Raw Rodent Menu

[Soka]

I have one rat now and several mice. I would like to switch them to a 80-90% raw diet, using lab block only as a supplement. The thing is, I have a need to be really organized. So to make sure my rodents are getting everything they need in their diet, I want to write up a weekly menu for them and I need help.

What is a good fruit, veggie, grain (not sure how to make this raw), protein, ratio for their diet?

Does anyone have an example of their weekly menu for their rats?

[oceanluv]

phew, I got scared when I read the title. lol

[RawKnitster]

I don't know if our rat is getting everything she needs, but I can say she is one happy, healthy rat.

We keep her feed bowl supplied with a commercial rat food, Reggie Rat. I'm sure that is not optimal, but she likes it a better than the other dried foods we have tried her on.

For fresh food it was a process of trying different things to find out what she likes. In the morning she gets a coin size slice of banana. Most afternoons she gets a coin size slice of avocado. In the evening she gets a piece of kale, carrot, and a couple different kinds of nuts. We vary the nuts every day. Her faves are macadamias. In addition we give her whatever other veggies we have that she likes. Her favorites are sugar snap peas, broccoli, and best of all red pepper with a bit of the soft center with seeds on it. All organic, or course.

The banana and avocodo always get eaten on the spot. For her evening meal she takes the nuts first and hides them. Then she hides the red pepper. The other veggies are always last and she doesn't bother to hide them. Another veggie she loves is corn, but I don't buy that except in summer. It is so cute to see her hauling a chunk of corn on the cob into her cage. :)

[Soka]

Well these rats will be getting only a few pieces of block per day. The majority of their diet will be raw vegetarian.

We just picked up two little girls that are absolutely adorable. I would estimate them at 5-6 weeks old. One is a berkshire and the other is a blue berkshire.

So if I develop a weekly menu, could you guys look it over and see if I'm missing anything in their diet?

[Soka]

What about grains. Raw grains are very expensive so any grains my ratties eat will have to be the cheaper cooked kind. What kinds of grains can I feed them other than oats?

[Soka]

I'm looking up the nutritional value of different things to try and piece together some kind of menu that would provide the rats with complete nutrition every day.

The nutritional values I'm looking at are for people, but would it be ok to use them for the rats. Like 1oz of raw kale provides a person with 86% of their daily needed intake of Vitamin A. Would it be safe to use that for rats as well?

[JennaBoBenna]

I just give my girls whatever I have around. I trust them to eat what they need. They eat what they like then hoard the rest around my apartment :rolleyes:
I give them seaweed and things to make sure they are getting enough of the essentials.
They never eat the same thing twice in a row :)

[oceanluv]

there was an article on the local evening news yesterday about how rats are now becoming the new fad pet. they evidently didn't know people have had pet rats for many years. They are very clean and intelligent. I have always had cats, so never got a rat, but my kids have had guini pigs (sp?) hamsters and gerbils. I still like cats better, lol

[JennaBoBenna]

there was an article on the local evening news yesterday about how rats are now becoming the new fad pet. they evidently didn't know people have had pet rats for many years. They are very clean and intelligent. I have always had cats, so never got a rat, but my kids have had guini pigs (sp?) hamsters and gerbils. I still like cats better, lol

They really do make great pets! I had 12 all at one time (put a girl rat and a boy rat together and...) and I loved every single one! I have two right now and they are the smartest animals I have ever owned!

[Raene]

While ours isn't a raw rat, we don't buy her specialized blocks. I feel like that stuff is just processed filler crap.

We give her whatever we are eating, and since we're not raw right now b/c of difficulties with the pregnancy, we give her steamed veggies, fresh fruits, grains, and beans. She actually won't eat raw veggies...she's a weirdo, lol.

[JennaBoBenna]

Rat Feast:
fresh almond pulp
agave/honey
bee pollen
green powder
dulse
coconut
chia seeds
cinnamon
chlorella tablets

yum yum!

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp180/cuppiebaer/DSCN0680.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp180/cuppiebaer/DSCN0681.jpg
(see my other rat running down already to eat what she grabbed :) )

I give this to my rats every other now and again and they love it! mostly they eat whole fruits, veggies, greens, and nuts

[Soka]

Thanks. I'm starting to eat more raw foods so my rats will be getting a lot more raw food as well. Since nuts are so expensive though, we rarely (maybe a few times a year) buy them. Is it ok to substitute something like soy as a protein replacement?

[JennaBoBenna]

Thanks. I'm starting to eat more raw foods so my rats will be getting a lot more raw food as well. Since nuts are so expensive though, we rarely (maybe a few times a year) buy them. Is it ok to substitute something like soy as a protein replacement?

No. Soy is a very harmful food. I think a few nuts here and there combined with greens will give the rats enough protein.

[Soka]

I've started their raw diet today. Not everything is raw but a good portion of it is. Today all the rodents got oats (the old fashioned rolled oats), carrots, romaine lettuce, peas, and dry pasta. They also got a bit of mango/kiwi/apple baby food. Baby food is relatively cheap (4oz jar for $0.50) and each jar will last me 3 days.

The two new rats who are very scared of people right now normally don't take anything from me, but today they got the baby food and loved it! I will still be feeding them block food, but only as a supplement to make sure I'm not missing anything.

We will be going to the store to get produce. We will be getting peas, carrots, kale, romaine lettuce, cucumber, squash, apples, mangos, bananas, pears, strawberries, blackberries, and whatever else we find.

What kind of nuts are good and sort of cheap?

[JennaBoBenna]

What kind of nuts are good and sort of cheap?

Sunflower seeds are delicious and cheap. My rats love 'em.

[Soka]

I love raw sunflower seeds and I have found them pretty cheap. Thanks for all the info!