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Colorado Rat Breeder | Camarattery

Website Updated March.18.2024

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Please be aware that breeding season only lasts through the end of Spring. Breeding season is over during the Summer as rats loose fertility in hot weather.

The Main Diet

What is the main diet? Let me simplify this as much as possible. Rats need 14-18% protein. Any less and they will be malnourished and any more the males will get protein itch. And they will all get fat. Females can even get tumors that are not genetic if you are feeding too much fatty and protein rich foods. 

Grains are one thing but adding other nutrients are also needed to get your diet right. And the only way to get it right is to have a product that has a guaranteed analysis. Too many people and breeders are not paying attention to this and they are throwing anything together on a whim. And the quality or lack thereof  of rats is very noticeable. They have no idea what their mix's analysis is. Grains by themselves do not have enough of what rats need. You need a pelleted vitamin, mineral and protein supplement added to the mix.

My rats are on a grain diet. One made by someone with a degree in animal nutrition. My mix has a guaranteed analysis I do not know of any other mixes made by breeders that can say that. Most people are throwing random grains together and not knowing why they are doing it. They are just trying to make it look pretty I assume. I did not make this diet myself, I am not qualified to do so. I've used this mix since 1998 and my rats are known for their health, longevity and beauty. You can either use this diet which rats do very well on and have healthy long lives, or you can use a different diet. But remember sugars have been proven by science to cause seizures in rats. So diets with sugars are not as good for your rats. Be sure what you choose has the right amount of protein. Also do not choose pre packaged diets from Pets Mart or Pet Co. Those have sat around for years in a warehouse before they were shipped to the stores. And they have preservatives sprayed on them. That can cause tumors and short life spans.

In my years of breeding I have tried many other diets, and none compare to this one. Its by far the best for the health and longevity of rats. 

If adopting babies from me, you will need to purchase food from me to get my health guarantee.

If you are switching to a new diet do it slowly over a 2 month period.

Here is the recipe. Print it and use it as a shopping list:

 

3 parts flaked barley (do not use pearled barely! Its too hard and will break teeth!)

1 part sun flower seeds

1/2 part oat groats or steel cut oats).

1/4 part Calf Mana (very important)

1/4 part raw peanuts (either in the shell or out of the shell)

Nursing moms and babies need more protein. They need 23%. So add 1/4 part natural dog food to your mix. No by products or garbage dog food.

Optional: A pinch of raw pumpkin seeds daily. Around 4 seeds per rat. This is a good treat food.

Also if you are looking for an alternative to peanuts because if a peanut allergy, I cannot help you. I am not certified in small animal nutrition. And I would not know how to get the guaranteed analysis correct if the peanuts were removed. I am not qualified to do that. That would need someone with a degree in nutrition to figure that out.

Go to Curve Feed in Lakewood Colorado to get your grain. Tell the owner Chris I sent you.

Chris makes my mix for rat owners in Colorado. So get your future feed mix from her after you adopt from me. I do not supply grain mix for the life of your rat.


Curve Feed & Pet Supply
6750 W. Mississippi Ave.
Lakewood, Co 80226
(303) 934-1249
http://www.curvefeed.com/

Cook Mixes - My Babies Are Raised On It - NOT A MAIN DIET! JUST A TREAT.

You can also order them here... https://www.birdstreetbistro.com/product/cinnaspice-bird-food/
All the flavors are great. I like the cinna spice delight, apple berry, veggie.

My Mix:

Go to the vitamin cottage because they have bulk organic ingredients. Here is a list of what you need. Its a no fuss recipe.

If you want to change or just eye ball the parts please do so. Its not an exact science. A big box of all of this usually costs me $23.

1) 2 parts Organic Regular Rolled Oats. (not oatmeal or quick oats, its cheapey processed and has no food value)

2) 2 parts Organic Millet (Protein and some fat)

3) 3/4 part Organic Brown Rice (Carbs)

4) 3/4 part Wheat Berries (Montana Bronze Chief or any other that looks good to the eye)

5) 3/4 part Organic Quonia White (Protein)

6) 3/4 part Organic Refined Couscous

7) 3/4 part organic Raw Sunflower Seeds (Fat)

8) 3/4 part Organic Pearled Barley

9) 1/2 part Organic Yellow Split Peas (not green it makes it look like snot) (Protein)

10) 1/2 part Organic Raisins (Iron) add a 1/2 part of dried cranberries if you want to!

11) Cinnamon Powder, Nutmeg, All Spice. Note on Cinnamon, dump tons in there like 1-3 TBS spoons as desired. (Cinn is for circulation, libido and anti parasite cant be over done.)

Mix it all together in a bowl 

Cooking Directions:

Stove top: In medium saucepan, bring 2-1/4 cups (530ml) of water and 1 cup (235ml) Cook Mix to a boil. Cover with tight fitting lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
 

After Cooking:

1) Add Dried fruits IE, cranberries, blue berries, strawberries, apple slices, cherries. (switch these around to keep it fun)

2) Add your favorite veggies, fresh or thawed frozen mixtures.

3) Mix it in with the already cooked mix.

4) Cool and serve!

You can store in the fridge for 4-5 days. Use your common since on that one.

Note on ingredients:

Its a no fuss mix once again, no need to ask what a part is. Use any measuring container you want make that your part. And if the store doesn't have whats listed, its no fuss, skip it and pick up something else that looks tasty to you. Add things not listed here. This is a rough example of what you can do. If you want to don't use any of these and do a bean mixture. Vitamin cottage has a isle full of beans. Mix them with the Brown Rice and wing it. If you want Gluten Free, do that.

Adding supplements made fun!:

Many times we need to medicate our pets, or we want to build immune systems. The rats will eat it when mixed in the cook mix. Things I like to mask in my food:

All from vitamin cottage: (all added after the mix is cooked and cooled, usually while its in the rats feed dish)

1) A pinch of Fresh or Granulated Garlic for the immune systems and anti parasite

2) Powdered Vitamins or Biotin (Vitamin from pet shop) (Biotin from the Cottage)

3) Wheat Germ Oil (Super Food) Best thing for skin and coat. (a must for hairless rats and great for the furred too)

4) Fish or Cod Liver Oil for the Omegas

5) My favorite for the immune and digestive system Kyo-Dophilus 9. 9 digestive enzymes. (This one is a must for my rats)

 

Amounts:

It's not a fuss! Just feed it to them along with the lab blocks or grain, which ever your feeding. There is no need to worry about measuring which would not be possible with more than one rat anyway.

Do you prefer blocks over grain?

Right now I really like the Kalmbatch blocks. 18% is for adults 3 months or more. 23% is for pregnant and nursing moms and babies up to 3 months old.

Some blocks are very unhealthy and a detriment to the rats health, and those would be the brands you find at Pets Mart and Pet Co. Do not use those! The worst one being Oxbow. Which is known for causing terrible immune systems where rats are constantly getting chronic respiratory ailments. Also people using Oxbow see a lot more tumors in rats. Especially in female rats.