Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Got a few acres out in the country and want to grow some food for my rats... cut down on costs a little bit... anyone have any ideas of easy & healthy things I could grow to feed?

BPS

Oats, rye, wheat, alfalfa, and sunflowers. Don't let any of them get moldy, or become infected with ergot.

Some people will say that rats wont eat alfalfa, but they will, if the alfalfa is fresh, and not baled hay or pelleted.

Also, they might eat Malva, which is one of the mallows, and usually considered a weed.

I only have volunteer plants (weeds) in my yard, two of which are rye and alfalfa.

SnakeyLakey

Can they eat oats? I don't have any machinery to mill (?) them... like remove the casing then flatten them out... I know oats off the plant are rock hard...

Thanks a lot!

I have not actually feed whole oats, but rats have sharp teeth I think they should be able to handle them. What would wild rats do? You could harvest the oats at a less mature stage and feed them green, then they would be softer.

My rats also like squash, and melon seeds.

SnakeyLakey

Carrots are a part of my rats diet. I get my carrots in five lb. bags from the grocery store.

SnakeyLakey

Rats will eat alphapha but their digestive system is different than rabbits and guinea pigs therefore they cant digest it very well and it cuts down on their health and life, so I wouldnt feed it to them
-----
1.0.0 YBS
1.2.0 RES
1.0.0 red belly cooter
1.0.0 Fire belly toad
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
cats, dog, ferret, rats and hamsters

I would like to know what your referencing saying that alfalfa cuts down on their life span, that is highly unlikely. All of the papers I have read on alfalfa digestion in rats is that the rats cannot effectively digest certain fibers and matter from the leaves and stems in the plants raw form.

When extracted for use in kibble and pellets, the alfalfa is still not 100% used by the rat, but some of it is, and certain nutrients from the alfalfa are essential for utilization of proteins and or growth.

Do I think all alfalfa is created equal? Absolutely not, and would only trust high quality feeds to have the appropriate measures of alfalfa extract. I would never buy kaytee or seed mixes.

I would suggest the hay as a treat, since rats do like the palatability of alfalfa, but would offer up Timothy hay or oat hay, as alternatives to a complete diet.

The only alfalfa that I feed grows voluntarily in my yard, during the summer. It is NOT a major part of their diet. When I can, I feed it fresh rather than dried.

SnakeyLakey

Im interested in more opinions please,

Thank you,
Clay

carrots, and green leafy lettuce veggie, like Kale, collard greens, mustard greens.

Add to their diet other store items too like:

GRAIN MIX
This is a homemade mix that I have formulated using items from my local supermarket (pictured above). As often as I can, I buy from the bulk bins or the store brands. The only item I tend to splurge on is the Total cereal, because it is very nutritious, and recommended by both the Rat Fan Club and my vet. Overall, it costs me between $10 and $15 to put together the grain mix, which lasts me a couple of months, depending on how many rats I have. The weights listed are approximate.

1/2 to 1 lb. dry rolled oats
Quaker is fine, but may be more expensive; I buy mine in the bulk bin at the supermarket. Keep in mind that oatmeal is binding, so too much can cause constipation problems.

(1) 5.3 oz. box puffed wheat cereal
Malt-O-Meal, Quaker or Kashi, which is available in natural food stores. Cheerios are also a viable alternative, if the other two are not available, but keep in mind that there may be added sugar. I use the Quaker, as it has no sugar content. The exact oz. amount between brands is not a big deal. The 5.3 oz is the weight of the Quaker box.

(1) 6.4 oz. box puffed rice cereal
Quaker is the best brand, because it contains no sugar. Rice Krispies really are not recommended, because of salt and sugar content.

1 12 oz. box Total Cereal
Highly recommended by The Rat Fan Club and my veterinarian for its exceptional nutritional content, due to added vitamins and minerals. It's only available in the United States. If you can't get Total, you can add a children's vitamin/mineral tablet to their diet, or use small animal vitamins.

Note: some people think Total has too many vitamins. Keep in mind that on an average day, a rat will only eat a few flakes of the cereal if fed as a part of this mix. The US RDA listed on the box is based on a full bowl. A rat will eat nowhere near this much on any given day.

1/4 to 1/2 lb. roasted, unsalted soy nuts
These are somewhat high in protein, but contain valuable cancer-preventing agents, so they are a good addition to the mix. Not all rats like them. May also be called roasted soy beans -- I think the "nuts" thing is a marketing ploy for humans! If you can't find them, you can work soy into their diet in other ways, such as soy milk, tofu, soy crumbles and soy yogurt. You can also purchase Just Soy Nuts online. Raw dried soybeans can also be toasted at home - Roasted Soy Nuts Recipe.

Note: I recently read that roasted soybeans are also a good source of vitamin K.

1/2 lb dried fruits
Dried bananas and cranberries. The bananas offer potassium, and cranberries are good for the urinary tract. Until recently, I used the banana chips, which unfortunately are fried. I have since discovered Just Bananas, which are nothing more than dried bananas. They also have a lot of other fruits and veggies that make great treats, or additions to the mix.

If you don't want to include the fruit, you don't have to. I know some people prefer to give their rats fresh fruits, instead. I do this when I can, but we don't always have fruit in the house. Some people also avoid fruits in general due to high sugar content. Use your discrection and common sense.

1/2 lb dry pasta
The tri-colored elbows, with spinach and tomato flavor. Nice and crunchy for the teeth, and a good source of carbohydrates, which helps balance the protein in the soy nuts. The box I buy is actually 12 oz., a little more than 1/2 lb. Whole wheat pasta ia also a good choice.

1/4 lb sunflower seeds
The large sunflower seeds for birds (the black and white ones) are best. I used to give my boys the unshelled, unsalted seeds from the bulk department, but they weren't enjoyed as much. Keep in mind that too many sunflower seeds can add too much fat and protein to the diet. Use common sense.

1/4 lb muesli (optional)
Sometimes (especially in winter), I have a hard time getting the rolled oats in bulk -- too many people eating oatmeal, I guess. I found a mix called "muesli" in the bulk department that had a lot of interesting items in it that the rats really like, including rolled oats, granola, pumpkin seeds and raisins. It offers a nice variety, but I would use it sparingly due to sugar content.

Mix everything together in a huge bowl (or divide ingredients in half and make two batches if you don't have a bowl big enough for everything -- I actually end up doing three batches!). Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This makes quite a lot of mix, and will last you quite a while if you only have a few rats -- I usually don't have more than four rats, and it lasts me two months.

TREATS
Of course, every rat needs and deserves treats! Life would be boring without treats, and some of the items in the list below are also important dietary supplements. Fresh fruits and veggies offer a lot of important vitamins.

Gerber instant baby oatmeal (great for mixing in supplements)
cooked pasta or rice
fruits (fresh and frozen), including watermelon, blueberries, plums and grapes
veggies (fresh and frozen), including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, corn, and lima beans
fresh wheatgrass - mine love Petgrass, or you can grow your own from seeds - I get mine from Sprouthouse. Once it starts to turn yellow-brown, throw it out. If there are any yellow or brown blades in the pot, don't buy it, as it is already on its way out. It should be about 2" tall when you purchase it.
wheat or multigrain bread
plain popcorn
occassional healthy table scraps
olive oil - this helps the coat stay shiny and dandruff-free. I give my adult boys a small piece of bread soaked in the oil about once a week.
yogurt
Dried fruits and veggies from Just Tomatoes
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Treats
-----
1.0.0 YBS
1.2.0 RES
1.0.0 red belly cooter
1.0.0 Fire belly toad
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
cats, dog, ferret, rats and hamsters