# Oxbow Regal Adult Rat Food for baby rats



## Yuki Lai (Feb 29, 2016)

I just got my Oxbow Regal Adult Rat Food today and found out at the back of the package, that it's for adult rats that are at least 6 months old, and not for baby rats, growing or pregnant rats.

How does the food affect my baby rats if I feed them the Oxbow Adult Rat Food?
Will it be okay if I give them a mixture of the Oxbow Adult Rat Food(just a small amount), fruits and oats?
The babies are now 21 days old and are trying out every food I gave them. They would even chew the paper bedding, which they've stopped doing.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

Oxbow is a complete food so if you give them too much of other stuff it loses it's balance. So the oats I would say no. As for the fruit I would only give it 3 times a week at most. Vegetables do the rats better than fruit does and should be feed daily. The only difference between the one for young rats and older rats is the protein for the most part. Young rats need more protein than adult rats. To give them the protein needed they will need you should give them stuff like eggs (cooked so it isn't messy). Really anything that has a good amount of protein. My rats actually hated the young formula so I gave them the adult one as well with added protein.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Oxbow adult is actually a better quality food IMO then the young formula. I feed all of my rats regardless of age the adult formula.

The main difference is that oxbow adult is lower protein. 

Adult rats need 14-16% protein, where growing babies need alittle bit more 18% is ideal though 20% is ok.

I would feed the babies oxbow adult normally, but 3-4 times a week give them some extra protein. Hard boiled eggs, white meat chicken breast.

I'd give fruit only alittle bit, as it is high in sugar. Veggies are great though!

Are these babies still with their mom? They should still be nursing at 21 days


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## Yuki Lai (Feb 29, 2016)

moonkissed said:


> Oxbow adult is actually a better quality food IMO then the young formula. I feed all of my rats regardless of age the adult formula.
> 
> The main difference is that oxbow adult is lower protein.
> 
> ...


I see.. Thank you for the comment!

I separated the boys with my male rat, and the girls with the mom.
They still drink the mom's milk, but only when the food bowl is empty.
Should I put the boys back with the mom??


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## Yuki Lai (Feb 29, 2016)

JAnimal said:


> Oxbow is a complete food so if you give them too much of other stuff it loses it's balance. So the oats I would say no. As for the fruit I would only give it 3 times a week at most. Vegetables do the rats better than fruit does and should be feed daily. The only difference between the one for young rats and older rats is the protein for the most part. Young rats need more protein than adult rats. To give them the protein needed they will need you should give them stuff like eggs (cooked so it isn't messy). Really anything that has a good amount of protein. My rats actually hated the young formula so I gave them the adult one as well with added protein.


Got it~ Thank you so much for the comment!!


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

The babies should stay with mom until they are 5 weeks old. After that they need to be separated as they are fertile. The baby boys shouldn't be with their dad until they are at least 8 weeks old or they could get hurt by being too small to defend themselves.


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## Yuki Lai (Feb 29, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> The babies should stay with mom until they are 5 weeks old. After that they need to be separated as they are fertile. The baby boys shouldn't be with their dad until they are at least 8 weeks old or they could get hurt by being too small to defend themselves.


Okay, thank you so much for your comment! I'll put them back with the mom now.


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