# What should I be feeding?



## Emdier (Feb 26, 2012)

I have just gotten 2 mice and I must admit, I don't really know too much about the nutritional needs of mice so I figured this would be the first obstacle to tackle.

Right now, they are on a mix of what I had on hand, which is Oxbow Essentials Small Animal Mix
Ingredients
Timothy Meal, Pearled Barley (Rolled), Oat Groats, Linseed (Flax) Meal, Canola Meal, Wheat Gluten, Millet, Ground Flax Seed, Canola Oil, Limestone, Salt, Dried Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract

And a finch seed that we had that is a mix of Black Oil Sunflower Chips and Nyjer Seed.

I'm not quite sure where to start and I know their nutritional needs are different from the animals I usually care for (I rescue rabbits, as well as I have a chinchilla, a guinea pig, a dog and horses) and I'm looking for advice on how to round out their diet.

I've heard they can have things like dog food and cooked rice, can they have these? And what other little treats can I give?

I give dehydrated rosebuds to my chinchilla, can they have these?

They are older (The shelter said the previous owner had them for 3 years but I doubt that, but I DO think they are on the older side. They move very carefully and sleep a lot) so is there anything I should be supplementing with?


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Unlike rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs, mice don't eat nearly as much hay as that food indicates. They also don't need a whole lot of fat, like birds or hamsters, so the BOSS won't be as helpful. Dog food is usually used for adding protein to otherwise mostly-grain diets. Oats, wheat, barley, millet, that kind of thing is great and should be the bulk of the diet. Your food sounds okay, but I'm curious about the protein/fat percentages, and I can't find an Oxbow Essentials listed as "Small Animal". Rat food is usually fine, but rabbit and guinea pigs foods are heavy on the hay, while hamster foods are very fatty.


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## Emdier (Feb 26, 2012)

Here's the food analysis

Crude Protein (min) 17.00%
Crude Fat (min) 4.50%
Crude Fiber (min) 11.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 15.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.60%
Calcium (max) 1.00%
Phosphorus (min) 0.40%
Salt (min) 0.50%
Salt (max) 1.00%
Copper (min) 25 ppm
Vitamin A (min) 19,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

I'll be sure to go out and get them some of the things you listed. Do you mean millet as in the seed things you give birds?

Hmm, so do you think adding dog food would not be a good idea? If so, what kind of dog food would be better? Can they have any of the wet dog food?

Is there anything I should be adding as a "senior" feed?


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I wouldn't give wet dog food, but mostly because it's really messy and kinda salty. But, then, most dog food is kinda salty. I would definitely recommend adding a dog food, since you're at just 17% protein. Since they don't eat much dog food (maybe a pellet a day), you can buy nice dog food in small bags. I've got a bag of Diamond puppy chow that's not even got a dent in it after months, and I've got tons more mice than you are. While your mice aren't breeders, they're older, and it's going to be a little harder for them to keep in good condition. By millet I do mean the bird food, sold kinda expensively as sprays or also in bags of just the seeds. Your feed does have a lot of the good grains in it already, which is awesome. Really, it was just the high hay component that makes me dislike it. Some folks do feed a lot of hay, and if it's separate pellets in the mix, they probably just won't eat those bits as much. Timothy pellets make a not half bad bedding mix-in anyway, so that parts not really a big deal.

As far as treats, especially treats for older animals, it really depends on what you can get them to eat. Mealworms, scrambled egg, stale bread (with or without milk).


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## Emdier (Feb 26, 2012)

Alright, what are the top dog foods you would recommend? Or, at least, what should I look for in different brands of dog food?

I went out today and got some of pretty much everything for them. I got wheat, oats, barley and millet (I didn't know which to get so I got golden, red and yellow millet). Are there any other seeds or anything I should consider, or is that a good variety as far as that goes?

For mealworms, do they have to be alive or can you get those freeze-dried ones? I don't know any place that sells them only a few at a time and the last thing I would want is them developing into bugs...

For the bread, is there a certain type of bread that's better? Will any kind of milk do?


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Many of us use mixed wild bird seed, which has millet, sunflower and linseed as its main ingredients. As for the dog food, there are various things to consider including protein levels (if it's too high in protein it can exacerbate any kidney problems), ingredients (better quality foods have meat higher up in the list of ingredients and don't say 'meat derivatives') and cost (working dog food has no VAT in the UK and is therefore cheaper).


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I use Diamond, personally, but cost and availability varies a lot, so it really depends on what's near you, and what comes in a size that's reasonable for the number of mice you've got. As far as mealworms, there's nothing wrong with freeze-dried, and you don't have to worry about them getting away.  With bread, don't feed moldy stuff, and stale is better than fresh, but again it's not a big deal. Some folks find that their mice don't take well to cow's milk (lactose issues, like some humans), but others have no trouble. I drink raw cow or goat milk, so that's what my mice get. Not because I think it makes a huge difference for them, but because it's what I've got on hand. Even with the best show breeders in the world, there's huge variation in what they feed. Some folks feed lab block, others mix their own from scratch. Some feed without treats at all, others treat a lot and consider it an integral part of the diet. Again, because you're not breeding these, you're not putting as much strain on the individuals' nutrient levels, so you have a little more leeway. I applaud your efforts to do the very best by your pets, all the same!


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