Diet
Main Diet
Commercially available nuggets and mixes may seem like an easy option, but I generally recommend against feeding them. The nuggets currently on the market are nutritionally unbalanced, have poor-quality ingredients and are boring for the rats. Some nuggets have also been anecdotally linked to an increased risk of tumour occurrence, which makes sense as they use poor protein sources that are known carcinogens. Pet shop mixes offer variety, but are also unbalanced and tend to rely on high-fat and "junk" ingredients. If you're going to feed your rats something from a pet store, use Science Selective as this is the best nugget available, though high in wheat content, or Little One rat mix. Little One would need supplementing with CaCuD3 or similar. It is also high in wheat and a bit high in sunflower seeds for my liking, but it would be fine for younger bucks.
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I recommend feeding rats a balanced mix. If you meet a rat fed on a nugget, for example, and then a rat fed on a good mix, the difference in condition is noticeable! Rat Rations is one of the most popular choices for sourcing mixes, as is Ratcessories. I recommend feeding a mix with supplementary meals for kittens under 14 weeks (detailed below). When I was feeding my rats mixes from Rat Rations, I would switch between the options to change things up. Remember to store your mix in an air-tight container.
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Some other small businesses sell Shunamite-style/Shunamite-esque mixes. Critter Happy Homes sell a mix that looks like a very good option, though I don't personally know anyone who has tried it. Lawson's Complete is a nice idea in theory, but most of the options have either large amounts of fillers (eg. alfalfa as a main ingredient), junky (high portions of mealworms/banana chips/sunflower seeds), and straights-based/unfortified with no mention of supplements (the base). If you are aware of any other options from small businesses, please let me know so that I can look into them.
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Another option is to make your own mix. Making your own mix is more expensive at the start, but tends to work out cheaper long-term. It's worthwhile if you have a larger group of rats. If you're making your own mix, the easiest thing to do is to make a Shunamite-style mix. ​These mixes are made by volume, not by weight, and have set portions of different types of ingredients.​ Using multiple ingredients offers more variety and interest for your rats, and tends to balance out any deficiencies of the other ingredients. Pick a container such as a tupperware or mug to use as a scoop to measure out the ingredients.
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Note that when you start making your own mix, you will notice a change in condition for your rats. You can tweak your mix and/or the amount your rats are fed to stabilise their condition again. You may also choose to use higher calorie components in winter and/or for kittens. If you mix contains "junky" ingredients like high amounts of dried fruit, mealworms etc, then take this into account with the treats that you provide. Many people take items out of the mix to use as treats.
50% Base Mix (10 scoops): Use 1 or 2 base mix options. Rabbit mixes tend to have options for smaller bags which are easier to store, though rat rations sells smaller portions of commonly used base mixes. Common choices include Red Mills Conditioning Mix, Dodson & Horrell Conditioning Mix, Allen & Page Green Pea Rabbit Mix, Mr Johnson's Special Rabbit and Food 4 Wild Birds Fruity Rabbit. Red Mills tend to be very high calorie, so I would suggest only using this with another base. You can also use a straights-based base, though bear in mind this will necessitate supplementing.
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25% Grains (5 scoops): Try to use at least 3 different grains. Breakfast cereals are a great option, though they should contain less than 5g of sugar per 100g. Own brand cereals tend to have better sugar levels. If you use fortified cereals then this reduces the need for supplementing. Other options for grains include plain popcorn and rice cakes, rice noodles, pasta and rice. Use ingredients such as rice and pasta more sparingly.
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10% Protein (2 scoops): The most commonly used option for protein is dog food. Look for a dog food that has named ingredients. For example, the main ingredient should say "salmon" instead of "salmon meal" or, even worse, "fish meal". Fish-based dog foods are often favoured. Avoid chicken-based dog foods as poor quality chicken is often used and poor quality meats can increase the risk of lumps. Beef tends to be a good second choice after fish. Dried water creatures and lentils can offer variation. Dried mealworms can be included, though bear in mind that they can be quite fatty so should be used in smaller amounts.
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10% Herbs (2 scoops): Dried vegetables, herbs and flowers should make up this portion. You can buy pre-made herb and flower mixes from a variety of sources. This includes the Vitality Salad from Bunny Bistro and Rosewood Dandelion Salad. Essentially you are looking for a rabbit herb mix that doesn't have alfalfa as one of the main ingredients. A little bit is fine, but not a high percentage of the mix. A variety of companies sell dried vegetables, and you can use a range based on your budget and what your rats like. Some examples include dried carrots, parsnips, beetroot, leek, cabbage, green beans, peppers, and cucumber.
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5% Seeds (1 scoop): Seeds are perhaps the trickiest to find a ready made mix for as many of them come with grains as part of their main ingredients, so bear this in mind when searching for a seed mix. It is perhaps easier to buy a collection of seeds and mix them together yourself. The wilko conditioning bird seed is a good readymade option. I buy a range from rat rations and mix together. Some examples of seeds you could purchase include brown and golden linseed (and I like to use a higher proportion of this compared to the other seeds for nice sleek coats), mixed millet, niger and rape. Other seeds that you can use include squash and sunflower. However, be mindful when including sunflower seeds and keep them to a low level. Having a large portion of very high fat content seeds can be another risk factor for tumours. You can also add nuts in small amounts such as roasted monkey nuts for added enrichment and extra calories in winter.
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If you are feeding a mix that doesn't contain fortified ingredients/is straights based, then you should provide supplements for calcium, copper, and vitamin D3. You may choose to supplement less regularly if only some of the ingredients are fortified. I tend to supplement kittens regardless. These should ideally be given 2-3 times a week. I prefer using CaCuD3 from Rat Rations as it can easily be added to wet meals (or soaked normal mix), though other options are available, including feeding foods that are rich in calcium/copper/D3.
Kittens should be given additional protein and fat with a bit of extra carbs in the form of wet meals until they are ~12-16 weeks old. Ask their breeder how long to feed additional meals for as this can be line dependent. Some lines will become fat if supplemented for too long, while others are prone to square tails in adolescence or are slow-maturing. Ideas for the protein element include boiled/scrambled egg, canned dog food, good quality chicken wings or tinned sardines in tomato sauce. For the carbs, some oats, brown bread ends, cous cous and pasta are my go-to options. For the fat, use millet sprays, walnuts, coconut milk or include the chicken skin on the wings.
I recommend starting off by feeding your rats ~15-20g per rat per day (more for bucks and more for kittens as I don't agree with restricting their food too much at that age). Watch their body condition, and alter how much you feed them in response to this. If they are leaving food and/or stashing, then reduce the amount that they are fed.
I feed my rats once a day as there is some evidence that this aids longevity. I strongly suggest scatter-feeding your rats and even mixing their food into their substrate a bit as this encourages foraging behaviour and is good enrichment. It also eliminates selective feeding.