Growing greens for ratties?

[aidan724]

As we have such a zoo I took to the habit of growing greens, herbs and the like for the rabbits and birds. My question is that I can't find a really comprehensive list of herbs or things that you can grow for your rats. I may just be overlooking it and if so I would appreciate any help in finding it. At the moment I'm growing lemon balm, several kinds of mint, orange trees, lemon trees, apple trees, several different grasses, the left over bird seed, dandelions & carrot tops. I know that all these things are safe for the rabbits and birds but I'm not sure about the baby rats so I haven't given them any of the above. The lists that I've seen of safe foods haven't included much in the way of herbs. The birds and rabbits can also snack on the lemon tree wood and leaves but I know there is concern about the chemical in oranges with male rats and that is what we have. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

[Suebee]

I haven't tried anything other than wheatgrass, and they LOVE it!

[Moondust]

Digging boxes made with clean soil and cockatiel seed sprouts (or parakeet seed, too pretty much the same thing) make great fun toys and intros to veggies for most of the animals you have.  They're nutrituous and really fun for them and they are darn easy to grow within a week!  At one point I rotated several bowls of potting soil so they could get one a couple times a week ^_^.  Parakeets like pulling and destroying the sprouts and rats like digging and eating them. 

[aidan724]

Suebee and Moondust Thanks. We recently moved so I had to dump the digging boxes that I had set up for the rabbits. I did plan on starting that back up for them but I hadn't considered doing that for Powder and Snow.  It's always hilarious to see the buns white fur covered in dirt and see it flying so I can only imagine what the rattie boys will be like. I am still wondering that since there are so many things that the rabbits shouldn't eat that the ratties can if most of what I have would hurt. The lemon balm I'm almost positive wouldn't. Even the two legged kids like chewing on that. LOL I may hold off though until I can find a vet within resonable travel distance of here that is willing to see the boys so I can double check. Our boys seem so hard to convince to eat much of anything though and I think that it's probably due to the way they were raised.  All they ever had was hamster food or mother's milk.

[Kendra]

I found this list linked from the Forbidden Foods list, and thought it might be helpful. 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1804&articleid=1616

[aidan724]

Kendra thanks.  You have to love Drs. Foster and Smith. I unfortunately already had that list in the bunny folder along with a bun specific list. I had hoped that there would be more info specifically for growing for rats. It seemed so easy to find it for the birds, the buns and even the dogs.