Ecotrtion,Kaytee, wha?!

[SnickersTheFirst]

I've only ever heard good things about Hazel Hamster so it's a shame you guys didn't like it.

I can't recommend anything really as I'm in the UK and use Harry Hamster.

[Christmas_hamster]

For diabetes-prone species Hazel Hamster is your bets bet.

Other good brands include Care Fresh's Complete food, Maxuri and Oxbow.

[MzWiz0915]

Hazel hamster and Harry hamster are not equivilant products!

Hazel is not as high quality as Harry

[Hamtastic]

Reason I recommend Ecotrition Organic is that it pretty much has no offensive ingredients compared to many others and a decent base level of protein.


Here's an sample ingredient list for common Kaytee foods:

Forti-Diet Hamster/Gerbil seed mix (only 12% protein)

Ingredients:

White Millet, Corn, Milo, Sunflower, Oat Groats, Toasted Corn Flakes, Sun-cured Alfalfa Meal, Wheat, Toasted Wheat Flakes, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Corn, Canadian Field Peas, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Cane Molasses, Salt, Vegetable Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Artificial Color.

Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse/Rat/Hamster lab blocks :

Ingredients:

Ground Yellow Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Wheat, Ground Oats, Ground Peanuts, Sun-cured Alfalfa Meal, Ground Flax Seed, Dried Cane Molasses, Lignin Sulfonate, Corn Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Ground Rice, Salt, Soy Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Beet Pulp, Whole Cell Algae Meal (source of Omega-3 DHA), Fructooligosaccharide, DL-Methionine, Yeast Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Lysine, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Copper Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Natural Flavoring(?). Allergen information: Contains peanuts and/or other tree nuts.

Forti-Diet Pro Health seed mix: (only 13% protein)

Ingredients:

Corn, Wheat, Milo, Sunflower, Millet, Oat Groats, Sun-cured Alfalfa Meal, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Corn, Toasted Corn Flakes, Shelled Peanuts, Toasted Wheat Flakes, Ground Flax Seed, Canadian Field Peas, Green Split Peas, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Ground Rice, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Cane Molasses, Salt, Soy Oil, Algae Meal (source of Omega-3 DHA), Fructooligosaccharide, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Yeast Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Artificial Color. A

llergen information: Contains peanuts and/or other tree nuts.

[Hamtastic]

U.S. version of Hazel Hamster :

Ingredients:

Flaked whole wheat, ground whole wheat, pelleted soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa pellets, whole corn, flaked peas, flaked whole corn, sunflower seeds, flaked soybeans, peanut kernels, kibbled locust beans, soybean oil (preserved with BHT), peanuts in shell, pumpkin seeds, wheat middlings, salt, calcium carbonate, sodium sulfate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin b6], vitamin a supplement, riboflavin [vitamin b2], thiamine hydrochloride [vitamin b1], folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin d3 supplement), minerals (zinc oxide, manganese oxide, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite), added fd&c colors (yellow 6, yellow 5, blue 1).

None of my hamsters like HH, except the smallest seeds and sunflower/pumpkin seeds / peanuts : (

[Hamtastic]

Sorry for multiple posts--trying to keep everything neat. I was recommended by a hamster shelter owner to look into Harlan-Teklad lab blocks. They have an inoffensive selection for hamsters without BHT and added sugars. I still use LabDiet RMH3000, though it contains BHT which I do worry about, but Harlan Teklad (such as Formula #2018 ) is on my list of things to try soon.

Teklad Lab Animal Diets

Here's a good site to get it from:
http://www.thecraftyrat.com/
The Crafty Rat

[ZuZu]

wow all those have heka amounts of corn, hmm... guess ecotrition is my best bet, everyone seems to dislike Hazel Hamster. maybe I am ignorant but I don't find Hazel Hamster in stores here.

[Hamtastic]

It used to be sold at both PetCo and PetSmart, but I think PetCo discontinued it. PetSmart should still sell it.

Hazel Hamster is a fine food, just that there are better in the U.S., and if you feed dwarfs, you'll be picking out lots of corn from HH.

[firedrake13]

Ok this might be a silly question, and I'm sure if I searched the forum I could find my answer but alas lazy me just got home from work, and typing this seems so much easier lol...but anyway what is BHT exactly? I've seen it mentioned a few times regarding Hazel Hamster (which I just switched all my guys on to, and they are in LOVE with it, they will eat just about everything in it and I got it at Petsmart).

[Hamtastic]

It's a preservative :

Butylated hydroxytoluene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The idea is that a tiny amount is used to preserve one ingredient that's already a small portion of the total food, so technically any risk is small. It's just a matter of using it at all that does not seem necessary.