Food: Every Day Diet
There is always a strong debate going on in the rat fancier's world about what is the best diet rats should have. Some say an exclusive diet of rat lab blocks is ideal, whereas others argue a grain mix is more interesting for rats, and most parties believe that regardless of which of the two you choose, it must be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables.
I personally believe lab blocks and fresh food would be the most ideal, however in Australia it is difficult to come by practical suppliers, as lab blocks often must be bought in bulk from 20kg to a tonne or more, which isn't feasible in the average rat owner's home (not only would it be expensive but the storage would be a nightmare). In North America and the UK, the lab block of choice is Harlan Teklad. Unfortunately there are no suppliers in Australia. If you are interested in acquiring lab blocks for yourself, there are a few manufacturers in Australia, including Cummins Mill, Barastoc and Specialty Feeds.
I currently feed my rats lab blocks (Norco Rat and Mouse Cubes) as well as a grain mix, which is derived from the recipe listed on The 28th Rat's website. A very popular dry mix for rats is SueBee's Rat Diet. Another home made mix which is popular is the Molasses Mix. This mix relies on a product available only in the US called 'Total Cereal'. The mix can be altered by replacing Total Cereal with bran flakes and a crushed up children's vitamin tablet (make sure it does not contain the artificial sweetener Sorbitol, as rats seem to find it unpleasant).
Most importantly, fresh food should be given to your rats regularly. I like to give my rats a bowl of fruit and vegetables or a balanced fresh organic baby food every evening. As a rare treat they will get a tiny piece of cooked meat such as chicken or turkey, or a chicken thigh bone to chew on.
I personally believe lab blocks and fresh food would be the most ideal, however in Australia it is difficult to come by practical suppliers, as lab blocks often must be bought in bulk from 20kg to a tonne or more, which isn't feasible in the average rat owner's home (not only would it be expensive but the storage would be a nightmare). In North America and the UK, the lab block of choice is Harlan Teklad. Unfortunately there are no suppliers in Australia. If you are interested in acquiring lab blocks for yourself, there are a few manufacturers in Australia, including Cummins Mill, Barastoc and Specialty Feeds.
I currently feed my rats lab blocks (Norco Rat and Mouse Cubes) as well as a grain mix, which is derived from the recipe listed on The 28th Rat's website. A very popular dry mix for rats is SueBee's Rat Diet. Another home made mix which is popular is the Molasses Mix. This mix relies on a product available only in the US called 'Total Cereal'. The mix can be altered by replacing Total Cereal with bran flakes and a crushed up children's vitamin tablet (make sure it does not contain the artificial sweetener Sorbitol, as rats seem to find it unpleasant).
Most importantly, fresh food should be given to your rats regularly. I like to give my rats a bowl of fruit and vegetables or a balanced fresh organic baby food every evening. As a rare treat they will get a tiny piece of cooked meat such as chicken or turkey, or a chicken thigh bone to chew on.