I'm thinking about switching to a home made diet. Hear me out!

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No problem! I'm happy to answer any and all questions! Anything I can do to help! You can definitely make your own "rice medley" mix. There's about a half cup of the mixture in each packet, and equal amounts of all of the ingredients So 2 tbsp of brown rice, 2 tbsp of wild rice, 2 tbsp of red rice, and 2 tbsp of quinoa.

As for the parakeet seed, it's easiest to buy that because of all of the ingredients in it, and some of them would be difficult and/or expensive to find on their own. It contains not only seeds, but some dried veggies, herbs, greens, flowers, and fruits too. It also contains some supplements which I find helpful, like copper, vitamin D and vitamin B-12 (Vitamins D and B-12 help prevent hind end degeneration in older rats. They're not TOTALLY necessary for younger rats, but very helpful as rats age.) It would be best to email the company and see what they say about GMO's. Maybe they are GMO free, who knows :). If they aren't, it would be best to try and locate another bird seed that's similar, and non-gmo, so that you'll get the full nutritional content. That's going to be difficult though, I did a lot of research before settling on the Healthy Select seed because I liked it's ingredients and the fact that it doesn't contain a bunch of artificial dyes and excess sugars and junk, which a lot of bird seeds tend to have.

And yes, all for the mix is left uncooked :) Just mix it together dry and you're good to go!

Thank you! You've really been so helpful! And I'll make sure to e-mail the company about the birdseed; I understand how a lot of the things in it would be harder to replace. I'll post my findings here!

Yup! I make myself a smooth for breakfast each morning, and the ratties get a bowl of it too. They love their smoothies :) Plain yogurt works just fine, or like you said, some low-fat, unsweetened vanilla.

Great about the smoothies! That will be a fun treat for them, and I think it could be really helpful while I'm still getting them comfortable with me. Dab a bit of tasty smoothie on my hand and make best friends with the boys! :lol:

I plan on starting a little window-sill herb garden too :) It would be much easier and cheaper long-term to grow them myself, I eat a lot of herbs and greens too, and I have a bunny who also consumes them. Maybe instead of one window sill, I'll need a few! haha

Really? That's great! We usually grow some cilantro and basil outside in the pots, but this time of year is too cold for much of anything to be growing; I'm waiting for the spring (which according to the groundhog is a ways off :lol:) until anything can grow outside! But I love the idea of having things growing in my room. Maybe if I get the chance I'll make it happen and post some pics!
 
Thank you! You've really been so helpful! And I'll make sure to e-mail the company about the birdseed; I understand how a lot of the things in it would be harder to replace. I'll post my findings here!

Yes, please do share :) Any and all information that can better their diets I'm more than open to!

Great about the smoothies! That will be a fun treat for them, and I think it could be really helpful while I'm still getting them comfortable with me. Dab a bit of tasty smoothie on my hand and make best friends with the boys! :lol:

They'll love it, I'm sure ;)

Really? That's great! We usually grow some cilantro and basil outside in the pots, but this time of year is too cold for much of anything to be growing; I'm waiting for the spring (which according to the groundhog is a ways off :lol:) until anything can grow outside! But I love the idea of having things growing in my room. Maybe if I get the chance I'll make it happen and post some pics!

I'm sure it'll add a lovely herbal smell to your room, and maybe even provide some natural air filtration ;)
 
Both the salads and the dry mix have been a huge hit with my boys, and they've been here less than a day! The spirulina powder turns their noses green while they're eating; it's too cute! The good thing is that their foster mom was feeding them a similar mix of brown rice, lentils, fruit, etc.; so I don't have to worry about phasing out lab blocks.

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That's awesome :) I'm so glad they're doing well, and that looks like one seriously delicious salad!

Thank you! They're a big fan of blueberries! I'm considering sneaking their fresh garlic into yogurt. They're willing to eat it without prompting, but I personally am not a huge fan of the smell wafting around my room all night (since they don't eat their salad all at once, there's always a little more garlic left in the bowl when I check in the morning). I started feeding their salad at night because that's when they're most active; if I leave it out in the morning I find that it'll sit and wilt all day before they get to it.

They also aren't big fans of the pasta; they eat everything except for the pasta, actually. Is the pasta an extremely necessary part of the mix? Do you think cooking it would help? Or is there another component of the mix that I could increase to compensate for it/something I could replace it with?

UPDATE (3/4/16): Happy to say that the boys now eat the pasta! It just took a few days of them poking at it before they warmed up to it.
 
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I've been seriously considering trying to feed at least 50% fresh food to my next rats. This thread, despite the arguing, has been extremely helpful.

There's such a wealth of information on Rat Shack in general. When I eventually redo http://oroa.ca :)confused:) I'll be contacting lots of people to gather information for articles.
 
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Hi,

I have read through the thread and find it very interesting. I have a few questions.

I am curious about spirulina. I have never heard of it and though I looked it up I would like more info on its value.

I feed HT in the morning and veggie/fruit salad at night. If I use this mix instead of block will I need to ween them from the HT?

Also, I have tendency to sprinkle a few goodies (in small amounts) in the salads 3 or 4 times a week like, (cooked) pasta, brown rice, potato, sweet potato, eggs, chicken. Only one of those at a time and only a few nights a week. Should I stop giving them these items?

Does anyone see a weight issue with the mix?
How much would I feed 3 young boys?

I really appreciate the time and effort you have put into this diet KatTheHippie and am seriously considering switching to it. :thumbup:
 
Hi,

I have read through the thread and find it very interesting. I have a few questions.

I am curious about spirulina. I have never heard of it and though I looked it up I would like more info on its value.

Spirulina is a micro algae powder. It's very, very nutrient and vitamin dense, and considered "nutritionally complete). It's easily digestible and natural, being derived from algae, which I like since it's not full of chemicals and synthetic vitamins/minerals. It contains all sorts of high levels of good stuff like amino acids, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), beta-carotene, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It's great for the digestive system, and most importantly, in my opinion, it's great for the immune system and good for their livers and kidneys. Rats, especially males, have such delicate kidneys, they need all the help they can get.

I feed HT in the morning and veggie/fruit salad at night. If I use this mix instead of block will I need to ween them from the HT?

It's probably best for their tummies to ween them from the HT. You can mix the HT blocks in with this food mix, and slowly use less and less HT. That way you're not wasting it, either, you can use it all up :)

Also, I have tendency to sprinkle a few goodies (in small amounts) in the salads 3 or 4 times a week like, (cooked) pasta, brown rice, potato, sweet potato, eggs, chicken. Only one of those at a time and only a few nights a week. Should I stop giving them these items?

You can still give them these items in their salads, yes :) Sweet potato is great for them (just make sure it's cooked) pasta and brown rice are fine, eggs are encouraged. Definitely continue the eggs, they're great for rats. Chicken is okay in moderation, maybe only a few times a month, as opposed to a few times a week. You can try adding other things to their salads, like a bit of tuna fish or canned salmon ( tinned in water, not oil), fruits, other veggies, and occasional nuts and seeds :)

Does anyone see a weight issue with the mix? How much would I feed 3 young boys?

Rats weight, like most animals, tends to fluctuate with the seasons. I've noticed my boys tend to eat more, and gain a bit in the winter. They usually eat less, and thin out in the summer. As long as you're not overfeeding, and you're making sure to feed plenty of veggies and fruits with their mix, there shouldn't be a crazy weight gain.

It's going to take a bit of trial and error to see how much you should feed your boys. Fill up their bowl, and see how long it takes for them to eat all of the food. (Don't be alarmed if they save some of it for last. Like my guys tend to eat their lentils last.) Lessen the amount little by little until you figure out about how much they'll eat in a 24 hour period. I have 14 rats, and 2 food bowls. I fill both bowls up at 3PM every day, and in the winter, when they eat more, they'll have them emptied by around 2 the following afternoon (Then they wait an hour before I fill their bowls again.) In the summer, I fill both bowls half way, and that tends to be enough.

I really appreciate the time and effort you have put into this diet KatTheHippie and am seriously considering switching to it. :thumbup:

Thank you so much! It's an ongoing process still, for sure. I expect it to transform over the years as I find other beneficial products, and new things to add in to it. I appreciate the time you've taken to look at it!
 
I've been seriously considering trying to feed at least 50% fresh food to my next rats. This thread, despite the arguing, has been extremely helpful.

There's such a wealth of information on Rat Shack in general. When I eventually redo http://oroa.ca :)confused:) I'll be contacting lots of people to gather information for articles.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read everything over :) I love my babies, and anything I can do to keep them healthier and happier is worth it! I'm more than happy to help others, too, with keeping their babies healthy and happy.
 
Thanks for the reply. :urock: I picked up the last ingredient for the mix yesterday (except for the mealworms which I will get Saturday). I will start them on it this weekend.

Thanks so much,
Deb
 
I've decided adding more whole foods to my rats' diet but I still won't stop their blocks. The blocks are complete nutrition where as the whole foods, we really don't know if we are meeting all their needs. More importantly, we need to keep the protein low. In fact, protein from a good source should actually be at 5% which is hard to achieve since everything has protein. But for now, I'm giving them one HT a day, 2 Oxbow a day, fresh veggies and also a mix of whole foods, whole grains, meaning, no cereal crap with any additives, nothing that is added to the whole grain. I'm also giving them some seeds as well, but not too much because I also want to keep them on a restricted calorie diet which has been proven to extend their lifespan.
In the past, I used to feed my rats that suebees diet, loaded with cereals and other unnecessary foods like pasta, my rats were dying young and were so sickly. My vet looked at what I was feeding them and flipped out. She talked to an animal nutritionist and advised me to be extremely careful when doing a homemade diet. So I started feeding them only blocks and some fresh veggies. My rats did very well, many if not most, living beyond 30 months. But I myself being on a health kick and eating mostly whole foods, I want the same for my rats. Hopefully this will be a success. I will definitely keep a journal on their health and growth so I can compare. I hope everyone who does the homemade diet does the same and report back their findings. Healthy foods should keep your rats healthy, it should make your rats fight simple diseases, help them recover from myco faster, help them be stronger and live longer in a healthy state. I'm very excited to do this. :)
 
I just wanted to check in and give an update on my boys :) So far everyone's been doing really well. I tweaked my recipe a bit more (Not surprised, are you? haha!) and I'll post that soon, once I get it all typed out :)

So since starting my home-made diet, I've had 2 losses to my colony. Both of the rats were pretty far up there. Dover was nearing 3, and Toby was 2 years and 3 months. Dover passed from old age, Toby had a PT. Cheswyck is my current oldie, and he's still doing well. He's having some slight mobility issues so I've been giving him some extra vitamin D and B12, which apparently help combat HED. He's still a happy boy though, so I'm not too concerned, but his age is definitely starting to get to him. He's 2 and a half.

My other boys are all doing well. We did recently have a round of illnesses, but I attribute that to moving across the country; the boys were locked in their carriers for 3 days as we drove from the east coast to the west coast, and I'm sure it was stressful and upsetting for them. Within the first week we got here I treated Ozzy, Sid, Luther, Bowie, and Doyle. They're all pretty stable now though, we haven't had any issues for a while :) I'm still pretty happy with how my boys have been. Healthy, and long living. I'll continue to check in, and of course post about my tweaked recipe. I'm most interested in how my two youngest, Lemmy and Jameson, are going to do. They've been on this diet from the day I brought them home at 5 weeks, so I feel like they'll be able to show me the truest information as they grow and age.
 
I've decided adding more whole foods to my rats' diet but I still won't stop their blocks. The blocks are complete nutrition where as the whole foods, we really don't know if we are meeting all their needs. More importantly, we need to keep the protein low. In fact, protein from a good source should actually be at 5% which is hard to achieve since everything has protein. But for now, I'm giving them one HT a day, 2 Oxbow a day, fresh veggies and also a mix of whole foods, whole grains, meaning, no cereal crap with any additives, nothing that is added to the whole grain. I'm also giving them some seeds as well, but not too much because I also want to keep them on a restricted calorie diet which has been proven to extend their lifespan.
In the past, I used to feed my rats that suebees diet, loaded with cereals and other unnecessary foods like pasta, my rats were dying young and were so sickly. My vet looked at what I was feeding them and flipped out. She talked to an animal nutritionist and advised me to be extremely careful when doing a homemade diet. So I started feeding them only blocks and some fresh veggies. My rats did very well, many if not most, living beyond 30 months. But I myself being on a health kick and eating mostly whole foods, I want the same for my rats. Hopefully this will be a success. I will definitely keep a journal on their health and growth so I can compare. I hope everyone who does the homemade diet does the same and report back their findings. Healthy foods should keep your rats healthy, it should make your rats fight simple diseases, help them recover from myco faster, help them be stronger and live longer in a healthy state. I'm very excited to do this. :)

That sounds great!
I too am feeding more whole foods and adding daily grains such as organic 12 grain cereal and cooked quinoa.

Jorats, I hope you will do an online journal accessible to others because I think that it would be very helpful to me as I also try to transition my rats to a whole food diet .....
 
Jorats, could you post links to research info re diet and protein etc?

I'll need some time to do this, all the links from the past have all disappeared sadly. But anyone who picks up the China Study by Campbell will see the proof. Their studies were all done on rats.
 
I'll have to read it ..... I thought the China study involved a longitudinal study of thousands of people in China over their lifespans, looking at their diet, health, and how long they lived. Maybe I am thinking of something else?
 
I'll have to read it ..... I thought the China study involved a longitudinal study of thousands of people in China over their lifespans, looking at their diet, health, and how long they lived. Maybe I am thinking of something else?
No, this is the same book. But in it, Campbell also tested his theory of low protein on rats.
 
Hey guys! So I know it's been a while since I last posted, I'm so sorry. Rich and I moved to Washington State, and they have this amazing grocery store here called WinCo, where they have a really awesome bulk food section with so much selection! I get most of my boy's food from there now :) In their mix currently, I use Goji Berries, Tricolor veggie pasta spirals, a rice mixture consisting of wild, long grain, brown, and red rice, walnut pieces, pumpkin seeds, a mix of lentils and split peas, 5 grain cereal (oats, barley, wheat, rye, triticale, and flax), wheat berries, dried garlic pieces, popping corn, cashew pieces and nutritional yeast. I also grab a few boxes of the Kashi 7 whole grains puffs (Brown rice, red wheat, oats, barley, triticale, rye, buckwheat, and sesame seeds) I also add in a bag of puffed millet. I also get a tin or 2 of oysters canned in water with no salt added. I cut those up into small pieces, and dehydrate them until totally hard and crunchy. I also add 4 other items that I order online from Lady Gouldain Finch's website; Spirulina powder, kelp powder, and a mix of dried meal worms, river shrimp, and crickets, and high quality parakeet seed. For fresh items, they get whatever I eat that's in season. Broccoli, squash of all types, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, avocado, eggplant, apple, banana, carrot, peas, greenbeans, fresh corn, pear,
peach, blueberries, strawberries, collard greens, watercress, swiss chard, kale, basil, cilantro, watercress, dandelion greens, spinach, red leaf lettuce, carrot tops, romaine, parsley, ect. I still cut it into chunks and hang it in their cage to make it fun and stimulating for them to get.

So all of my rats at this point are one year or older. my two youngest, Jameson and Lemmy, who are sort of my "guinea pigs" since they're the only ones who've been on this diet their whole lives, are doing amazing. They have thick, full, shiny coats, lots of energy, and still act like lovey little babies. They're both bright eyed and haven't been sick a single day in their lives, not one URI, UTI, or flare up of any kind. I do believe that this has a lot to do with their diets. My other boys are also doing well too, still active and playful, but not quite as much as the younger ones, haha!
 
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