Personal Food Mix
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Personal Food Mix
Looking to avoid buying pet store mix food for multiple reasons(chubby mice, pet store being farther than I'd like, cost vs quality). It would be nice to be able to buy all of their food when I go out shopping for myself and not have to worry about the quality of the ingredients etc...
I switched from a seed heavy brand to a brand heavier on grains, but they don't seem to like it as much, and the bag is starting to get thin, so I figured now would be a good time to think about making my own mix.
Any input on this mix?
2.0 lbs rolled oats
2.0 lbs whole wheat dry pasta
1.5 lbs wheat berries
1.5 lbs barley
1.0 lbs millet
0.5 lbs split peas
0.5 lbs brown rice
0.5 lbs lentils
0.5 lbs misc seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax)
I switched from a seed heavy brand to a brand heavier on grains, but they don't seem to like it as much, and the bag is starting to get thin, so I figured now would be a good time to think about making my own mix.
Any input on this mix?
2.0 lbs rolled oats
2.0 lbs whole wheat dry pasta
1.5 lbs wheat berries
1.5 lbs barley
1.0 lbs millet
0.5 lbs split peas
0.5 lbs brown rice
0.5 lbs lentils
0.5 lbs misc seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax)
La La Lola- Pinky
- Posts : 26
Join date : 2012-10-15
Age : 110
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Personal Food Mix
I personally would up the volume of the oats by comparison to the other ingredients. Oats are about 40% of the total volume of my mix, and I also use wheat as 20%, barley as 20%, millet as 10%, oily seeds as 5%, and puppy kibble as 5%.
In your mix, there is no salt. That became an issue with my mix when I wasn't including any puppy kibble for the non-breeding adults, and only giving it to the pups and breeding adults. The puppy kibble also provides some other vitamins and minerals (in addition to being a major protein source that's more vital for breeding animals). Your whole wheat dry pasta is probably enriched, and so can provide that as well, though without the salt and protein.
But with that much pasta and that much wheat berry, you're looking at a very wheat-heavy diet, as opposed to the oat-heavy diet most folks use.
The split peas, being dry uncooked peas, may have what are called anti-nutrients. Basically, that just means they won't get as much nutrition out of the mix that they eat at the same time as the peas. I'm not sure but I suspect that lentils are the same way.
Does all that make sense? Is any of that crazy?
In your mix, there is no salt. That became an issue with my mix when I wasn't including any puppy kibble for the non-breeding adults, and only giving it to the pups and breeding adults. The puppy kibble also provides some other vitamins and minerals (in addition to being a major protein source that's more vital for breeding animals). Your whole wheat dry pasta is probably enriched, and so can provide that as well, though without the salt and protein.
But with that much pasta and that much wheat berry, you're looking at a very wheat-heavy diet, as opposed to the oat-heavy diet most folks use.
The split peas, being dry uncooked peas, may have what are called anti-nutrients. Basically, that just means they won't get as much nutrition out of the mix that they eat at the same time as the peas. I'm not sure but I suspect that lentils are the same way.
Does all that make sense? Is any of that crazy?
Laigaie- Hopper
- Posts : 383
Join date : 2012-04-08
Age : 36
Location : Fayetteville, AR
Re: Personal Food Mix
Hmm. So you're saying 80% grains? I was thinking I should up the amount of rolled oats, I'll do that. Didn't think which kind of grains mattered that much, aside from different protein/fat contents. I make my own pasta, so all it would be is whole wheat flour and eggs, I suppose with that and the wheat berries, it would be a lot of the same thing. Didn't think I should have any salt in the mix, since they're so small, it's easy to go overboard on it, and they get salt from the table scraps they get (veggies, rice, cooked pasta, bread).
I wasn't sure about the split peas/lentils. Was curious what others had to say on that more than anything else. Guess I can just keep those as treats, cooked?
You're suggesting closer to this?
4.0 lbs rolled oats
2.0 lbs barley
1.0 lbs whole wheat dry pasta
1.0 lbs wheat berries
1.0 lbs millet
0.5 lbs brown rice
0.5 lbs misc seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax)
I wasn't sure about the split peas/lentils. Was curious what others had to say on that more than anything else. Guess I can just keep those as treats, cooked?
You're suggesting closer to this?
4.0 lbs rolled oats
2.0 lbs barley
1.0 lbs whole wheat dry pasta
1.0 lbs wheat berries
1.0 lbs millet
0.5 lbs brown rice
0.5 lbs misc seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax)
La La Lola- Pinky
- Posts : 26
Join date : 2012-10-15
Age : 110
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
Re: Personal Food Mix
If they're getting tablescraps that have salt in it, you're fine. As it stands, you don't have a significant protein source, but again, if you're not breeding,t hat should be fine. Cooked eggs work well in a pinch when someone's not feeling well or getting thin.
And those proportions do look better to me, personally. I assumed the whole wheat flour you used would be the normal "enriched whole wheat flour" that I see in stores, but I suppose there's also access to plain whole wheat flour. If it's the enriched kind with iron and whatnot, I'd call that a plus. Since mice do easily overboard on salts and minerals, they can't easily do a mineral lick, but they need to get them somehow.
And those proportions do look better to me, personally. I assumed the whole wheat flour you used would be the normal "enriched whole wheat flour" that I see in stores, but I suppose there's also access to plain whole wheat flour. If it's the enriched kind with iron and whatnot, I'd call that a plus. Since mice do easily overboard on salts and minerals, they can't easily do a mineral lick, but they need to get them somehow.
Laigaie- Hopper
- Posts : 383
Join date : 2012-04-08
Age : 36
Location : Fayetteville, AR
Re: Personal Food Mix
Well they were getting a little round on the store mix, trying to thin them out a bit actually. There are eggs in the pasta, that should help with the protein right? I guess it wouldn't be much, only two-ish eggs in the 10 pound mix of food.
La La Lola- Pinky
- Posts : 26
Join date : 2012-10-15
Age : 110
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
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