Good ways to serve bones?
Good ways to serve bones?
I'd like to give my rats some large chicken bones to gnaw on. I thought that it would last then a lot longer if I boiled the remaining meat/grizzle off the bones and then let them dry in the sun for a few days. However, now I am wary about bacteria, if that is a legitimate concern when it comes to bones. What's the healthiest way to give them to rats that alway ideally can stay in the cage for a while?
- cyber ratty
- Fancy Rats Team
- Posts: 6015
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 8:47 am
- Location: South Cambridgeshire
- Contact:
Re: Good ways to serve bones?
Chicken bones won't stay in the cage for very long with 5 hungry young girls - they will make them vanish completely.
You could put the whole meaty carcass left over from your roast dinner in, don't boil it, it'll be very good for them, and a few days later there'll be nothing to see, so there's no need to worry about bacteria having a chance to flourish. (y)

Re: Good ways to serve bones?
I've never had a problem just chucking bones in and leaving the rats to it. The bits most likely to go off are also the tastiest – meat, other soft tissues, marrow – and so they'll be the bits that get eaten first. The only bits that my rats leave are the outer layer of pork rib bones: they like to split ribs in half lengthways and hollow out the middle, leaving the outer shell which is both very hard going and also doesn't really go off. So I wouldn't worry. Maybe rinse off any sugary or spicy sauces, but that's all the prep you need to do. Rats do eat their own poo after all!
Poo-shoveller to: Calyn, Din, and Zephyr Mick Jagger (Edgeworth).
Fondly remembering: Zephyr Donovan (Phoenix) the big dope, Xeltan, Lita (NLA32), Lia (NLA28), Zephyr Delanynder (NLA28), Falere (NLA36), Mirala (NLA36), Zephyr Opold, and Rila.
Fondly remembering: Zephyr Donovan (Phoenix) the big dope, Xeltan, Lita (NLA32), Lia (NLA28), Zephyr Delanynder (NLA28), Falere (NLA36), Mirala (NLA36), Zephyr Opold, and Rila.
Re: Good ways to serve bones?
I echo what the others have said, if you bung in a chicken carcass without any prep then it won't last long 

Slave to: Hero, Inch, Arthur, Sullivan, Woody, Hercules, Yorke, Jefferson & Valentine; Mavis, Bliss, Florence, Venus, Harriet, Summer & Grace.
Bramble's Fund- raising funds to help UK rat rescues
Tales Of A Fatigued, Wobbly Hippo- being open about living with chronic illness
Bramble's Fund- raising funds to help UK rat rescues
Tales Of A Fatigued, Wobbly Hippo- being open about living with chronic illness
- acapae_wolf
- Posts: 13916
- Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:00 pm
- Location: North Yorks
- Contact:
Re: Good ways to serve bones?
This part especially for bones in general that aren't fowl. I have left bones like this in the cage for weeks if not months. They're very slowly nibbled, but there's nothing to go off so it's fine. Just a more natural chew toy.[cub] wrote:The bits most likely to go off are also the tastiest – meat, other soft tissues, marrow – and so they'll be the bits that get eaten first. The only bits that my rats leave are the outer layer of pork rib bones: they like to split ribs in half lengthways and hollow out the middle, leaving the outer shell which is both very hard going and also doesn't really go off
Beri with all at Dandelion Soup
1 cat, 50-70 mice, 2x guinea pigs, 2x gerbils, 2x Syrian hamsters, 2x Russian hybrids looking for new homes
1 cat, 50-70 mice, 2x guinea pigs, 2x gerbils, 2x Syrian hamsters, 2x Russian hybrids looking for new homes

Re: Good ways to serve bones?
I literally just chuck bones in 

Amy and the Cupcake Rats
Breeding for Topaz/Agouti rex, Mink/Chocolate and Black/Russian dumbo.
Facebook
Breeding for Topaz/Agouti rex, Mink/Chocolate and Black/Russian dumbo.