ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 16, 2011 15:03:25 GMT
Basically we already have two rats and I was looking at their food, to see if we could feed them the same things. We mix in 'Rodents Garnish' with their nuggets and after reading lots on here I think it's ok....but in case I missed anything could someone please tell me if there's anything that's bad, thanks!
Flaked Peas Flaked Corn Sunflower Seeds Corn Balls (corn derivatives, cereals) Green Corn Rings (corn alfalfa) Red Corn Rings (corn, minerals) Extruded Meat and Cereal Pieces (meat and animal derivatives, cereals) Coconut Oat Edges (oats, derivatives of vegetable origin) Flaked Carrot Carob Shrimp
Moisture 14%, Protein 16.6%, Oils and Fats 9.3%, Fibre 11.4%, Ash 3.9%
Obviously it would be fed in small quantities if it is ok.
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Post by nickymills30 on Feb 16, 2011 15:53:31 GMT
i wouldn't feed my goo;s rat food. Rat food is manufactured for rats. I;m not 100% about a lot of whats in it, but goos, as far as i know, don't eat meat. If i was in your shoes, i;d just buy degu nuggets, they get everything they need, and you won't get selective eating xx
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 16, 2011 16:02:56 GMT
Sorry, obviously didnt make myself clear, it's not nuggets it's like an extra to mix in with nuggets. We have seperate nuggets for the goos =)
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Post by nickymills30 on Feb 16, 2011 16:49:15 GMT
oh right, ok lol, but i still wouldn't mix any in with the nuggets, as you'll find they will eat the rat food and leave the nuggets, i;m only speaking from experience when i gave my guys a little chin food, my god, they didn't eat for a few days as they wouldn't eat their nuggets lol x
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 16, 2011 18:24:27 GMT
Im just trying to find stuff to use as a treat for getting him to trust me as he's really skittish at the moment. He likes oats but dont want to give him too many (and yes I only have one but picking up a friend for him friday!) I've seen some people use celery but neither me nor my husband eat it so it'd end up going to waste. Currently trying to find brazil nuts or something in the shell for him to gnaw on.
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Post by degus123 on Feb 16, 2011 18:37:05 GMT
i give my pair monkey nuts and dried pasta as treats
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Post by Bexi87 on Feb 16, 2011 19:56:39 GMT
I use puffed rice, plain cornflakes and monkey nuts as treats for mine. I've found that porrodge oats are fantastic to use for handtraining
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Post by nickymills30 on Feb 16, 2011 20:31:00 GMT
and don't forget the shreddies lol xx
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 16, 2011 20:36:39 GMT
Only pasta we have is free from, pretty sure they could eat it but it's expensive! They'll have their on food cupboard at this rate!
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Post by nickymills30 on Feb 16, 2011 20:42:05 GMT
oh yes, mine have 2 large draws with their treats and food in, my husband has said, he is coming back as either one of my goo's or chins lol xx
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 16, 2011 21:16:58 GMT
See the rats probably have a drawers worth but it's food we eat too so it's less noticable! They're getting lazy though so think we'll be eliminating treats till they become slightly more 'streamlined'! Rice crispies I have lots of to make treats for me! We were sold rabbit nuggets as food and this is what he's been raised on, anyone know if this is really bad or ok until we restock and get degu food??
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 17, 2011 0:49:32 GMT
Cuter than the *innocent* face he pulled at me earlier when I caught him trying to escape?! My own fault really, I took my eyes off him for 2 seconds =P
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Post by malteser60 on Feb 17, 2011 9:44:30 GMT
Sorry if i'm going to be a bit blunt here but there's a bit of mis-information. So, from the list, If you can remove the meat, coconut and shrimp the rest is fine. All together it's very high in protein (you're aiming for about 12% I believe) and and oils and fats. Celery is fine to give to degus but only in moderations as, as smux said, it's high in water content and can cause bloating. Carob is not chocolate. It is a tree that is part of the pea family, and has edible seed pods. It is the pods (bits of) that you will find in the mix. The carob tree is native to the mediterranean, back home in Malta they grow everywhere. However, you still have to limit the amount of carob you give the goos as it does have an elevated sugar level. In Malta we use the carob pod to make a syrup and sweeties from them, although the sweets don't have the high sugar content. It's like a low sugar alternative. Personally I would avoid peanut butter as it is very high in fat content, from the peanuts and the oil they put in. But I guess if it's only the tiniest bit of peanut butter I guess it's ok. Myself I have to err on the side of caution with my goos as one is diabetic and I'm going to assume her sister will be prone to it. Edit: Forgot to say, with the rat mix, when I said the rest is fine I also meant to say in moderation as sunflower seeds are high in fat, and carrot has an elevated sugar content. So it's more like a treat as such
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 17, 2011 14:07:25 GMT
It's all mixed together so im just going to not give any of it. The way I see it dust of what they cant eat is like me eating a slice of toast and I know what that does to me so im avoiding! Picking up his new cage and buddy tomorrow. Hopefully it wont take long for them to bond (im not even thinking about if they dont) as he looks lost and bored =(
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 17, 2011 15:56:29 GMT
Sorry to come to the discussion so late! I'm glad to hear that you will not be giving him/them the rat food. In looking through the ingredient list, I personally find that it is mostly unacceptable. Corn is not a food to give to degus, as it tends to be very high in sugar content, and a large portion of that mix is corn in one form or another. They should never be given meat or animal derivatives (including the shrimp). Considering that rats are omnivorous, that is probably a fairly basic food for them, but is quite unsuitable for degus.
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ruthy
Warbling Degu
Posts: 26
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Post by ruthy on Feb 17, 2011 18:16:59 GMT
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Post by degus123 on Feb 17, 2011 18:46:56 GMT
That's a good one for Degus, not used it myself but heard of many people that do/have.
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Post by degus123 on Feb 17, 2011 18:57:01 GMT
And the price is about right as well
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Post by nickymills30 on Feb 17, 2011 19:10:58 GMT
ask as many questions as you want, and you def won't pi** any one off, lol, the only thing i have against a mix like that, it, your goo's will selective eat. With nuggets, they will eat it all, so no waste, but if you use, something like the one, you've put a link to, you may find you throw some of it away xx
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Post by degus123 on Feb 17, 2011 19:52:04 GMT
I believe the OP is looking at something to mix with the nuggets.
But as Nicky has said, Degus are fussy so will pick the bits they like out of that mix and leave the rest. So it may be cheaper to use the nuggets (like you do anyway) and add suggested treats mentioned here, just be careful some are ok almost daily, others weekly, others monthly. Also make sure they have access 24/7 to timothy hay.
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