# Rat Rations for the US?



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Is there a site for those of us across the pond, similar to rat rations?

I am looking for a mix to add in to oxbow that will add variety and nutrition into my rats diet. I am a college kid with a poor budget and poor nutrition so buying fresh ingredients isn't a good option. I have females who could benefit from veggies and an elderly rat who definitely could benefit, but they don't go through fresh or frozen veggies fast enough that leftovers don't go bad. 

I currently have a 40lb bag of oxbow occupying my freezer anyway. I keep about two weeks of oxbow out in a large storage tub, and have been mixing it with a shoddy store bought mix and what little ingredients I do have around the house and the rats seem to love it. 


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

I feed my two boys Oxbow lab blocks and then mix in rolled oats, noodles (you can get the wheat kind so it's good for them or you can also get the colorful ones which mine LOVE), gerber baby puffs (my rats' absolute favorites) plain cheerios (which mine don't love as much), or really any kind of sugar free cereal. Usually, you'll see the gerber baby puffs go first (if I have them), then the noddles and rolled oats, then the cereals, then lastly, the oxbow lab blocks. I don't give them a whole lot at once because they're only two and it may take two or three days for them to empty the bowl and I don't want the cereals to go stale. And I also never refill their bowl until every bit is gone because I want to make sure they eat their oxbow lab blocks before I give them some more of the "good stuff". Also, I'm in high school and have no job and whenever I do get some money (birthday, Christmas money, or doing chores, or whatever) I go out and stock up. Though I always make sure I can buy the oxbow blocks before I can buy the other stuff because the lab blocks are more important, obviously.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

They adore their lab blocks really, only pick out macaroni before them. 

I'm just worried about their health overall. 


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## shelbygrace97 (Oct 2, 2013)

I'm also struggling. My mother isn't very keen on shopping for my babies and I can't drive yet (dang insurance!), so I have to wait. I've been trying to ransack what I can from leftover dinners but I'm not very confident about what they can and can't eat :| They're basically on just lab blocks for the past few days and I don't know what to do. I may break out some of the frozen goods against my mom's wishes to feed them some variety...


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Unfortunately, there is no Rat Rations in the US. I am greatly expanding my business for 2014 and am doing my best to offer more products to allow more owners to take charge of their rats' health.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

cagedbirdsinging, do you think your general mix would be worth adding into lab blocks for my rats? I'm no nutritionist, definitely less so for rats. It definitely has a few of the main things I was looking for -- flax seed, cashews, pumpkin seeds, varied berries and broccoli. I don't want them to get unhealthy, unbalanced, or for any health benefits to be thrown off from improper use.

My main concern are my older ratties -- Iris is close to 2 years, Remus and Caius will be pushing it too. As I said, right now I feed Oxbow as a staple. In a 3lb tub, I fill it about 3/4 of the way with oxbow, mix in about a pound of seed mix with dried pasta -- it lasts about a week and a half. Daily add in a bit of fresh veggies (apple/broccoli).


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

A dirt cheap add in is ABBA Parrot food. Keep it frozen or sealed because parrot food can sometimes bring in moths. It costs about 99 cents per pound. And it adds dried fruits, nuts and seeds rats seem to really love. It stores really well too.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

nanashi, i would watch that with your older rats, your seed mix sounds really interesting but its also will be quite high in protien etc, as your oldies are getting on a bit they need less protien than your average adult (which is about 14%) rather than more. To spice it up a little you would be better mixing 1 scoop of mixed low sugar breakfast cereals or similar to 9 of oxbow. Youd get some variety there but it would lower the protien overall and add in som easily digestable carbs. When picking them aim for rice, corn and barley products and avoid wheat, oats and rye as these arent so good for oldies. Also go for white grains (e.g. not wholegrain) as this cuts down the phospherous intake a bit more (even better for those kidneys).

Rat Daddy - i do think there are some nice parrot mixes ou there but if people have boys they need to be careful with the fruit thats been added, often they contain dried mango which isn't good for bucks, same as citrus fruits. They also tend to have a lot of sunflower seeds and peanuts, both of which aren't uncommon allergies for rats. Though if your group does well on them they offer a lot of variety cheaply.

I've actually found that some good quality pigeon food offers a really good alternative to a grain and seed mix. I add a proportion to my mix as part of the base and its a reasonably priced way for getting a lovely mix of grains and seeds in there. They are generally lower in protien and fat than parrot mixes so you can add relatively more of it without having to mess around with the balance so much. The 2 i think which are probably european brands are versa laga dark plus and versa laga immune support. I've seen some nice trapping and conditioning mixes too, though i insist on a full ingredient and nutritional breakdown before using anything in my food so i've been a bit limited on that one.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I thought adult protein levels were supposed to be closer to 16%? I am trying to find someone of balancing between my younger rats (4mo old), the adults (~1 yo) and my senior (~2yo). The senior is blind, so really struggles if I try to remove her from the mischief to feed -- she gets nervous. The growing rats get protein as a "treat", so the others don't get too much in their diet.

I currently give parokeet seed balls (Nutriberries) as treats, which they all love. The 3lb tub is about $20, so if I can find ABBA for parakeets and it looks healthy enough I might just switch.

I was using a mix that has:
Crude protein (min.) 14%, crude fat (min.) 8%, crude fiber (max.) 10%, moisture (max.) 12%, Omega 3 fatty acids (min.) 0.4%, DHA (min.) 0.035%,Total Bacillus Species (min.) 75,000 CFU/gram.

Combined with oxbow's :

*Crude Protein*15.00% (Min)​*Crude Fat*4.00% (Min)​*Crude Fiber*2.00% (Min)​*Crude Fiber*5.00% (Max)​*Moisture*10.0% (Max)​*Calcium*1.00% (Min)​*Calcium*1.50% (Max)​*Phosphorus*0.80% (Min)​*Copper*20 mg/kg (Min)​*Vitamin A*10,000 IU/kg (Min)​*Vitamin D*1,200 IU/kg (Max)​*Vitamin E*125 IU/kg​


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It depends what you want for your rats, if you want to maximise growth rates you can feed 16% or more, however feeding a bit less encourages slower growth, is kinder on the kidneys and also reduces growth of types of tumours and the tendency to get fat. The quoted good range for rat foods is 14 to 16, I prefer to aim for the lowest of those two. Once they start getting kidney issues which are very common in older rats then dropping it further extends comfortable life style and reduces the speed of progression.

Thats it in a very short summary but kf you want to dig into itmore there are a lot of studies out there that are interesting to read. Protienis quite an interesting topic in its self.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

nanashi7 said:


> cagedbirdsinging, do you think your general mix would be worth adding into lab blocks for my rats? I'm no nutritionist, definitely less so for rats. It definitely has a few of the main things I was looking for -- flax seed, cashews, pumpkin seeds, varied berries and broccoli. I don't want them to get unhealthy, unbalanced, or for any health benefits to be thrown off from improper use.


The key for supplementing blocks is to supplement with something 100% complete so that you aren't messing with the balance. My full diet plan is complete, so the supplementation isn't an issue. For me, it just then makes the blocks a bit pointless.

It's a personal decision, really.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

i would say that was a good option if your a bit nervous about making the switch, the oxbow would act as a safety net whilst you get the knack of feeding the right veg, bones, liver etc needed to complete the dry mix, you can reduce it as you get more confident


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

nanashi7 said:


> I thought adult protein levels were supposed to be closer to 16%? I am trying to find someone of balancing between my younger rats (4mo old), the adults (~1 yo) and my senior (~2yo). The senior is blind, so really struggles if I try to remove her from the mischief to feed -- she gets nervous. The growing rats get protein as a "treat", so the others don't get too much in their diet.


I meant to add that the best way to feed a mixed age group is to feed to the lowest requirements, so aim for a mix about 12-14%, so your old ladie gets a nice low protien diet. Your adults will probably do fine on this, just keep an eye on their tails and fur, if they get square edges on their tails and scruffy coats they need a high protien meal as a booster. I would actually probably give them all a kidney kind higher protien meal once a week (eggy white rice is probably the best for this). You could then add a good amount of linseed oil to it which will help your old lady, and if you can get senior aid over there i would add that too, it wont harm the younger rats.

Your youngsters are getting to the age where they dont really need much more, I'd follow the same idea, giving them treats but if they look a bit low on protien taking them out for extras. Most rats do very well on a lower protien with top ups, its actually better for them longer term to be slightly under rather than over what they need.


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