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Old 04-29-2009, 03:09 PM   #1
Sams Mum
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Default Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Hi there,

I'm new - have just introduced myself in the introductions. I have one dwarf hamster called Sam.

I have read a few posts on here about food and would like to hear people's opinions on the following:

- Which is the best pre-packaged, commerical, hamster feed mix to buy?
- Are mealworms best fed alive or dead? And how many per day?
- Dwarf hamsters eat seeds in the wild; what kind of seeds do they appreciate in captivity?

Many thanks!

Sam's Mum
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Old 05-01-2009, 12:45 PM   #2
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Everyone has different preferences in food. It is best to use a food with no added sugar or hidden sugars such as fructose.
We like Harry Hamster as it has a prebiotic to aid healthy digestion.
You can feed live or dried mealworms. The live must be supervised as they eat or else you may end up with the grubs hatching into insects. Two or three a day are enough. The dried are less nutritious however. We find they get the same protein from a bit of chicken or egg.
Supplementary seeds that are good for dwarfs are Linseed, bulgar wheat, lentils, barley, millet and omega seed mix.
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Old 05-01-2009, 03:41 PM   #3
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

I feed Hazel Hamster (Harry is not available in the USA), which is made by the same company as Harry and I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff! I add several other items to the mix which makes two bags of food out of one when I'm done. I add dried mealworms, oats, dried kitten food, shelled peanuts and bird seed so they have a nice varied diet.

Majority of the commerical hamster foods have 'cane molasses' in them, and some have a chemical call ethoxyquin (I think that's how you spell it), which is also not good for them. I believe it's a food preservative that's also a pesticide!

I provide each cage with a millet spray every week as well. I've heard good things about Bunny-Nature brand as well, but it's not available in the US, so I haven't tried it myself.
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Old 05-01-2009, 04:19 PM   #4
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Hi Souffle and Loyal_Tree,

Should the bulgar wheat, lentils and barley be fed cooked or dry/straight out of the packet? Also, should seeds be fed sparingly as they are fattening and hamsters are prone to obesity? If so, how many is too many?

Thanks for all your advice!

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Old 05-03-2009, 12:07 PM   #5
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

We feed them dry.
We actually add them to a base mix of Harry hamster. So one bag Harry and add one handful millet, bulgar wheat, lentils, linseed, soup mix, omega seed mix - mix together and feed a bowlful every 3 days.
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Old 05-04-2009, 02:43 AM   #6
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Hi Souffle,

What's soup mix?

Also, is Harry Hamster really OK? The chinchilla version, Charlie Chinchilla, is regarded amongst chinchilla owners and breeders as pretty rubbish!

Thanks,

Suzanne
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Old 05-04-2009, 05:33 AM   #7
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

If you go to Morrisons or Sainsburys to the dried veg section you can get bags of dried seed mix to make soup with. Like scotch broth or one with pasta bits in it. Our hammies love this. Just don't get one with dried onion or leek in it.
We breed and show and know most of the UK breeders and by far the majority use Harry and regard it highly. Most people supplement it though. We have never had tummy trouble using Harry. That said there are other brands out there so you can try out some and see what your hams like. Just make sure you do gradual changes so the tummy adjusts.
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Old 05-04-2009, 09:47 AM   #8
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Hi Souffle,

I will try the soup mix, thanks. Why no dried onion or leek - don't they like it?

I might also switch my hamster gradually onto Harry Hamster. He's currently on Pets at Home hamster museli, but only because I wasn't sure what to buy and happened to be in the shop buying his cage. I wanted him on Supreme Science Selective hamster food, but Sam wasn't at all impressed and demanded a museli type food! I didn't blame him - I tried it too and it was a bit like eating dry, unflavoured Ryvita!

About millet - isn't this fattening? If so, should it only be fed in small quantities and if so, what's a small daily quantity for a dwarf hammy?

Thanks for all your advice,

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Old 05-04-2009, 12:19 PM   #9
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

Onion and leek are bothe poisonous to hamsters as is garlic so you should not feed anything with these in it. Millet we just feed as a millet spray. They love to strip all the seeds off. Maybe one spray every fortnight I'd say. Dwarfs are pretty busy little creatures and tend to eat what they need. They don't really get that fat provided they have a wheel and a balanced diet. We don't feed every day so that they are more likely to eat a bit of everything rather than being selective to their favourite bits.
We tried that selective stuff and our hams would not eat it. Tasteless stuff I agree. When you see how they enjoy digging through the seed mix and choosing bits they like you can see why that is a much more natural diet and encourages natural behaviors like foraging and seed shelling etc. The complete food may be balanced but it contains very few ingredients which seems like a rather boring and unhealthy diet really.
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Old 05-09-2009, 08:54 AM   #10
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Default Re: Best Hamster Feed Mix/Mealworms/Seeds

We got ours some naturals healthy fruit salad treat, this stuff http://www.petsathome.com/find/categ...oduct-is-17420 and it has leeks in. How poisonious is it to them?
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