Reddit reviews Nesom Distributing Envigo (Formerly Harlan) Teklad Adult Rat Food Diet Global 2014 (5lbs)

Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Home with Stand, Black Hammertone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QFMYWQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z3fTAbKVAZCK9
this only works for male rats and for like 3 month olds because they can slip through the bars otherwise. i put carpets and blankets in them- but I wash the carpets and blankets every week! I cut up a plastic drain pipe and put it throughout the cage but wash all those every week. they can be litter trained for pooping but peeing is what it is. They constantly clean themselves so they themselves smell pleasant but if you don’t clean the cage once a week it’ll smell like pee. otherwise they really don’t smell just clean once a week at least. the blankets and hammocks and carpets are way cheaper than the actual bedding in the long run and you can only use particular bedding with rats anyways. get only same sex pairs. girls are always in heat and are hyper while males sleep all day and are more cuddly.
Envigo (Formerly Harlan) Teklad ADULT Rat Food Diet Global 2014 (5lbs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DEDT8?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
I feed them this but there are fruits and veggies they should eat for snacks, as well as oysters and eggs for protein. the rat food with like seeds and corn in it is for treats not main food, those blocks are good for main food.

When feeding a mix, I think it's better to portion out their food (only what they can eat over the course of a 12-24 hour period) rather than feed them ad libitum (free-feed). If they have a constantly full bowl, they'll only eat the bits they like and leave the rest. This doesn't provide them with all of the nutrients the mix has to offer.

Not all mixes are good, though. If you're in the States, I don't know of any store-bought mixes that I would recommend. They often contain things like alfalfa pellets that rats don't like.

If you're in the US, most people recommend Oxbow, Harlan Teklad, or Mazuri. All of these brands have different formulas for young rats and adults.

Oxbow is a REALLY good rat food, just make sure you get the adult food, not the young rat food (full of corn). Another thing you can get from Amazon is Harlan Teklad lab blocks, which make an excellent base meal. I buy a huge bag of it and put most of it in the freezer, where it will last basically forever. My rats eat mostly Oxbow and get a Harlan Teklad lab block apiece, every day, and in the evenings I supplement with something more exiting--a pasta dish, fresh veggies, some cooked chicken with the bones still in, etc. ;) It's very hard to build a rat diet from the ground up, so I definitely recommend getting a good commercial rat food and/or lab block to make sure your boys are getting all the nutrients they need!

Be careful not to go overboard with the protein with your boys. Too much can cause a buildup of buck grease, as well as lead to hairloss, itchiness, and scabs--uncomfortable AND unattractive. ;P Also, NEVER feed your boys citrus! it's fine for female rats, but can cause kidney failure in male rats. You should mix up the fruits, vegetables, etc. that you feed them, too, because too much of any one thing can really mess with them. For instance, dark leafy greens/broccoli/etc. are good in moderation, but can cause diarrhea if fed too often.