my home made mix...

[Lloydhammy]

hello. money is a bit tight until payday and I have made my 2 hamsters a home made mix. is it okay? What else could I add..also does the barley and rice need to be cooked? I give them a bit of egg once a week..but I can give them more. my newest hamster is 2 months(dwarf) and my Lloyd (syrian) is 2 yrs and 4 months..(but I noticed today he is doing poorly in his old age )
This Is what I use

whole wheat cherrios..(not many)
peanuts..plain
corn flakes, not many
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
oats
fresh veggies daily

i bought a organic trail mix and picked out the things they cant really have a lot of like cranberries or raisins..please let me know what else I can put in. I hope to be paid next week. Edit: Also i noticed it is the first time Lloyd has ever emptied his tiny food bowl with out leaving bits he doesnt like. I am hoping to go on monday to the pet store.

[Jaadennxo]

Making your own food mix for your hamster isn't the best idea as it is easy to dis-balance the diet. It's best to buy a pre-made mix as it has a good balance (in the most case) and it's not as expensive as a home made mix.

[velma]

It's not something I've ever attempted as I know it's really tricky to get the balance right. The one thing I would say is that any change of diet should be a gradual swap over so as not to upset their digestive system. Be careful if you've suddenly stopped feeding them their old food & be careful about suddenly introducing something new when you've been to the pet store as they may get diarrhoea.

[kyrilliondaemon]

I doubt thats going to be a very well balanced mix but it may not hurt short-term, couldn't you have bought them their food instead of the organic trail mix?

[RubyDG]

If it's only a few days as long as you are 100% certain that what you are giving them are safe foods they should be fine. Try to keep it simple and as close to what is normally in their mix as possible. Don't give too much more fresh foods than you usually do. The risk is always upsetting their stomachs by a sudden change in diet. I've been there finacially so I understand, just do your best until payday. I would suggest in future to get a backup bag of food. Get a cheap basic mix that you don't normally use so you're not tempted to use it and just stick it in the back of your cupboard and forget about it. At least then if you do run out and are strapped for cash you have it to see you through till your next payday.

[Lloydhammy]

hi.i am going today even though im not sure when i am getting paid. thats a good idea for a back up food. their mix now is just peants and stuff they have had before so its not too much of a suprise on their system. but im going today.

thank you