5 replies to this topic

[~Maplebun~]

Hi all, 

 

I’m researching about rats, what food do they eat? 
 

Maybe adding links to things which I can buy in the UK (I’m currently in England, stuck in lockdown ;-;) would be useful! 
 

Here are my questions: 

 

1. What do you give them daily? 
2. Can you feed lab blocks alone?
3. What do you give them ever other day? Fruits? Veg? What kinds?
4. Do you give them anything weekly or monthly?

Thanks!  

 

[Robin~]

[from my very limited knowledge on rats]

 

1. Their main mix and fresh vegetables.

 

2. This is something I'm sort of iffy about. Is it common? Yes. Does that mean it should be done? I don't think so. If you can find a high-quality rat mix that would be awesome, but if not just be sure to supplement with a variety of seeds and grains.

 

3. (see 1) Pretty much anything safe for mice and hamsters is safe for rats.

 

4. Not that I can think of.

 

Recommended foods/stuff I found:

 

Science Selective Rat is a great pellet! Burgess Rat Pellets also look quite good.

 

As for seed mixes, Mixerama has a nice variety of options. The MYPS mix looks quite good.

Edited by Robin~, 10 January 2021 - 11:21 PM.

[a little furry thing]

Sorry I'm late 

Hi all, 

 

I’m researching about rats, what food do they eat? 
 

Maybe adding links to things which I can buy in the UK (I’m currently in England, stuck in lockdown ;-;) would be useful! I don't really know what's available in the UK, sorry.
 

Here are my questions: 

 

1. What do you give them daily? I give them their staple and some "enrichment food"(veggies, fruits, ect.)
2. Can you feed lab blocks alone? technichally yes, but you really shouldn't. They are omnivores and thrive with lots of veriety.
3. What do you give them ever other day? Fruits? Veg? What kinds? Personally, I donn't really have a set schedule for how much and when I feed "enrichment food". Just google "safe foods for rats."
4. Do you give them anything weekly or monthly? Weekly, I give them things that they can't have as often, like dairy and nuts.

Thanks!

Edited by a little furry thing, 11 January 2021 - 12:39 AM.

[daisy~]

UK rat groups will usually recommend the Shunamite diet. You can buy ready made Shunamite-style mixes from Rat Rations or you can mix your own. Isamu Rats has a guide here: Options for Dry Mixes (isamurats.co.uk). I don't think there are any high quality commercial mixes for rats other than Rat Rations, and the German companies don't tend to do much mouse and rat food (I don't think they're nearly as commonly kept in Germany as hamsters and gerbils).

[Robin~]

Just curious, I looked into what a Shunamite diet actually is, and from what I saw it’s mainly comprised of rabbit pellets, dog food, and human cereal? May I ask why is the recommended for rats when they have different nutritional requirements and dietary habits than all of those animals?

[daisy~]

It was developed by a rat breeder and popularised throughout the NFRS breeder community. Her ebooks are here: Rat diet EBooks - The Scuttling Gourmet (shunamiterats.co.uk). I haven't read them but I think they explain the theory behind it. 

 

In terms of rat foods available to buy in the UK that are worth feeding, it's either Science Selective pellets or a Shunamite diet from Rat Rations and a varied mix is of course always recommended over pellets.

 

The rabbit food used is supposed to be the muesli kind, not the hay based pellet kind, but it can also be substituted for a mix of minimally processed grains which I would think would be better. Likewise, the dog food can be substituted for insects and freeze dried meats which I would think would also be better. I think much the the development of the mix is based around the owner's and breeder's convenience. Likewise with the human cereals, they're easy and cheap to obtain. I would also think that rats having adapted to live amongst humans, would naturally be eating more grains, both processed and minimally processed, than would hamsters, for example.

 

I will add that while I really enjoy the UK online rat community, one thing I have noticed is that on certain issues, one opinion will be pushed to the exclusion of any other. It's not that comments are ever deleted or other views censored, it's just that the community is very united on certain opinions and nobody really bothers to check out other opinions. So on a question on diet, nobody will suggest anything other than the Shunamite diet and it's hard to know if anyone really does anything different.

Edited by daisy03, 11 January 2021 - 10:37 AM.