Gaining Weight on Harlan?

Advertise with us
Fins us on Amazon
Shop with us on Ebay
The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
C

Cait

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
3,510
Location
Pasadena, CA
Hey guys. I bought a 40 pound bag of HT from Petfood Direct. I was pleased with the price, dollar a pound, shipping included. Right now I feed Oxbow, but it's getting too expensive for as many rats as I have.

Now I know people feed both Oxbow and HT, to keep them slim, because they tend to gorge on the HT and not so much the Oxbow. But I've never had a problem with them NOT eating the Oxbow... And they're already pretty chunky, for the most part, at least Izzie, Andi, and Tip are pretty hefty, while Denny, Preston, and Rubin are on the normal/slim side. Iris is a big girl, but she's not a chub or anything, and Harlow is about the same. Janie is a skinny mini, but I know she'll fill out soon enough. The babies are all chubby, but they're babies, so. :p

Anyway, point is, will they just gain weight on the HT?
 
They could but if you supplement with enough veggies, you might have one or two that will go nuts on the HT. I've got two boys that are just so chubby and go nuts with the HT and when there's no HT they pig out on the Oxbow. Silly boys.
 
It's 2018, I believe. That's the only formula they have on the site, otherwise it would have been 2014.

I have a feeling my 3 fatties will gorge on just about anything... It's 3 lab blocks per rat per day, right? Maybe I'll just limit the boys' for the first month or so, and see how they do. I think I need to cut back (off) all the extras they get, besides their veggies. They eat more oatmeal than the Quaker man, I bet. >.<
 
IF they are used to free-feeding, start limiting them gradually, a little less each time. How much do your boys weigh? I would say 4 blocks if they are bigger boys and 3 if they are small.

I free-feed but I don't fill the bowls...mine probably get about 4 blocks a day...some are chubby, some are lean, depends on the rats themselves. :)
 
They are used to being free fed, with some sort of breakfast in the morning and then veggies/fruit at night. So gradually cut back on what I give them normally, but eventually get down to that 3-4 blocks per rat a day?

I have no clue what they all weigh, except for Denny, and he's 400 grams. But he's on the very lean side, he's my smallest boy (and oddly the second oldest). I know we have a scale around here somewhere.
 
Cait said:
That WOULD be the logical thing to do, heh. I need to cut down the spoiling. *blushes*
Click to expand...

More cuddles, less food!

I make up baby cereal for a pile of my babies every morning, but the babies are getting less and less of it as I wean them off of the good stuff :)

then there's Laila, Rennie, Asha, sometimes the Horde, and sometimes Lottie because I feel very guilty at her being alone. :roll:
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one... LOL. The babies will still get it, but the boys, I think they'll be cut off. Or at least... down to once a week. *cough*

More cuddles, less food!
Click to expand...

I think Tip would die if he could read that. :p But the rest will be okay with it. I hope.
 
The majority are older, thinner, etc, but the babies are fine, and need weaning off...it just became such a happy time for all of us...that I kept it up too long. :oops:
 
It is a happy time! I think we take the eating over as "happy time" because... Well eating makes everyone happy. :p But they will be just as happy on their blocks and veggies. Hopefully. :p

I just got the shipping deal from UPS saying it's been shipped! It's supposed to be here Thursday. I hope I'm home to catch it; I'd rather not have it sitting outside.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top