Feeding veg...

[Hanlou]

....ok this may seem a real 'numpty' question but what fresh veg do people regularly feed to their rats? Having guinea pigs and rabbits we almost always have in -

Romaine lettuce, carrot, green pepper, broccoli, spring greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and occasionally curly kale and coriander, apple or celery etc.

I also bought some frozen mixed stuff to feed them to supplement. Just wondered really what other people feed. It's surprising how not having rats for a while can confuse you lol. They like lettuce (though I know it's not that nutritious) and green pepper and obviously have been giving them curly kale and sometimes mashed potatoes for a treat.

Just wondered what other people feed on a regular basis?

[daffee]

Sounds like you have pretty similar availability to us. Most often ours get carrot, broccoli, curly kale, peas, cucumber, apple, tomatoes, random herbs and peppers.

[lynz]

trying to think of them, i sometimes buy tins, frozen or fresh. sweetcorn, peas, brocolli, carrot, cucumber, potato, swede, tomatoes, these are the most usual things they get but i do sometimes pick up bags of salad leaves, stir fry mix with peppers, curly kale.

[Neotoma]

I feed pretty much anything we have - there's a dedicated rat bag of kale, and one of peas / sweetcorn / peppers / brocolli in the freezer, but otherwise they get our off cuts. I happen to rather like fruit and veg, so if you name any vegetable, they've had it.

Regular things woud be lettuce (dark and / or peppery rather than iceburg), tomatoes, peas, mini-sweetcorn cobs, brocolli, beans (all kinds), aubergine, courgette, spinach, mange-tout, peas in shells, pak choi, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms, carrots, sweet peppers, celery, onion, garlic and leek (all best cooked unless you like smelly pee), potatoes (cooked), sweet poatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash, bananas, blueberries, plums (our tree is currently fruiting alot), apples, grapes, raspberries, mini-bananas (they have a special name, and are found in the exotic section of the supermarket), pears...

Basically, if it's not a citrus fruit or a mango, they eat it.

Although not perfectly ripe white fleshed peaches, because they are alllllllll mine...

I feed a mixed bowl of veg everyday - I consider it essential normal daily food rather than a supplement or a treat. The correct proportion with dry mix can be debated - I personally do it pretty much 50/50. My opinion is that rats are broad spectrum omnivores, and dry mix (even a good quality complete one, with all the right nutrients and supplements) isn't a diet. It's an essential part of the diet, but not complete in itself.

(NB - last paragraph is general pontification, not intended as comment on hanlou's feeding regime )

[acapae_wolf]

Anything and everything Up until last weekend mine had been gettinbg about 30% of their daily diet as fresh food (rather than an occasional extra of some things), but I'm trying to push it up to nearer 50% right now - same ingredients mostly, just more of it and protein more regularly and fruit. In addition to that I'm keeping track of what mine are getting daily because after loads of them being ill and intros and things their coat are awful and ugh

So because I find it a lot more interesting to have a few days in a row rather than a random list or example meal (and because I have the info to hand!) for the past week and a half mine have had:

Tuesday 26th:
Mushroom, cannellini beans, butter beans, runner beans, sweetcorn, carrot, cauliflower, parsley, spinach, banana, hemp oil

Wednesday 27th:
Mushroom, cauliflower, runner beans, nectarine, parsley, spinach, potato, basil, fish (dunno what, parents saved them a bit) and flax oil.

Thursday 28th:
Tomato, potato, radish, parsley, yellow pepper, courgette, apple, rosemary, cauliflower stalks and a dollop of flax oil.

Friday 29th:
Kale, mushroom, brown rice, parsnip tomato, radish, garlic, broccoli, blueberries, raspberries, nuts in shells.

Saturday 30th:
1/2 JWB fresh pouch and a nectarin in the evening. During the day they had an in-cage paddling pool with kale, dandelion, basil, peas, sweetcorn, soya mince, carrot raspberries, blackcurrants, white currants, sweet potato, melon, pepper, beansprouts.

Sunday 31st:
Mushrooms, banana, red kidney beans, some form of green beans (ew), broccoli, green pepper, celery, kale, thyme, an orange, an apple. Also some malted biscuits as I made some more.

Monday 1st:
1/2 JWB fresh pouch, brown bread crusts, sweetcorn, peas, sweet potato, courgette, carrot, radish, parsley, blackcurrants, nectarine, tiny animals essentials.
[post-op for 2 of them]

Tuesday 2nd:
Dandelion, carrot, parsnip, beetroot, potato, chives, garlic, grass, raspberries, blackberries, plum, flax oil and malted biscuits.

Wednesday 3rd:
Cabbage (relatively new), leek, orange pepper, onion, grass, couscous, tomatoes, asparagus, plum, apricot.

Thursday 4th:
Steamed potatoes, leek, beetroot, more cabbage, onion, garlic, lots of chicken leg bones and some liver, olive oil, aubergine skins

Friday 5th:
Kale, porridge, green beans, water chestnuts, garlic, more aubergine skins, carrot, orange, plum, apple.

Yesterday they just got some cabbage and cherries as my mum was doing them. No idea what they're having tonight yet (though they've just had a banana between the 8 of them and Anfreda) but probably finishing off the chicken bones.

I try and give as much variety each day in fresh as I can, rather than leaving that to the dry food and just chucking a handful in of a couple of thins.

eta -

mini-bananas (they have a special name, and are found in the exotic section of the supermarket)

The special names are brand names really. Mini bananas is the general term for what you mean

[Hanlou]

Awww thanks!

Was hoping you'd reply Neotoma lol.

That's all really helpful. Unfortunately my beloved is not keen on veg (I have to hide it in things to get him to eat it!) so we don't usually have a good range other than what the piggles and rabbits have. Today I did some Butternut Squash (first time I've ever cooked it.....! ) with leek and onion which was very, very filling and there's plenty of that left for the ratties (and other little 'uns of course) to enjoy.

I have been feeding veg but very hit and miss quite frankly and I want to get myself into a routine like we have for the piggies and rabbits.

Another question - on a budgie forum someone on there made up veggies and then mixed them up and froze them in ice cube trays in mixed daily portions to thaw out on a regular basis. I guess I worry that it wouldn't get used up in time and go manky. Though I do have some wonderful 'stay fresh' bags that certainly help lol. Do you think that would work or would they lose some of their goodness? Maybe that sounds really lazy!

Thanks for all the responses. Beri - that's really helpful seeing that 'schedule'. Shall copy these replies and print them off I think to get me into a decent routine with variety etc. Yes definitely want to add some more variety - they've been getting protein etc but as they're now getting to be big grown up ratties they won't be needing that so much.

[hlcasey]

Our rats have fresh veg nearly every day as we also have guineas and bunnies so they tend to have a little of what they get.

Typically the rabbits and guineas get (different days, different things) - kale, different cabbages, carrots, apple, romaine lettuce, celery, radish, beans, brocolli, peppers, baby corn, banana, pear, tomatoes etc.

In additon we feed the rats most fruit and veg according to safe list, these include potato, avacado (no skin or stone), mushrooms, various cooked beans, peas, steamed human style packs of veg (go in the freezer and handy to do!), spinach, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. Tried them with cherries and grapes but they were less then impressed lol.

[Hanlou]

Thanks hlcasey! Lol I remember giving past rats grapes - I had to gnaw a bit off so that they knew what they were!

As these girls are so young I want to get them used to a variety now. They enjoy everything I've offered them so far and pinch any of the hamster / mouse / guinea pig food that may have been dropped -their taste for variety included my net curtains unfortunately though!

[lechien]

this is a good thread!

my pair of girl get about 50% of fresh veggies everyday. the other half is grains and a bit of pellets called "Rat Complete".

i regularly feed them what i have handy in the house, which are carrots, broccoli, various coloured peppers, tomatos, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, grapes, nectarine, berries, banana, also canned sweet corns, peas and kidney beans, sometimes a few bits of cooked onions and garlic too. i give them combinations of these normally, also depending on which season. i give them raw and also sometimes steamed for a change.

reading everyone's list, i want to add a few more varieties!

[Jemma]

I feed pretty much everything too, apart from citrus and bannanas. I try and get a good range of the different veg type groups every day, so for me its a base of dark green and leafy ( e.g. kale,oak choi, spinach, dark lettuce, spring greens, brocelli etc), something (or things) bright and colourful (e.g. carrot, tomato, pepper, beetroot etc), something pulsa ish (peas, sweetcorn, cooked beans green beans, bean sprouts etc), something fruity (berries are my main ones but also Apple, pear, etc) and other bits and bobs (such as coconut, chestnuts, bamboo, herbs etc). I tend to major on dark green and then colour full as there the most useful in my eyes.

Unfortunatly I have a hubby who hates veg and so I don't get through a lot myself, so instead I get a big variety in every couple of weeks and chop it all up and make several different combinations of veg, these go in the freezer in bags and I try and have 4 or 5 different mixes in there so I can give the lads pleanty of variety. I also feed fresh when I can, especially if there's stuff growing in my garden, right now they get a garden veg meal at least once a week. The freezing thing helps me enourmously, as otherwise stuff just goes off and gets chucked.

Mine get this about 50:50 with there dry daily and once or twice a week I make a full wet meal to replace both, normally cooked or soaked carbs, veg, protien oils etc. I also feed suppliments alongside still though I may drop them a little now I'm feeding more wet and veg.

[Hanlou]

Thanks Jemma - it would certainly be helpful if I could do the same and freeze stuff. I could use the things we always have as a fresh 'base' and freeze the more unusual stuff in various combinations.

[Neotoma]

Is there a reason why not bananas? My lot adore them (in moderation obviously ), and I've never seen an adverse effect.

[Jemma]

Is there a reason why not bananas? My lot adore them (in moderation obviously ), and I've never seen an adverse effect.

Is that question to me? If so I don't not feed bananas but don't have them in often as I hate the things and I've never imagined them freezing well. They occasionally get some when my hubby decides he wants to be healthy for a week or when a rat needs some billing up. I am tempted to get a couple mini bannanas though now, I would assume you feed them in the skin.

[Neotoma]

Ok I was just checking there wasn'ty some safety issue I'd missed. Although Woozle would have been pretty cross if you'd come between him and his daily banana serving .

[Jemma]

Woozel is a silly rat, bananas are nasty nasty tasting food stuff .

There’s quite a lot of stuff I’ve fed not on my list lol, I’m just too lazy to write it all out, and quite forgetful too. I think I’ve tried pretty much everything at some point or other if it’s safe, I’ll admit to getting a little over excited at times. I think my lads fave fruit and veg is pomegranate and corn on the cob fresh from the garden (far nicer than banana lol)