# Commercial Mix Ingredients



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Hey all,

I've been doing a lot of research later on mouse/rat diets and just thought I'd post the ingredients list for some major brands. There are a couple of American ones in the list because we have a few members from over the pond. Basically, I've found that it's helpful to know what's in commercial rat and mouse food for making my own mix.

At the bottom are two brands of GM-free pig and goat food that have very similar ingredients indeed, a lot of it is of a much better quality and it comes in big big bags! I've fed this pig food for just over four months (pig food for supper and plain rolled oats for breakfast every day) and the mice look in great condition and they love it, but I'm just about to give the goat food a try for a few months as it's oat based rather than wheat based, some mice can be wheat intolerant.

I will start another another thread giving a description of what the ingredients do in the body.

Anyway, hope someone finds this useful:

SUPREME REGGIE RAT
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein - 12.5% Fat - 3.0% Fiber - 6.0% Fibre - 8.0% Calcium - 0.3% Phosphorus - 0.3%

First 12 Ingredients
Ground wheat, toasted wheat, corn, flaked corn, whole oats, dehydrated alfalfa pellets, flaked field peas, flaked beans, dehulled soybean meal, straw pellets, oat middlings, soybean oil.

BURGESS SUPA RAT EXCEL
Nutritional Information
Protein 16.5% Oil & Fats 7% Ash 4% Fibre 3.5% Vitamin A 11,000iu/kg Vitamin D3 1,500iu/kg Vitamin E * 120mg/kg Vitamin C 60mg/kg Copper ** 24mg/kg

Ingredients
Cereals, Vegetables, Derivatives of vegetable origin, Meat and animal derivatives, Oils and fats, Minerals, Fructo-oligosaccharides (Profeed® min 0.3%), Methionine.

OXBOW REGAL RAT FOOD
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 14% Fat 4% Fibre 7.5% Calcium 1.2%

Ingredients: 
Whole Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Wheat Bran, Wheat, Soybean Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Soybean Hulls, Monocalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed Meal, Linseed, Brewer's Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Wheat Germ Meal, Salt, Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (Tocopherol), Vitamin C Supplement (Ascorbic Acid), Colloidal Silica, Riboflavin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Mineral Oil, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride, and Natural Flavorings.

SUNTHING SPECIAL CRITTER CUBES
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 22% Fat 6% Fibre 6% Moisture 16%

Ingredients: 
Ground Yellow Corn, Soybean Meal, Ground Wheat, Fish Meal, Wheat Middlings, Animal Fat Preserved with BHA, Cane Molasses, Ground Oats, Brewer's Dried Yeast, Wheat Germ Meal, Meat Meal, Ground Beet Pulp, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Whey, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Cyanocobalamin (source of Vitamin B12), DL-Methionine, Calcium Pantothenate, Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K), Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamin, Nicotinic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Cholecalciferol (source of Vitamin D3), DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (source of Vitamin E), Calcium Propionate (a preservative), Calcium Iodate, Ferrous Carbonate, Manganous Oxide, Cobalt Carbonate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Oxide.

JR FARM RAT FOOD
Analysis:
protein 15,1%, oil 6,0%, fibre 7,0%, ash 5,5%.

Ingredients: 
rodent pellets, grain extrusions, vitamin pellets, meat extrusions, wheat, corn, oat, corn flakes, pea flakes, broad bean flakes.

PETS AT HOME RAT MUESLI
Typical Analysis:
Moisture 12%, Protein 14%, Oils and Fats 4%, Fibre 5%, Ash 4%

Ingredients:
Extruded Biscuits, Sugar Beet Pellets, Egg, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Toasted Barley Flakes, Toasted Oat Flakes, Whole Oats and Wheat, Toasted Bean Flakes, Whole Maize and Toasted Maize Flakes, Carob Pods .

NIH #31M Laboratory Rodent Diet 
Analysis: 
Crude protein minimum 18.0%, Crude fat minimum 5.3%, Crude fiber maximum 4.5%, Ash maximum 8.0%

Ingredients: 
Ground whole wheat 35.17%, Ground whole yellow corn 20.00%, Ground whole oats 10%, Wheat middlings 10%, Fish meal (60% protein) 9.00%, Soybean meal (47.5% protein) 5%, Soy bean oil (no additives) 2.5%, Alfalfa meal (17% protein) 2%, Corn gluten meal (60% protein) 2%, Dicalcium phosphate 1.5%, Brewer's dried yeast 1%, Ground limestone 0.5%, Salt 0.5%, NIH #31 vitamin premix 0.25%, NIH #31 mineral premix 0.25%, Choline chloride 0.13%, L-lysine 0.10 %, L-methionine 0.10%.

BOCM Pauls Farmgate Sow & Weaner Nuts
Protein 16%

Ingredients: 40-25% wheat, 25-10% wheatfeed, 10-0% low glucorape, bakery by-product, barley, sunflower ext, rape seed etx, palm kernel exp, soya bean ext, molasses, calcium carbonate, vits/mins, salt, lysine.

FANCY FEED DRY GOAT MIX
Typical Analysis:
Protein 14%, Oil 3,25%, Fibre 7.5%, Ash 7.5%

Ingredients:
Bruised Oats, Micronised Barley, Hipro Soya, Micronised Maize, Wheatfeed, Micronised Peas, Linseed Lozenges, Locust Beans, Grassmeal, Soya Hulls, Beet Pulp, Oatfeed, Limestone, Dicalcium Phosphate, Vitamins and Minerals, Salt, Soya Oil, Sel-Plex, Molasses.

Sarah xxx


----------



## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Any idea roughly how much the goat feed costs? I feed bruised oats and micronised barley as my two main ingredients already, along with bird seed and various dog foods, so it would be interesting if I could get this in one bag already mixed and good quality.


----------



## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

After a quick Google the cheapest of three places was £8.60. I pay a few pounds less than this for the straights so I guess I'll stick to them. Oh well!


----------



## Mari (Jul 21, 2009)

Thanks for this info, Sarah, as I am about to reinvent my mix again, too. I have been using the unmedicated hog feed with bird seed and dog food. I think I am going to switch to a horse feed that is a little bit more expensive, but better ingredients. So I will be feeding horse feed, rolled oats, wild bird seed, and dry dog food. Just a revamped version of what I have been using. Let us know how the goat food works, Sarah!


----------



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Just a little update: The Fancy Feed Dry Goat Mix listed above is crap. The mice aren't in as good a condition as they were on the BOCM Pauls Farmgate Sow & Weaner Nuts and I won't be buying it again!

Sarah xxx


----------



## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Thanks for letting us know Sarah. I have changed brands of oats and barley recently due to changing supplier. I can therefore report that Dodson & Horrell bruised oats are as good as Bailey's Best British Oats and slightly cheaper. The D&H flaked barley is better quality than the Heygates stuff we could get before and is also slightly cheaper per kilo. D&H oats are £6.35 for 20kg and the barley £6.10 for 18kg.


----------



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

> I can therefore report that Dodson & Horrell bruised oats are as good as Bailey's Best British Oats and slightly cheaper.


That's great to know - I can only get Bailey's online and Dodson & Horrell products are sold just over the road from me!

Sarah xxx


----------



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Just adding a little update to the original post. Recently, BOCM Pauls changed the ingredients of their Farmgate sow and weaner nuts - it now includes 40% to 100% barley. I am disgusted. I previously got on really well feeding that (along with bruised oats) to my mice; they loved it and were always in great condition. Obviously a 20kg bag lasts a long time in my little stud so I have had to change the diet AGAIN, after I found something I was really happy with, because I can't risk picking up a bag that happens to be 100% barley. I have incorporated it into the new mix as barley is good for them, so at least the 40kg I bought won't be wasted!

My new mix is 50% horse and pony cubes (mostly wheat and oats), 25% Farmgate sow and Weaner nuts (mostly barley), and 25% dried cat food (cereals and meat) to make up the protein levels missing from the horse and pony cubes. The mix has a protein level of 16%, which is the same as the sow and weaner nuts alone. It works out now at about £22 for 50kg. With the sow and weaner nuts alone and bruised oats it was working out at about £18 per 50kg, so not much difference in price there. I'll let you know how it works out. The mice really like it anyway, they are gobbling it up 

Sarah xxx


----------



## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

I may have to find some of that farmgate stuff... I can't find straight barley for a decent price anywhere! Its the only thing really missing from my mix.

W xx


----------



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

That Oxbow Regal Rat Mix sounds awesome!

And it's corn free!


----------



## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Is Oxbow available from any UK suppliers Sarah?

Cos I ain paying for postage from the US! 

W xx


----------



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I've just had look on the "find suppliers" bit of their website and, sadly, it seems to be in America only.

Sarah xxx


----------



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Also Katie, if you want to buy Farmgate Sow and Weaner nuts you can buy it online here:

http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/BOCMPIGDIETS/pid2173/cid670/BOCMFARMGATESOW2623383BWEANERNUTS20KG.asp

The delivery costs as much as the bag does but it does last for ages. It's still good stuff, it's just not a complete diet any more.

Sarah xxx


----------



## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks Sarah! I'll buy a bag of that next time i get paid.

I don't need it to be a complete diet, I just need barley in my mix! lol I have a complete diet rabbit food I use for the first two days after cleaning out, I add some cat kibble to it to up the protein. Then I feed that plus my seed mix.

On a side note, the cat kibble i have started to use i amazingly good for protein (32%), its expensive, but i don't have to use quite so much, so it works out really.

W xx


----------

