# Best mix for mice



## Rosewood (Oct 7, 2010)

Currently, I seem to be stuck on what to feed my mice. I previously used a mouse mix from Pets at Home, which looked okay, but was quite expensive and my squeakies went through it far too quickly. I'm now having to switch back to the pet shops mix (which is a pathetic mix really) and cost me a pound for a rather small bag every few days.

So, lots of people make up their own mixes, which is far cheaper and lasts longer, correct?

But what are the best things to put in a mix, in what way do they help the mice and their condition, and what percentages should be used?

To find this out would be a big help for me, as I would like to get my mice on a decent, healthy mix. And I'm sure this would be helpful to other newbies like myself too


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I feed 40% rolled oats, 40% flaked barley, 20% parakeet mix (contains wheat, linseed, millet, red dari seeds which are all good for coat condition):










I buy a 20kg sack of rolled oats (£6.50), a 20kg sack of barley (£6.50) and 10kg of parakeet mix (£8.95) and it comes to a total cost of £22.45 (£0.45 per kilo) and will feed my mice for a couple of months.

Nursing and growing mice also get Pedigree Small Bite Mixer.

Sarah xxx


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

We all have different mixes i use 70% poultry mix, 20% wild bird seed without sunflower seeds, 10% pedigree small bite mixer thats 100% but I add a handfull of oats or groats.Bread, Mealworms Scrambled egg to pregnant does or nursing mothers its much more healthy than bought mouse food and like you say if you have alot of mice it does not last long.Dont just listen to me though there are some very good mouse mix recipes in the main feeding forum if you look through the posts but this feed works for me and no waste.You can get alot of these ingredients loose at pet stores or warehouses it is economically better too but the ingredients are natural , you cant always guarantee GM free wheat ,barley etc but I dont think it makes much difference to a mouse to be honest they will eat most things.There is also a great list on here of foods which are good and not good for mice have a read of that too


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I used to feed that exact diet, geordiesmice, until the suppliers changed the ingredients of the poultry mix. My mice always looked great on it!

Sarah xxx

(Edited to correct nonsense :lol


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

How did they change it SarahY?Rosewood my nextdoor neighbours house is called that , I feed my mice in the morning as soon as i get up then again about 8pm.A cup full will feed four mice a large fancy mouse will eat about 8g of food a smaller pet mouse 5g of course if a Doe is pregnant or nursing she will needmore protein.


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## Rosewood (Oct 7, 2010)

Thanks you two.

Where would be the best place to get these from or should I be able to find them pretty much anywhere?


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

> How did they change it SarahY?


Instead of the ingredients list reading "wheat, barley, maize" it read "golden biscuit, barley, maize". What the hell is golden biscuit? I decided not to risk it :?



> Where would be the best place to get these from or should I be able to find them pretty much anywhere?


Most pet shops, farm feed suppliers, horse feed suppliers, places like that  If you're having trouble finding them or don't drive you can order online here: http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/

Sarah xxx


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

I thought golden biscuit was dog biscuits Sarah,I wouldnt buy it either.Rosewood at least you know what your putting in the feed if you mix it yourself and its fun to do, I have to wear gloves as I suffer from keens with years of gardening.The Aniseed in the wild bird seed im told gives a nice sheen to your mouses coat.


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## Rosewood (Oct 7, 2010)

I have picked up everything I could grab from your list today Sarah. 20kg of rolled oats, 31g (biggest they had) of parakeet mix, I've ordered 20kg flaked barley and I've also got pedigree small bite mixer. So it looks very similar to yours, minus the barley at present. That will be here next week. I didn't realise how big the bag of rolled oats was, so I'm so glad I had a friend with me getting in in that car!

Thanks for you help, both of you! The mix will last ages and is certainly much better for them than that terrible pet shop mix!


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## pipsqueak (Feb 25, 2011)

silly question, where is the best place to get flaked barley from? oats i can get along with the parakeet mix, just struggling on flaked barley....


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## Rosewood (Oct 7, 2010)

I found mine in a horse and gardening shop, but I had to order it in.


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## Forevermice (Mar 1, 2011)

Not sure if it called the same where you live but I
have a bulk barn in Canada it offers many ingredrients and snack food drink mixes dog food, hamster mixes and bird seeds.... I think I saw flake barly there....


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Mine get whole grains; oats, wheat, barley, millet, as 80 to 90% of their daily feeding, a few safflower seeds for shiny coats, a lump of puppy chow every other day, and assorted addtitions that vary wildly from night to night. those include bits of dried 
bread, dried banana, greens, yam, potato, cooked rice, cooked chicken or tuna, dry cereal, squash seeds....pretty much anything we'd have at the dinner table that's good for meeces.

Breeding and nursing mousies also get soy based infant formula, kibble and dried bread every day, and cooked egg yolk every other day.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

I have not seen faked Barley for sale but you can buy neat bags of barley , flaked barley is used in the brewing trade.


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