# what food mix?



## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

we have Lab blocks here and My mice will be fed those but I would also Like to mix up a simple nutritious homemade food for themm for variety

Also what commercial Mouse Seed mixes are worth buying? So I can choose between the two

keep finding this recipe also on RMCA website

*1 part by volume cooked wholegrain rice (you can cook large batches & freeze
it for convenience)
*2 parts crushed barley or oats, or a mixture (or porridge oats)
*1/2 part millet or cockatiel seed (spray millet is just the same as the millet you buy in packets)
*1/2 part molasses - packed full of vitamins, and sweet too, so it binds the food together, and mice like it.

And i found this one

1/2 to 1 lb. dry rolled oats 
1) 5.3 oz. box puffed wheat cereal 
(1) 6.4 oz. box puffed rice cereal 
1 12 oz. box Total Cereal 
1/4 to 1/2 lb. roasted, unsalted soy nuts 
1/2 lb dried fruits 
1/2 lb dry pasta 
2/3 cup sunflower seeds

On Afrma 
Make Your Own Mouse Seed/Treat Mix
1 part whole oats or oat groats
½ part high-quality dog food
½ part wild bird seed
1⁄8 to ¼ part whole unsalted raw sunflower seeds

additional things that can be added:
½ part whole wheat (heating food good for winter)
½ part cracked corn (rich food, use in winter)
½ part whole raw brown rice
½ part buckwheat
¼ part whole barley
small bit of linseed to add shine to coat 10 days before a show
dried whole wheat/super seeded healthy bread
high-quality dog biscuits (my mice love the Old Mother Hubbard Just Vegg'n dog biscuits)


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Your grains and seeds sound fine, but just a warning on cooking and storing/freezing rice. Cooked rice should be eaten within a few hours and never reheated. I would`nt risk even thawing out cooked rice because it can harbour bacteria. You would be far better looking for a low sugar PUFFED rice cereal.  It`s safer.

It`s also debatable about feeding rice raw as some sources say it`s fine, some say not. It`s better to feed puffed wholegrain rice from a human store or healthfood store. Wholegrains are the healthiest.


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## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

could i do the last recipe?

Or the first but replace rice with dog food or something?


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Rice is a carbohydrate not a protein. So dog kibble (depending on what brand you use) will be quite high in protein. If your just feeding your mice a maintenance diet (and not a breeding diet) then you don`t need protein higher than 14-16% overall. Dog kibbles can also be high in fat/oil, so check the one you use is around 4-5% fat/oil and not higher.

Mice are primarily seed and grain eaters, so wheat, oats, barley and rice are good. Soya not so much although it is a vegetable source of protein, it`s been said that soya can cause cancer in mice. I avoid soya and corn/maize for these reasons.

If your mixing your own diet by adding all these ingredients seperately, it might not be balanced as a commercially available mix might be, but saying that, many of us start with a `base` mix like a RAT mix or a RABBIT mix and then add other grains and seeds to this and sometimes the dog kibble in smaller amounts. Don`t go overboard with the protein unless your breeding mice.


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## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

so I should Just get a commercial mix? What brands are recommended? I dont like the look of that browns stuff that was recommended to me


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## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

they are getting Mazuri pellets so its a good quality ... I just want a nice supliment for variety ... i can either mix a small batch of simple ingredients or buy a commercial mix ... If i already said that i'm sorry I havent been to bed yet


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## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

Along with the Mazuri pellets I would Like to use this mix
1 part whole oats or oat groats
½ part high-quality dog food
½ part wild bird seed
1⁄8 to ¼ part whole unsalted raw sunflower seeds
½ part whole raw brown rice
Would that be ok?


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

I would skip the sunflower seeds in the actual mix and just feed a few of those as treats now and then. I`ve already mentioned the pitfalls of raw and cooked rice, so try and get puffed rice instead (low in sugar variety). Otherwise, those all sound fine. Mazuri are pellets or lab blocks right? These will already be balanced in terms of diet, so adding all the other grains might put them off eating the pellets. If you feed lab blocks or pelleted food, you should`nt need to add anything as these are already nutritionally balanced, although bland in my opinion for pet mice. Mice prefer variety and there is no hard and fast rule really. Using a `base` commercial rat mix would be good but I don`t know which rat mixes are available over there to choose from. :?:


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## elliriyanna (Feb 2, 2011)

http://www.petsmart.com/family/index.js ... CRat&fbx=0

I'm thinking reggie rat looks the best Unless there is something else on the page you'd suggest

I know they'll have a balanced diet with mazuri pellets but I dont want their food to be boring I believe in using a seed mix and a pellet I usally give enough seed for them to have variety but still eat the pellets.


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