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Old 06-08-2016, 03:33 PM   #1
Pebbles82
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Default Need a new mix!

I'm going through a "I hate masses of Soya" phase again. Somehow it bugs me that there isn't a mix on the market with lots of nice healthy natural stuff in like the Rosewood naturals supplements, and that the bulk of most hamster mixes is soya. I know it's good for protein but it just seems a bit of a cop out to provide the protein and basic (artificial probably) vitamins and nutrients, and not put any real food in there like dried veggies or herbs or whatever. Ok I know Harry Hamster has sunflower seeds and some nice grains and the odd monkey nut.

Anyway when I thought about that I decided to write to Rosewood Naturals and ask them if they would consider making a complete hamster mix as well as their treat supplements - they've probably got half the ingredients anyway! Don't suppose much will come of it but I thought if I don't ask then I won't get an answer!

It's a bit irrelevant for Charlie at the moment, in some ways, being on a soft food diet but I would really feel good about being able to feed a hamster a really good diet from being a baby with some nice natural food in it that is less processed. It's probably giving him the Science Selective that has set me off again. I think it's great it exists as it's probably the only all in one mix you can soak for a soft food diet and know they'll get the nutrients, but I really don't like the ingredients!
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Old 06-08-2016, 10:26 PM   #2
Lala Noma
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

It would be nice if a mix was complete by itself... I understand you, right now Pizca has four bags of food: mix, extruded food, complementary protein, complementary fibre...
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Old 06-08-2016, 11:49 PM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Yes that is part of it as well Lala - if a good mix had lots of healthy stuff in we wouldn't need to supplement so much as well.
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Old 06-09-2016, 09:43 AM   #4
Kissa
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

JR Farm Feast for hamsters on Zooplus is about the best hamster mix I can think of for variety of ingredients. I never found the lower protein it has an issue when I tried it in the past, but my Syrians didn't particularly like the small seeds it contained! Their dwarf food has more protein but also more small seeds that I find Syrians turn their noses up at. For that reason I wouldn't particularly recommend them to a Syrian owner, unless you know your Syrian isn't picky over small seeds!

Slightly potentially controversially, I actually am using the JR Farm Feast for rats as part of my hamster mix at the moment. It has a very similar nutritional analysis, and identical nutritional additives, as the hamster version, but has fewer small seeds so my Syrians eat pretty much all of it. I mix it with Versele Laga Hamster Crispy (also on Zooplus) and some wild bird seed (which the Syrians do tend to ignore so I probably won't add it next time) and my hams are generally in good condition and do well on it.

There are also a couple of hamster mixes with a large variety of ingredients available on ratrations.co.uk, but those need to be fed with some form of vitamin supplement as they contain no additives like the more commercial mixes do. Again, I found Syrians a bit picky over the smaller seeds (and some of the other ingredients like bran flakes) in them when I tried them in the past, so wouldn't particularly recommend them for that reason. I have been tempted to try some of the rat mixes on ratrations as an additive to a mix though! They also sell dried veg and herbs, and just straight seeds and grains, if you want to add those kinds of things to a basic hamster mix.

(The mix on ratrations.co.uk called "Lavender's Hamster Mix" I have not tried myself, it's the other hamster mixes on there that I have tried, just to let you know!)
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Old 06-09-2016, 10:06 AM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Thanks Kissa! Yes I did try the JR Farm Feast for hamsters. In theory it seemed good but our Syrian also didn't like the itty bitty bits. I keep forgetting about rat rations for ingredients. At the moment Charlie is on soft food and I'm supplementing, but in future I'd like to know I can give a more nutritious healthy mix if I can.

Rosewood replied to my email saying they have no short term plan to produce a hamster food mix although the opportunity has not been ruled out entirely.
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Old 06-09-2016, 10:42 AM   #6
Coco61
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

That was worth a try as they do produce such good extras. Perhaps they feel it would be hard to break into the food mix market and the marketing could be expensive. Still, at least they know there is interest.
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Old 06-09-2016, 11:56 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Yes they said they were pleased when someone likes their products and makes suggestions. Maybe I should ask again in a few months I guess it would be a bit of a niche hamster food market and the food wouldn't be as cheap as others either, but I'd happily pay more for a mix with their kind of products - I spend quite a lot on supplements at the moment!
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Old 06-09-2016, 01:09 PM   #8
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Encourage them by saying that Hamster Central would welcome such a mix!
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Old 06-09-2016, 01:11 PM   #9
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Good idea I did say to them it is really hard to get a good mix and if anyone could do it they could - and I wasn't just being cheesy - they already are experienced in healthy treats. I guess there's a big difference though, between making healthy treats as supplements, and getting a dietary balance right. But with their ingredients, they could make something like the Die Brain or Mixerama mixes.
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Old 06-12-2016, 11:54 AM   #10
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Default Re: Need a new mix!

Serendipity you could always try making your own hamster food. Since I only got my hammy today, I can't say how much he likes my mix, but I am very happy with it.
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