Wild Bird Seed as Rodent Food?

[kc261]

I was wondering if those wild bird seed mixes would be a good addition to a rat or mouse diet? Seems like a variety of different seeds and grains would be good for rodents? Is there a reason why in the sticky about Becky's mix sunflower is mentioned specifically, but not any of the other seeds common in bird food (safflower, millet, cracked corn, etc.)

Please note I'm not suggesting this as a stand alone diet. Just seemed like it might be one more good thing to throw in to the mix.

[Wolves-N-Dogs]

I throw some in with my rat mix from time to time it wont hurt them.

[Mindibun]

I would just say that the seeds they have in wild bird seed mixes are often just "filler" seeds. Things like sunflower, millet seed and there's one other that I can't recall the name of - it's a little black seed - those are all very high in fat and bad oils. It'd be like feeding your rats mcdonalds. (I keep birds and know waay too much about their food...)

So I would say a little bit is ok as a treat but I wouldn't recommend it. Seeds and fruits and whatnot must be good for them, but I would only buy the organic ones and only certain seeds. Namely, not too much sunflower or millet seed (which they can't usually grip well anyway). When I give my feeders a last meal (out of guilt I guess you could say) they get dried corn and other vegetables, an organic bird seed mix which I know to be as healthy as possible, and dried fruits.

[BulldogBalls]

I don't see any issues with adding bird seed as a supplimental ingredient to the diet once in a while Seeds and grains are a good portion of most rats diets. Rats as omnivores process fats fairly well - the only waste would be the seeds they cannot or will not eat such as millet.

[kc261]

Actually I believe millet is considered highly nutritious, not fatty at all. Does bird seed have a different kind of millet?

The little black seed I think you are talking about is called niger seed, or sometimes thistle but I think that is incorrect. That one, like sunflower, is an oily seed and high in fat. But I thought sunflower seeds (and presumably the other oily seeds) had mostly unsaturated fats, which are the "good" kind of fat? Still fat, so it needs to be in moderation.

[BulldogBalls]

Millet is, but most rats have a difficult time eating it as they cannot grasp it well. Not impossible for them, some of my old ones used to just lick them up others gave up and went for the bigger seeds and objects they could hold and chow down on easily. Mice have an easier time of it but tend to be messier/bigger stashers in my experience so smaller items of food get lost in the substrate.

[frankykeno]

I use a good quality wild bird seed mix in my homemade african soft furred rat mix. They are small enough rats that they easily handle the small seed mix and seem to enjoy it (as well as the other dry stuff in there). There's very little waste. Once in awhile I'll toss a cup or two of it into my larger regular rat homemade dry mix just as a change of pace but it's just really a small bit in a big bucket of other stuff.

[Ginevive]

I don't use wild bird seed in my rat mix; it just seems too small to be noticed much in the mix of Kashi, unsalted peanuts, lab blocks, and a slew of other ingredients. I do add in some high-quality parrot food with the fun dried veggies and nuts in it; like Jo was saying, it makes up a small portion of other goodies in there. most of which are in Becky's mix. I like tossing in small horse treats as a little something extra (one for each rat; small, about the thickness of a man's thumb if I had to think of a comparable object for size reference.)
I am pretty sure that dried corn should be avoided. It molds and the mold can cause rattie respiratory issues, I have read.

[catawhat75]

I tend to just put in dried fruits, unsalted peanuts and unsalted sunflower seeds with the mixture.

[Kara]

I supplement my mice with it, and notice a difference in production when I'm not feeding as much out. In my experience it's been beneficial. Haven't noticed as much difference with the rats, but am experimenting there.