How to make a rat mix
Rat mixes are recommended over nuggets as a food source. They provide nutrition and variety that a nugget diet does not. Here in the UK, Pets at Home or Burgess nuggets have also been linked with an increase of mammary tumours and are not recommended as a suitable diet, despite pet shops still suggesting otherwise.
Making a rat mix can be daunting with so many ingredients and it seems like a considerable expense to start off. What you will find though, is making mixes are great value for money if you have 4 or more rats. However if you do prefer to buy a ready made mix, you won’t go wrong with Rat Rations. If you find choosing a mix on Rat Rations overwhelming, Azuline Rattery have written a fantastic article about it here and I'm also happy to help.
How is a mix broken down?
Ideally for a base you need at least 2 core mixes and it’s recommended to use a horse mix and a rabbit (or similar) mix.
Grains can be from many cereals (5% or less sugar), pearl barley, rice cakes, pasta etc.
Ideally grain free fish based dog kibble alongside ingredients such as lentils, died shrimp or mealworms.
You can buy dried herb or veg mixes that are rabbit forage mixes from stores as well as options from Rat Rations or you can dehydrate your own!
A seed mix could contains seeds such as pumpkin, nigella, linseed, flaxseed, dari, buckwheat, millet and small amounts of sunflower.
I like to be transparent about the diet my rats get fed, I also think it helps my pet homes know what my rats do well on, as breeders select rats that do well on their diet. I’m also happy to give recommendations for ingredients if you plan to make your own mix.