|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Crew
|
 Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 3:20 pm
My friend told me that her single rat costs her about $5 a month in food. (litter is newspaper, her boyfriend made the cage with a bit of wood and chicken wire. ) by buying her food at the "bulk barn" they actually have cat, dog, bird and hamster food in huge containers and you take as much as you need and pay by the pound. So she buys hamster food and adds fruits and granola to it.
I decided the bulk of the rats diet will remain their slightly more expensive Oxbow feed. But they are very bored with it and I don't always have much rat friendly munchies. So I went down to see what they had. I got a bag of almonds (which I can't stop eating right now...) pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dried apples. Most of the fruit was sweetened or had sulphur dioxide (not that I really understand what that is) but I tried to go with only natural stuff. Nothing is salted, the nuts/seeds are dry roasted, the apples unsweetened and no sulfur. The only other fruits without sulfur or sugar were apricots and green grapes. I wasn't sure if rats can actually have grapes since dogs can't and I didn't know if they'd like apricots. I have plain granola at home I can try them on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 5:19 pm
I can only help you on what sulfur dioxide (SO2) is.
It's a preservative, and only healthy humans are unaffected by it when it's been used properly and in the correct amounts. Asthmatics have issues with it, even when it's been very diluted. I don't want to think about what kind of issues the more sensitive systems of our companions would have, so it's good you avoided it. 3nodding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 5:38 pm
And now I'm hungry, if your rats don't like it feel free to send me the extra yummies. rofl
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 6:40 pm
@ Eizoryu, well I knew it was a preservative, but only that it's not natural. Probably not up there with BHT/BHA but, I avoid all synthetic preservatives. It could have long term effects we don't know about.
@Krissim. LOL seriously the pumpkin seeds and the almonds are super yummy. I don't personally like the texture of the apples and sunflower seeds require cracking and I'm lazy. They ate all the granola lickity split they sure liked that. They also each got a piece of lettuce this morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Crew
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:09 am
That's pretty cool! The locally owned market down the street just installed bulk bins like that. They have nuts and stuff, and they might also add grains and coffee. If they do, it might be cool to make some chicken feed from the grains, although I don't know how much they'll cost. Have you given the girls almonds with the shell on? That was always a favorite for my rats, since it takes them a while to crack open the shell and gives them something to do.
Ps. I love sunflower seeds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 7:37 am
Vanilla eXee
That's pretty cool! The locally owned market down the street just installed bulk bins like that. They have nuts and stuff, and they might also add grains and coffee. If they do, it might be cool to make some chicken feed from the grains, although I don't know how much they'll cost. Have you given the girls almonds with the shell on? That was always a favorite for my rats, since it takes them a while to crack open the shell and gives them something to do.
Ps. I love sunflower seeds. The cost was very reasonable. Plus, when you buy in packages it's hard to find unsalted dry roasted anything. The almonds prob don't have a shell lol I've never seen an almond shell not sure I'd know what that looks like. The bulk barn has loose leaf tea in those bulk bins! I'm tempted to try some. And yes coffee, they have natural hand made soaps too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Crew
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 3:09 pm
Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Vanilla eXee
That's pretty cool! The locally owned market down the street just installed bulk bins like that. They have nuts and stuff, and they might also add grains and coffee. If they do, it might be cool to make some chicken feed from the grains, although I don't know how much they'll cost. Have you given the girls almonds with the shell on? That was always a favorite for my rats, since it takes them a while to crack open the shell and gives them something to do.
Ps. I love sunflower seeds. The cost was very reasonable. Plus, when you buy in packages it's hard to find unsalted dry roasted anything. The almonds prob don't have a shell lol I've never seen an almond shell not sure I'd know what that looks like. The bulk barn has loose leaf tea in those bulk bins! I'm tempted to try some. And yes coffee, they have natural hand made soaps too.
Ooh, bulk teas would be amazing. We have about 50lbs of natural hand made soap here. All set on that unless we can sell some, lol. Almond shells are kind of....shaped like a tear drop, light brown, resemble cork in texture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 3:30 pm
Vanilla eXee Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Vanilla eXee
That's pretty cool! The locally owned market down the street just installed bulk bins like that. They have nuts and stuff, and they might also add grains and coffee. If they do, it might be cool to make some chicken feed from the grains, although I don't know how much they'll cost. Have you given the girls almonds with the shell on? That was always a favorite for my rats, since it takes them a while to crack open the shell and gives them something to do.
Ps. I love sunflower seeds. The cost was very reasonable. Plus, when you buy in packages it's hard to find unsalted dry roasted anything. The almonds prob don't have a shell lol I've never seen an almond shell not sure I'd know what that looks like. The bulk barn has loose leaf tea in those bulk bins! I'm tempted to try some. And yes coffee, they have natural hand made soaps too.
Ooh, bulk teas would be amazing. We have about 50lbs of natural hand made soap here. All set on that unless we can sell some, lol. Almond shells are kind of....shaped like a tear drop, light brown, resemble cork in texture.maybe they are in the shell then. It's not hard though, I eat them as they come. And ya, I'm still eating the rats food lol
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gabrielle_AnimalLuver Crew
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
