PDA

View Full Version : Dwarf hamster diet changes with age?


racinghamster
12-25-2006, 05:43 AM
I was wondering whether as a dwarf hamster (winter white specifically) needs a slight change in diet as it ages? My Scooby is a good eater and currently gets:

Harry Hamster mix and to this I also add the following:

Kallo organic puffed rice
Jumbo organic oats
Barley flakes
Broken up weetabix
Whole earth organic corn flakes
Some millet seed
Mealworms (just a few each day or every other day)
A few sunflower seeds and half a peanut!
A few pumpkin seeds

and occassionally, a few Hemp seeds as these have Omega 3 & 6 added.

I don`t know that all these added ingredients are so necessary, but I`m not overly impressed with just feeding harry hamster food alone as it`s just full of orange biscuits, alfalfa and corn! :roll: I use it mainly as a `base` mix but would`nt want to disclude it because I have no experience with mixing a food for hamsters without researching this. I base the above on what I feed my mice and gerbils along with their base mixes of Burgess Suparat and Gerri Gerbil mix.

I just wanted to know if a hamster reaches a certain age, is there anything from this list I should be ommiting or adding to? Scooby was around seven months of age when I rehomed him last August, so he`s now around ten months.

Any information welcomed! :)

souffle
12-25-2006, 07:42 AM
I think it will be a while before Scooby needs an OAP diet and his current diet sounds great. :lol: As they get older they sometimes need softer foods as they find chewing more effort and foods that support the immune system which becomes less efficient as they get older.

racinghamster
12-25-2006, 10:01 AM
Thanks Souffle. I like to make sure Scooby (and my two roborovski boys) get a good, healthy variety. They seem to thrive on it and this mix gives them a different variety and texture aswell as a varied amount of different healthy ingredients. I`m sure there are some other little things I could add aswell, but I don`t want to overdo it! :lol:

babyboos
12-28-2006, 02:22 PM
sounds a great diet to me (and I am sure to your little ones :wink: :oops: :P )

racinghamster
12-29-2006, 03:27 AM
I think I`ll mix some up for myself then! :lol: Thanks guys. x