Something people without access to lab blocks or people who just want to could try is make their own "lab blocks". I think somebody said something about putting everything together and baking it into a cookie type thing and that's definately a good idea. But another option (maybe) could be to make gelatin suspension cubes...I don't know how well that would work with rodents (needing to chew to keep their incisors down and all) but it's something zoos and research facilities have been doing for a long time now to feed certain types of herps, and recently it's been gaining a lot of popularity with private pet owners recently. Basically what you do is the same thing as the cookie idea: figure what the animal (in this case, rats) need in their diet. Map out the various percentages of fat, carbs, minerals, etc. and look for the recommended sources of these nutrients. From there, it's just figuring how much of what you need (All of this is A LOT simpler then it sounds...it just takes a bit of research, patience and basic math) Then purchase, blend/liquefy, add gelatin* (follow directions on package), pour into something like those aluminum casserole pans or something similar, wait for it to set, dice into cubes or whatever and freeze. It would probably be easiest to freeze the cubes a little bit and then take them out of the pans and put them in a freezer-proof bag and store them in that but whatever's easiest for you. If you make large enough batches you may only need to do this a few times a year, but once you've got the recipe down it's not really that much trouble. Just take out what you need, thaw and serve. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
*In place of gelatin, you could maybe use Agar agar. But I don't necessarily know how well that would work since it's plant-based, so it likely goes bad faster the regular gelatin. Then again, if you would rather give your rats something natural and are OK with make smaller batches more often, then maybe Agar would be preferable. Also, follow the directions on the package of whatever you're using since some foods (mainly citrus) will prevent the gelatin/Agar from setting properly.
Obviously this would be like lab blocks (if it's even a feasible idea for rats) and would have to be offered on a 80/20 ratio (but likely more, since some hard foods should be offered for the teeth reasons) The cubes may be nutritionally complete, but you still want to offer "real" food for the different flavors and stimulation.
Rachael, I saw that you use dog food in the other protein thread. Like I said there, I don't know what it's like in the UK, but it would probably be better to use less higher quality dog food as some or all of the protein, if you ever did something like this, rather then low quality dog food. I don't know if you have a dog or not, but if you do you could either switch it over to the higher quality food and just take however much you need whenever you make the recipe (which would likely just be a little bit, unless you're making a massive amount lol) If you don't have a dog, and you don't want to buy a huge bag of (possibly expensive) dog food (that will likely go bad before you need it again), then maybe you could get a few of the small, sample sized bags (do they have those in the UK?), so you'll only have what you need. (Sorry for using you as an example Rachael...I'm really not picking on you. I make some of my own animal foods too, so I know where you're coming from. I was just trying to put an idea out there without it seeming like it came out of nowhere, especially since I did think of it based on something you said...I'm also not assuming that you feed crappy dog food lol I was just say it in case anyone
is feeding bad food they could see this and maybe switch to a healthier alternative with no extra cost to them)
Anyways, like I said, I don't even know if this is a good idea or not...it's quite possible that this a horrible idea that should be completely forgotten lol. I must admit, I try to learn about my animal's nutritional needs-and I DO know rat's
basic nutritional needs-but I am far from an expert on the indepth dietary requirements of rats. I just thought I'd put it out there as a possible alternative for people who can't get lab blocks or for the more gung-ho of rat owners who want to make their own food.
I should mention that it is my dream to one day completely phase myself out of commercial foods and just make everything myself. That way, you know exactly what goes into your animal's (and hopefully your own) food. If you want to go all the way, plant a garden...use your own fruits and vegetables (it's a lot easier...not to mention cheaper)...kay now I'm rambling lol I'll shut up now