Rodent blocks and where to get them?

[Blaci136]

I've heard of rodent/lab blocks, but I have never actually seen them. What are they and where is the best place to get them? 

[andy]

You should be able to get them at most pet shops. They are marketed as complete diets for rodents it depends on what brand you get though. I use them as part of my mixture I make myself. Other people could advise you on the best brand.

[gg]

Lab blocks are a good all in one meal or even to supplement current diet.

Lauke Mills, Gordons, Cummins & Norco are the better brands of lab block to use, along with Biomare, a horse feed.

Lauke Mills & Gordons are excellent brands, found in some produce stores and some petshops throughout NSW, but you'll have to hunt around or contact them directly.
Cummins is the best we have, but only available in Victoria i believe, some parts of SA also.

Norco brand are also a good quality and should be available from any Norco produce store.

[Blaci136]

Thanks Andy and gg, I live in Central West NSW and quality mouse food full stop is a hard thing to come by. The young fellow at the Produce Shop (they have a pet shop as well) who sold me Blaci tried to tell me that Guinea pig and rabbit food would be fine for mice (-_-). I'm using a seed/grain/pellet mix from Pet barn at the moment but it doesn't have the ingredients or nutrition information listed on the package. I was hoping to gradually introduce a good quality Lab block with a good Cockatiel seed mix.

Found a website that will sell Cummins Milling Mouse cubes and ship them interstate! One question about the Protein, is 20.61% to high for a pet shop mouse?

www.petandgarden.com.au/mcmanus-rodent-cubes-cummins-milling.-clone.html

[gg]

If you only use them to supplement the diet, it won't be bad so daily, give him 2-4 pellets & then a tablespoon of seed mix. Alternatively, i can give you a recipe for a mix that you can just make up as required.

[Blaci136]

That would be great GG, I'd love the recipe, thank you for being willing to share it .

[mousekateers]

I prefer my mice to have less than 12% protein. This is because it has been reported that when breeding, high protein levels will give you litters containing more males!

Through trial and error I have found that the lower the protein and higher the carbs the more girls I get.
If I offer more protein the ratio goes up in favour of males.

[gg]

But, I don't think this is for a breeding male, just as a pet diet. Even then, the protein content should be increased for breeding females, but decreased for breeding males.

You can make a simple, cheap & effective mouse mix all your own

Mixed bird seed (small bird/parrot, Canary, Cockatiel, Budgie to name some examples), a low salt & low sugar museli mix (SunSol is a good choice), rolled or whole oats, quinoa, buckwheat & I sometimes add in small amount of shredded coconut & dried seaweed sheets. Then once a week I add in some fresh fruit & veggies, plus a meat source (insects are a suitable alternative also). Mice should have at least 7 differnet seeds/grains in a mixed diet, plus a once a week intake of fresh plant product & animal-based protein.

[Blaci136]

Thank you gg! Thank you very much. Yep just a pet mouse, I don't know anywhere near enough to even think of starting to breed.