what do you feed and how?

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what do you feed and how?

  • mixed commercial food: from a bowl

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • mixed commercial food: scatterfeeding

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • mixed (homemade) food with supplements: scatterfeeding

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    6

karelkees

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2020
Messages
5
Location
the netherlands
I read a lot of different opinions on forums.

some prefer feeding lab blocks/nuggets as the main food, others prefer feeding mixed foods (commercial) or homemade mixes that need to be supplemented (scuttling gourmet style)
some feed from a bowl, others use scatterfeeding.

i am still looking for the best option and am trying things out with my rats:
i have 2 young rats, boys, 10 weeks old. ( 2 more are coming soon)
i started them on science selective nuggets, from a bowl.
with fresh veggies, some cooked chicken and other fresh food.
this was also what the breeder fed them.

then i read that science selective is bad for growing rats (soy debate) and that it is better and healthier for them to feed a mixed food ( scuttling gourmet mix) with supplements (and al the other fresh stuff ofcourse,
scatterfeeding should be best, because it keeps them bussy and the cannot select form the bowl.

well, i have tried the mixed food. form a bowl: result: one rat growing very fast, other one not so much.
then i tried scatterfeeding. result: both growed at the same rate, but very skinny, not all the food was found or eaten.

then i decided to just scatter feed some mixed food and also feed science selective from the bowl.
the prefered SS and are both at a good weight now. the mixed food is mostly ignored.

now i try them on half SS/half mixed food from the bowl and see how that goes......

what type of food and what feeding style do you prefer and why?
 
also, does anybody know a webshop where i can order harlan teklad and have it shipped to the netherlands?

And do you think feeding half SS and half scuttling gourmet mixed food is good?
 
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i feed my rats fortified rat pellets that have essential minerals and vitamins in them. I was told the the mixed foods can cause rats to pick out certain bits. Therefore they can go without essential minerals and vitamins they need. However i do suppliment this with vitamin drops in the water or probiotics. And fruit or veg two or three times a week. I also am starting to put a small syringe full of olive in with the pellets i feed them once a week. And once a month a boiled egg or some fish
 
Welcome to the forum :)
There is nothing wrong with feeding soy to male rats …. but it is safest if the soy is organic because most soy is GMO. All rat blocks (except I believe the garden select Oxbow) use GMO ingredients

The recommended blocks are Oxbow and Harlan 2014. Jorats the founder of this forum says that the Science Select rat blocks are also good so don't be concerned about feeding them to your rats.

Mixes are unhealthy for rats.
Rats are feed good quality blocks in a dish, and are given a variety of vegs daily (fresh or frozen thawed).
Rats are also fed healthy treats such as berries, a piece of fruit, cooked grains, a few seeds such as organic pumpkin seeds, organic kumut puffs, etc
…. They also need at least 2 sources of water in their cage and at least one source needs to be a water dish that can not be upset. (Btw nothing should ever be added to their water.)

Rats need low protein, and according to research findings, it is best if it comes from plant sources

Please see our Reference Thread for good information on diet, supplements, the forbidden foods list etc
https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
 
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i feed my rats fortified rat pellets that have essential minerals and vitamins in them. I was told the the mixed foods can cause rats to pick out certain bits. Therefore they can go without essential minerals and vitamins they need. However i do suppliment this with vitamin drops in the water or probiotics. And fruit or veg two or three times a week. I also am starting to put a small syringe full of olive in with the pellets i feed them once a week. And once a month a boiled egg or some fish

Welcome to the forum ! :)
Good information about why it is not good to feed mixes to rats,

I would caution you about adding anything to their water.
Nothing should ever be added to their water as it can stop them from drinking. If meds or supplements are added to the water then you are unable to control how much or little each rattie gets - this is extremely dangerous because the amounts rats get is based on their body weight.

Please see our Reference Thread for good information on diet, supplements, the forbidden foods list etc
https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
 
ok thank you, so SS is a good and safe food for my young male rats?
to that i add some fresh veggies daily, boiled chicken a couple times a week and some of the mixed food i have available for some variety.
is that good?
 
Welcome to the forum ! :)
Good information about why it is not good to feed mixes to rats,

I would caution you about adding anything to their water.
Nothing should ever be added to their water as it can stop them from drinking. If meds or supplements are added to the water then you are unable to control how much or little each rattie gets - this is extremely dangerous because the amounts rats get is based on their body weight.

Please see our Reference Thread for good information on diet, supplements, the forbidden foods list etc
https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
These are rat approved vitamins which was 15 drops were 30 ml of water the probiotics are also. They are drinking well...
 
ok thank you, so SS is a good and safe food for my young male rats?
to that i add some fresh veggies daily, boiled chicken a couple times a week and some of the mixed food i have available for some variety.
is that good?
I give my ratties a whole boiled egg a month with the shell on. And fresh veggies 2 times a week sometimes 3. You can buy metal rods for a bird that you load with veg like a kebab. Hang it up in the cage they work for it
 
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