com/forum/viewto...t=3102&start=0
http://tzunun.home.mindspring.com/reddye.htm
http://www.paghat.com/reddye.html

Long story short, red dye #40 is carcinogenic. A.k.a causes cancer.

Oh my god... I'm now checking food I eat for red dye! I thought that snakes couldn't digest it or something, not stuff like that.

[pavlovk1025]

Oh my god... I'm now checking food I eat for red dye! I thought that snakes couldn't digest it or something, not stuff like that.

Yeah, Im putting my foil hat on too.

[Rhasputin]

Feeding a mix of dog food, grains, and seeds is best. It creates healthy, and hearty mice that are sure to be very good for your reptiles. It is also cheap to feed the mice even a professional show-breeder's diet. A 50lb bag of rolled oats is only around $10, and a 20lb bag of sunflower seeds or millet is only around $15.
Holistic dog foods are the best, because they don't have as much grain in them, and provide lots of protein, but not too much. Too much can cause sterility problems.

Feeding them on dogfood only, or Mazuri only, can cause sterility problems, and lower birth rates.



Two GREAT and effective ways to keep the smell down, is to put 1 drop of pure vanilla extract in their water bottles each time you re-fill, and to put a thin layer of baking soda in each cage/bin before laying down litter. It will help absorb the ammonia.

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

I swear on baking soda. I'm preparing for at least one of my rats to drop a litter any day now, so I spread about twice what I usually do (which lasts easily 6 days) so I don't have to worry about smell too much, or disturbing mama and babies too soon.

Has the pure vanilla extract been proven? On another forum, every one says that it's BS, but everyone here says it works wonders...
Also, maybe a stupid question, but what are rolled oats?

[anatess]

Feeding them on dogfood only, or Mazuri only, can cause sterility problems, and lower birth rates.

I disagree. I have been feeding my rats successfully with Mazuri 6F only for 2 years.

Mazuri® Rodent Breeder 6F 5M30
Description
A diet designed for feeding rats and mice which are maintained in breeding colonies and intended for use as food for other species (such as reptiles). High producing mice may benefit from using Mazuri Mouse Breeder 9F (5M68).
Features
Contains yucca shidigera - shown to reduce aerosol ammonia in animal facilities.
Designed for maximum production.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein not less than.......................16.0%
Crude fat not less than................................6.0%
Crude fiber not more than...........................6.0%
Ingredients
Ground corn, dehulled soybean meal, ground oats, porcine animal fat preserved with BHA, cane molasses, wheat middlings, dehydrated alfalfa meal, ground wheat, ground soybean hulls, calcium carbonate, fish meal, salt, brewers dried yeast, dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, dried beet pulp, wheat germ, corn gluten meal, soybean oil, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (vitamin K), pyridoxine hydrochloride, DL-methionine, choline chloride, dried yucca shidigera extract, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, vitamin A acetate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate.

[Rhasputin]

Anatess, so not get me wrong.
I said it can, not that it always does. Some people, I agree, have complete success with it.
I breed for show, and my extras go for feeders, perhaps it is the methods of breeding that show breeders use, that can often have more sterile mice pop up. Who knows. That's my theory though.

Rolled oats, are just plain old grains from the feed store. Great stuff for mice.
And everyone I know from pet and show breeding forums, swears by vanilla extract. I have too many cages to justify doing it, because it would just add another troublesome task to my daily rounds, but from what I've seen (smelled) it works great.

[tomfromtheshade]

;D cows with cancer aren't allowed to enter the slaughter house.

If you eat something that has been contaminated with something, you're going to get sick from it. By this, I mean poisons. There are multiple studies that show red dye #40 causes cancer. Also, you'd have to prove that the cancer in the dog was caused by red dye #40.

I don't know which post to Laugh My "A" Off at first.

LMAO!!!!