Kaytee rodent blocks?

[Paleosuchus]

Does or has anyone ever used KAYTEE forti-diet? I bought 25 pounds for 19 dollers( thought that was a good price). In crude protein(min.)....21.0%, crude fat(min.).......4.5%,
crude fiber(max.).....7.0% and moisture (max.) is 12.0%. Does this sound like a good diet block for a breeding rats? I just never hear about people using KAYTEE nor do i know much on what they need to breed well? Thanks, Jason

[sapphire_moon]

It's nothing but fillers and crap! (not even people with pet rats feed it) Go with mazuri (www.mazuri.com), it's the best, and if I should ever breed rats again, it's what I will go with.

(yes mykee, you were right, lol :) )

[greenman1867]

LOL Tell us how you really feel, I sense you may be really holding back there :)

[honduranfreekk]

I agrea with saphire most rat food blocks that you can buy are nothing but CRAP.
I use the Lab Diet from PMI Nutrision International and it is the best rat diet you can buy and it is also made by Mazuri.PMI and Mazuri ARE the same company.
It can be found at most Richie Feed and Seed companys or some CO-op feed stores and is WELL worth the $41.00 for a 50 pound bag.

www.labdiet.com and www.mazuri.com

Just my 2 cents ;)

Kelvin@Brigitte

[mykee]

Dude, that's some expensive lab diet! That's more than twice the price of a normal 50 lb. bag of Mazuri 6F.
Sapphire: I know...

[honduranfreekk]

mykee this stuff is PROVEN to be MUCH better than the 6F and I dont mind paying a little extra for that reason.
I know it costs a little more but I wanted to use the BEST and healthiest rat diet they made.They do not sell the Mazuri 6F here as the labs,Hospitals and Universities here will and can ONLY use the best Lab Diets on the Market.
I have looked into this and done LOTS of reaserch on the best Rat diets and chose the PMI Nutrision International Lab Diet from Mazuri.That is why it costs a little more bro.
Now mykee I know I know it maybe overkill and up my rat food bill by a lot more BUT I want my snakes inturn to have the best fed food.

Just my 2 cents bro ;)

Kelvin@Brigitte

[Linds]

I feed my feeders a diet of Masterfeeds 16% Horse Chunks supplemented with a small amount of sunflower seeds and chicken scrap (bones, cartilage, meat). I get a 50lb bag of seed for $12 CDN and 50lb bag of chunks for about the same price. I get the chicken scraps for free. My pets get the same feeds, but also enjoy a multitude of other foods such as brown rice, mutligrain pasta, bread, fresh and frozen veggies, dried and fresh fruit, seed mix, nuts, grain preparations, etc. For my feeders, I've managed to find a way to keep their diet both as naturally made and close to their natural requirements as possible, while keeping it highly economical. I spend under $40 a month to feed 150-250 rats (and a few mice). It can still be good AND cheap! :D

I don't like any rodent blocks. Some might do the trick ok (for feeders, but definitely not if you intend on keeping them for their entire [maximum] lifespan), but IMHO is definitely not optimal. I've used Mazuri in the past with mediocre results - my females didn't hold up very well against the back to back breedings, and litter sizes were just average. Since I've settled on the current diet, my females always maintain a good breeding weight, consistently throw litters of 12-22 babies, and have a much longer breeding life.

Just because the macronutrient levels are ok, doesn't mean the formulation is at all appropriate, and will usually show in the long term. Mazuri generally has a main list of ingredients which they may alter some proportions, that they feed to a range of everything from rats to tortoises to iguanas... quite sad as these animals naturally have drastically different dietary requirements. Many lab diets advertise that their foods are free of any animal meat or other products - rats are omnivorous! It is nonsensical to convert them to a herbivorous diet when they are designed to have some meat in their diet. Above all, they all contain soy and corn which I try to avoid feeding all my animals, as well as myself. Soy has been linked to a certain type of cancer, contains high levels of plant estrogens, and inhibits absorption of certain necessary micronutrients. Corn (first ingredient in Mazuri) is converted in to a carcinogen in the body and is devoid of nutrition, mostly just consisting of starch and sugar with no real significant micronutrients. They are also highly processed, full of harmful preservatives, etc.

Apologies for the long 'preachy' post :p I am just very passionate and involved in nutrition (both animal and human), as it is overlooked by most of the world in these days where convenience and and marketting schemes dominate.

[mykee]

Kelvin; don't get me wrong, I'm all for a high quality rat block. I'm glad you found something that works for you and that you're happy with. Just seems like a pretty penny to be spending. I'm very happy with my Mazuri 6F, noticing good results with my rats, and I won't change it for the world, but good on you for finding something that works for you. Nice to see people who are concerned with what they feed their rats.

[sapphire_moon]

oooohhh, mazuris first indgriedient is corn? Well, forget that, lol. I will feed something with corn as long as it's not within the first 5 indgriedients.

And soy is supposed to be good for rats, alot of breeders use it to supplement their mothers and soak lab blocks in it for their babies as they wean?

[Paleosuchus]

Thanks for the help and information all. I was able to get the feed store to take back the kaytee and get me some Mazuri 6F. Heard and am hearing many great things about Mazuri.
Jason

[honduranfreekk]

mykee I had to come back and post that I STAND corrected my man:).The Mazuri is from what I have been told by a VERYYY RELIABLE sorce is that they are the EXACT same food just packaged in different bags:(

So mykee you ARE right bro and I WILL be changing to the Mazuri 6F at half the cost of the EXACT same food lol

I feel BETTER now lmao

Kelvin@Brigitte