[Hawkula]

One of my friends from another forum just posted this on mouse mash, thought it was a good read

Personally, I don't use Mouse Mash anymore because, not to blow my own trumpet but I breed good quality mice with good quality fur because I have spent alot of time working on their mix diet and breeding (mainly breeding, haha =P J/K) so I have no reason for Mouse Mash but I used to use this recipe. I called it the "AshSmashMash Mouse Mash" - If you can say that outloud at normal speed then Kudos to you, aswell. Lol!
But back to the recipe, for a skin/coat conditioner mash I put in:
1 cup rolled oats - Ground - Bulk and binder of the mix.
1 tsp organic kelp powder
1 tsp powdered copper
1 tsp lactol powder
2 slices stale whole wheat bread - Crushed to powder form

If I am only feeding a few then I mix this altogether then stored it in a cereal container (the one with the flip up lid at the top - 23p from asda!) and pour out 3/4 of what I want the mix to make up then I put water until its tomato soup consistency and feed. However, as I have 100+ mice I usually put it into buckets, mix it up then go around with the bucket and use a measuring jug to put it into the tubs in bowls. If one of the mice is having alot of trouble with skin or coat condition I will ad a tsp of pure sunflower oil to the mix once it is made up.

Chealsea 1996 - Personally, I think that it is silly not to share your recipe. What will you gain from it? The mouse community is supposed to be a friendly place where breeders help breeders in producing and making the best "stock" they can. How about you stop playing childish games and share with other breeders you recipe. IMO a conditioner mash shouldn't be relyed on for skin and coat health - Thats up to the breeding.

Oh and by the way, he IS really opinionated and blunt, but he would help anybody in need.

 

[SarahY]

Good for him! LOL. That sounds tasty, I shall make some for Jenny and her babies, and therefore all the mice My animals get spoiled when one of them is nursing.

Sarah xxx

 

[John]

Excuse me............ but I'm a bit new to this mouse thing.

What on earth is powdered copper?? :shock:

And what exactly does it do?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

John

 

[Cait]

I just Googled it and apparently....

Signs & Symptoms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fatigue, paleness, skin sores, edema, slowed growth, hair loss, anorexia, diarrhea and dermatitis can be symptoms of copper insufficiency.

The reduced red blood cell function and shortened red cell life span found with copper deficiency can influence energy levels and cause weakness and labored respiration from decreased oxygen delivery. Low copper levels may also affect collagen formation and thus tissue health and healing. Reduced thyroid function, cardiovascular disease, increased cholesterol, uric acid and blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance, thrombosis, oxidative damage, skeletal defects related to bone demineralization and poor nerve conductivity (copper deficiency adversely affects electrocardiograms) - including irregular heart rhythms - can all result from copper depletion.

Copper deficiency results in several abnormalities of the immune system, such as a reduced cellular immune response, reduced activity of white blood cells and, possibly, reduced thymus hormone production, all of which may contribute to an increased infection rate. Infants fed an all-dairy (cow's milk) diet without copper supplements may develop copper deficiency.

Copper supplements are not needed in mice or in fact most humans if the diet is balanced and varied enough. From what I read briefly, copper deficiency is rare! I think it may have come from the fact that the Shunamite diet (a popular diet for pet rats) includes copper supplements.

 

[Angelmouse]

Excuse me............ but I'm a bit new to this mouse thing.

What on earth is powdered copper?? :shock:

And what exactly does it do?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

John

It is not a stupid question, I was wondering exactly the same thing