Food...for the mice?

[elevatethis]

Whats up everybody!

Lately, the shop where I get my feeders haven't had any live prey of the appropriate size for Amber. So, I'm thinking about getting a few hoppers once every couple of weeks and fattening them up myself.

What foods can be fed to the mice that will make them better for my BP? Will the normal store bought food suffice or is there anything else I can add to their diet to make them more nutritious prey?

Amber took a few f/t mice, then decided that she wanted nothing to do with them. She went hungry for two weeks before I gave in and fed her a fresh killed mouse. She went for it with full force.

[Smynx]

I think there may be some foods or "gut loading" products made especially for feeder mice. You might try looking at some online stores like Big Apple Herp, LLL Reptile, Reptile Supply, etc.

[DonMeyer]

Veggies are good too if they will take them.

If anyone tells you dog food dont try it.....there is some Coloring in it that isnt good.

[Marla]

Regular lab blocks are fine, as are nutritious veggies and Ol Roy dog food for protein. Just avoid table scraps and worthless stuff like lettuce and you should be pretty good.

[SatanicIntention]

Try some feed stores, there's a brand called Mazuri, comes in a HUGE bag. It's the lab block type and I don't believe it's expensive. My school gets it all the time for our rodents. You might have to special order it though, I was going to have to do that but decided on getting something else. You can mix that and some Ol'Roy dog food together to stretch it and make it last longer.

[KraZeKelly]

Thats Pure D BullSnot too !!
Unlike most people that feed their dogs Come Get It type trash(ie;food color/corn filler etc),others like myself feed out a complete quality ration thats far better then any label Varmit food on the market. What you want in your dog is *Lean Mass* it is also what you want in your feeders,not fat lab rats :roll:Quality feed = Healthy Snake 8)
Nutri-Care* for those that might have an interest in a quality all breed ration.

If anyone tells you dog food dont try it.....there is some Coloring in it that isnt good.

[SatanicIntention]

There isn't anything wrong with feeding Ol'Roy to the rodents. It doesn't have the red dye that can be toxic. Nutri-Care is good if you're feeding 1-2 mice, but if you are feeding a couple of breeding rats who need the extra protein in their diet, and can't eat the tiny seeds and garbage in that stuff (I would know, I've fed it before, and my rat's hair coats were rough and they just didn't look as healthy as they do now) then the lab block method is the most money-conscious and healthy way to go. The dog food, only Ol'Roy because it is safe, is higher in protein and good for the rats, their hair coats, and especially their teeth. It is not fun to have to take a rat to the vet, get it put under anesthesia and have its teeth trimmed before they start to grow into the rats skull. You can also get, at the same feed store hopefully, a good quality fruit mix made for big parrots. The big pieces of fruit and unshelled peanuts, not the tiny seeds. If you buy all three and combine them, you will end up with a good, balanced diet that can actually be digested by the rodents without any being left behind. Fresh veggies like Marla said, some fruit too, and you should be good to go. I keep Fancy rats, and a breeder and my teachers told me this was a great diet. My teachers are a vet and a vet tech like myself. I hope I didn't offend anyone, I just want what's best for the rats, and in turn will be what is best for the snakes.

That Nutri-care you're talking about, it has alot of that corn filler, tiny seeds, and alfalfa that isn't nutritious at all, and will end up just making the rats have nasty smelling poo and an overall unhealthy appearance.
Here's a good website of a breeder near me:
http://www.warmfuzziesrattery.com/care.htm#food

[wendy]

I use Purina and it works for me. My mice population are fine. I know a guy who breeds rats and mice and thats all he uses is dog food and table scraps w/ veggies.