[Sami]

http://ratzrealm.com/id25_htm.htm
"Boo Boo loves his Rat Mix"

Has anyone tried this food for their rats? Not the lab blocks. The food in the middle. Is it as good as it's advertised here? They seem kind of vague on the ingredients...

The sprout mix seems really good too, but I just know that in this household it will be thrown away before the sprouts sprout, so that one is out of the question... Even if I put a sign on it, I have no doubt that my Fiance's dad will think it's garbage, regardless, and throw it away. He didn't even pay attention to a huge sign on the door that warned to "STAY OUT OF THE BASEMENT" when we were flea bombing a couple months ago. :roll:

 

[A1APassion]

the lab block is the Harlan Teklad 2016

It is fine if your rat's are younger & still growing but you want to move to the 2014 once they are adults

DO NOT go with the 24% which is actually the 8064. Far too high on protein.

I believe the price quoted is a bit higher than what Kim's Ark lists & You can get the 2014 from Kim's Ark Rescue. When you buy from there the proceeds go toward the rescue & they can use all the help they can get.

Maybe someone with more information will post. I buy my lab block direct from a supplier so I have not had to look online for sources.

 

[CaptainFlow]

I saw that, and get my HT from Kim's Ark Rescue for only $1.25b a pound. I foolishly bought fifteen pounds of the 2018, thinking my girls could use the extra protein while they were growing. Except, about five months into it, I've use maybe half, and the rest is cluttering up my freezer. Oh well.

And I too really liked that sprout mix, and keep meaning to make some of my own, but haven't gotten around to it.

 

[Sami]

I'm not talking about the lab blocks. I'd rather not use lab blocks if I can find a better food... I was talking about the food next to it, between the lab blocks and sprout mix. I already said I'm not going to waste money on the sprout mix too, because my fiance's dad, if not someone else from the family, will throw it away thinking it's garbage--Even if I put a sign on it. This family has a bad habbit of completely ignoring signs.

 

[Forensic]

I wouldn't feed just that mix. Though it has kibble in it, you don't know which kibble, nor does it look like it's very balance (1/2 and 1/2 is how it usually is with such a mix.)

Why don't you want to feed lab blocks?

Perhaps look into Oxbow?

 

[A1APassion]

The lab blocks are the best thing out there for your rats since they address their nutritional requirements. Anything you offer above & beyond that is simply offering variety so that they don't get totally bored by the block.

Everyone has a different opinion on this so no matter what you find out there already made up or what you make up on your own there will be a bunch of people who will say "that is great!" & there will be a bunch of people who will say "that is crap!" & there will be a bunch of people telling you even more right ways to do something.

Sometimes you just gotta go it alone with what your choices are in the world of rat ownership. There really is no universally recognized "right way" of doing anything. This counts for the "perfect diet choices" as well. Even the experts who have developed many of these fine diets & premium lab blocks are re-evaluating their recipes & recent talk is that they are saying that rats requires an even lower protein diet than what is being recommended now. I believe that last thing I heard about this was a suggestion of 9% or less.

Bravo to you for doing your research, it truly shows you care.

Just don't let the research drive you nuts in the process because reading all these opposing opinions can really be frustrating at times.

 

[dragonegg]

My rats don't like their lab blocks. I had to order it online (from the US to Canada, which wasn't too cheap), but they don't eat it, only stash it. I don't force it on them, though (don't make them eat it--there's always plenty of other choices for them), which maybe I should be doing, if it's so good for them.

 

[mink]

This poor 'Boo Boo' rat looks so sad and obese..