Best rat chow for the buck? - Page 2

Lisa · 07-09-04, 10:18 PM

And I'm sure cruel and needless tests were done (this is purina we are talking about here) to make sure that the food was absolutely the best for your rats.

Fact: Rats are garbage cans. They'll eat anything and thrive.

Anyways, this is an argument that NO ONE can win. I feed my rodents a number of things not limited to dog food, grain I got from a farmer friend, dandylions (greens and all) when in season, frozen veggies, cerials (for treats), stale bread, chicken bones, left overs. It's not rocket science.

mykee · 07-09-04, 10:26 PM

Good point. Rats do get bigger and fatter living in the streets living out of dumpsters than they'll ever get in our racks eating rat block, or a 'concoction' of table craps, grains and seeds. maybe we should just use our rats as composters, letting them eat what they would eat in 'nature' and compare them to our lab block and table craps diet. That would be a study I'd like to see.

jadegrasse · 07-12-04, 08:26 AM

I'm sure it's not better but is it worse? I doubt it. I think ‘rat chow’ is the ‘politically correct’ solution on this forum. I like our solution best. I have agreements with two restaurants, a cooking school and a food chain to pick up all their food ‘leftovers’. This includes all their grain produce, greens, legumes, meat (cooked only), whole grain bread or any other food. Everything I get is still fit for human consumption and nothing is ever spoiled. Everything is sorted and fed to the tortoises, lizards, rats (dog and cats) and mice in the ratios I feel is right. Anything not consumed is put in a large compost pile 200’ away in the woods and tilled in twice a year. I pickup about 10 gallons a day and use about 5-6 gallons a day. In the summer I grow a large garden just for the animals. All the rodents always have access to some sort of ‘pellet food’ but it lasts a while and not consumed in large quantities.

If you really want ‘the best’ for your rats than I don’t think any ‘bagged food’ that never spoils is the answer. Will it do? Sure. Would I eat that way if you had a choice? No. Everyone that lives in a metro center can get all sorts of foods that are not consumed and perfect for animals. I once got 10 cooked chickens from the restaurants that were overcooked and the chief just wanted to throw out. Another time I got 4 boxes of romaine lettuce that was frost damaged and appeared fine. I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to recycle as much as possible and feel that this is a perfect way.