Harlan - why use it?

[Bati]

I am one of very few giving my rats lab-block, I need arguments why to use it; I'm told it's boring to eat, and that it's filled with stuff they dont need and preservation-things + it only takes 6 months to go stale.

What should I say, give me the pearls I'll throw them for the seed-mix-feeders 8)

 

[lilspaz68]

Quality lab blocks were made especially with rats in mind as a complete diet. My rats snatch their HT 2014 through the bars like they are yogies. LOL. A bad quality lab block will be unappetising as they are full of things that aren't good for your rat (alfalfa, too much corn, bad preservatives etc).

The blocks do get stale by 6 months, but will stay fresh for a year in a freezer, which really adds to their lifespan.

But as willing ratty slaves we always supplement this diet of lab blocks with veggies and occasional fruit and protein.

Does this help? My dinner's cooking and I am hungry and its distracting me because I can smell it...and it smells goooood! :lol:

 

[SQ]

A good quality lab block is designed for rats and based on years of scientific research. It meets all their nutritional requirements ... the only homemade diet that I have heard of that does that is Debbie D.'s diet (see http://www.ratfanclub.org) - other diets are not good enough.

Two reasons why people feed a good quality lab block is for convince and the lower cost. The previously mentioned diet (http://www.ratfanclub.org) takes awhile to prepare and is more expensive than lab blocks.

I don't know if the ratties find their lab blocks boring - they seem to enjoy them, but in any case there is variety to their diet as we feed vegs and fruit as well.

Seed mixes are especially poor as even if they did meet the nutritional needs of ratties (and they don't), the rats would not get what they need because the rats will only eat the parts they like.

 

[Bati]

Doubt it'll help those thinking I'm evil, but I'll do a try :wink: having a new mum getting all kinds of goodies but still taking her Harlan is to me proof that it's neither boring nor bad

The label I use is called Altromin, it's good for a year (the stamp says) but I've been using it after the date and noone refused to eat it, at the lab they say it's ok just the vitamin-content getting a little lower that promised

 

[Bren]

So, are the Harlan Teklad Lab Blocks #2014 good to give to our ratties then? And if so, where can I buy them? And how often to I give them to them?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

So, are the Harlan Teklad Lab Blocks #2014 good to give to our ratties then? And if so, where can I buy them? And how often to I give them to them?

I give my girls two Harlan blocks each one in the morning and one at night and they love them. They also get Oxbow all day long.

Since you are in the US you can order from this web site http://www.thecraftyrat.com it is where I get mine from. I usually get two bags and once the one bag is gone I order two more so I do not run out.

 

[SQ]

Harlan 2014 is good for adults. The 2018 is good for new moms and growing babies/young rats. As far as I know, people have different ideas about when to switch from one to the other.

 

[Melissa]

I can tell you a reason some people don't feed it:

Because they support lab research on rats... if you know what I mean.

But, I still use it because it is a good block, health wise for the rats.

 

[Bren]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it

 

[SQ]

Yes, that is a reason why some people do not feed Harlan, but there are other good quality lab blocks they can feed.

 

[Melissa]

Is there a thread anywhere about food available to rats? If not, maybe one can be started as a sticky. Maybe with each type of food there could be a list if pro's and con's and what the ingredients are.

 

[Vanessa]

Yes, that is a reason why some people do not feed Harlan, but there are other good quality lab blocks they can feed.

I'm with Holly on this one for sure. I am not questioning the quality of their food or anything, it is probably the best quality food there is out there for rats, it is that Harlan's bread and butter comes from supplying millions of laboratory 'models' for research purposes. From mice up to beagles and everything in between. Supplying food is just a fringe area of business for them.
It's bad enough that rat food is designed for use with animals in laboratories, and is tested on animals as well, but I just can't stomach supporting a company that actually supplies all those animals to be tested on.
There are other lab block manufacturers out there that you can buy from. Maybe their food is slightly lesser in quality, but not so much so that I would choose Harlan over the others.