[willowfurever]

Hi guys,

I’m a bit confused on how much to feed Harlan Teklad to rats. I’ve heard that every rat generally eats a pound of food per month, is that true for baby rats too?

How much Harlan Teklad would I feed to adult rats, and baby rats?

Also, if I fed the Harlan Teklad 2014 to baby rats, how much more protein would I have to feed them?
For example, ex. amount of scrambled eggs, etc. per ex. amount per week/day.

Thanks!

 

[Rex the Rat]

For protein, rats don't need so much protein so you don't need to worry so much, they should be fine with a variety of daily veggies. For the amount, I would say a handful per two rats, some say to give an unlimited supply which can work as long as your rat doesn't stash the food since if you don't check you won't know how much they're eating.

 

[willowfurever]

Oh ok!
Would the amount of food be the same for both adults and babies?

 

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

You want to give your rats enough food to last them until their next feeding. There isn't necessarily a set amount and it changes over the course of your rats' lives.

If you use a food bowl, fill it with their food. When it's empty, put more in. If your rats stash their food, you can either put it back in the bowl or wait until they've eaten all of their stash and then put more food in their bowl.

 

[willowfurever]

Ohh ok! But the thing that worries me about that is that what if they keep eating, and become unhealthy and fat?

 

[Rex the Rat]

I don't think they'll do that for lab blocks, they would do that if you give too much treats or if they eat too much fatty foods.

 

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

For now, especially because you're a new rat owner, I would be far more concerned about your rats not getting enough food if you try to restrict their diet. Your rats are unlikely to overeat and become unhealthy and fat on Teklad blocks. If your rats are young, they should get as much food as they want.

The one pound a month estimate is based on your rats eating roughly 15 grams of their main diet a day. In addition to this you would have a small amount of supplemental stuff like veggies, grains, etc. In total, your rats will probably eat somewhere in the range of 15 to 20 grams of food per day, each. Nobody will be able to tell you exactly how much your particular rats will need to eat. If you feel you need to find out, you can start carefully measuring their portions and closely monitoring exactly how much they're eating and how fast to make sure that you're neither giving them too little or too much. However, it's much easier and safer to just make sure they always have food in their bowl and give them small portions of supplemental stuff.

 

[willowfurever]

Ok, that’s good to hear!
Thanks everyone!

Also, does anyone know how much a 5 pound bag of Harlan Teklad would last between 3 rats? I know that this would depend on their age and individual, but generally how long would it last?

 

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

Looking at the pound a month estimate, I'd guess that a 5 lb bag will probably last 1.5 to 2 months for 3 rats.

 

[willowfurever]

Ok, thank you so much!