Is this enogh food?

[Yogihammy]

Hi, my hammy is arriving from a breeder in 3 weeks. Just buying all my bits in preparation. I've bought Harry Hamster tasty mix and Natures touch Hamster.

Natures touch has sunflower, bran, wheat, barley, corn, hay, wheat ear,dehydrated apple,dehydrated coconut, sunflower seed, dehydrated carrot.

Harry hamster contains wheat, soya, peas, maize, alfalfa, peanuts in shells, pumpkin seeds,locust beans and some other bits.

I've also bought some mealworms.

I'm just wondering, I spoke to the breeder and she also feeds hemp and linseed.

I'm going to feed my hamster fresh veg also.

Do I need hemp and linseed or is the above enough or do I need hemp/linseed plus even more stuff? Thanks for any help and advice anyone can give me.

Just thought as well. Does the veg need cooking or can it be raw?

[AmityvilleHams]

Veg cooking depends on what it is In some cases(potato/sweet potato)it is necessary but for some foods(not limited to veg)it is not.Other fresh foods possibly need cooking,for example chicken either freeze dried or cooked if you can't take proper hygiene precautions with raw(freeze dried is raw,but despite what you may assume raw is not necessarily bad unless the individual has a weak immune system or is pregnant etc).Or,as another example,legumes(beans etc)do need cooking no matter what or sprouting(sprouting is complicated though,but we do have some information here!).

Hemp and linseed are great to add no matter what.You really don't need the second mix though,as Harry Hamster on its own is just fine.The only unique foods that the Nature's Touch has would be dehydrated fruit which is really better purchased as an individual treat,preferably freeze dried.

Another idea for extras is a high quality wet cat food.This must be all natural though,with only hamster safe ingredients.Applaws for example is a great brand to choose from,and the prices do seem reasonable as well.Just make sure there are no unspecified biproducts,unspecified preservatives,dyes,etc.

[barley]

I think you're covered with what you've brought - there's a nice variety there I add stuff to my hams food that I already have around the kitchen - porridge oats, plain cereals like puffed wheat etc - this adds a bit of extra variety at no extra cost! I usually give them a little something from my dinner too providing it's ham safe - like putting a little rice/pasta to the side before adding sauces, a little baked sweet potato, tiny piece of cooked meat if it's plain.

I feed the vast majority of veg raw, they only get it cooked if they get a piece of something I've cooked for myself.

If you have any pets like cats & dogs, lots of their foods & treats can be suitable for hams in very small treat quantities too.

[Yogihammy]

Thanks AmityvilleHams.

Also, when people say hemp is that in a seed form and does it have to be a special type for hammys?

Where can you get it from as well as the linseed?

[Yogihammy]

Thanks for the info barley.

[AmityvilleHams]

It would be in seed form(although hemp string can be safe for DIY toy making),just make sure you get pure hemp seed with nothing added.It can be purchased anywhere as long as it is the pure seed,including grocery stores!

[Yogihammy]

Thanks. That's a big help

[cypher]

You can get linseed in most supermarkets now, make sure to get whole not ground & brown is slightly better than gold but it doesn't matter too much, hemp is available in most whole food/health shops & on amazon.
Hemp seed should be in the shell not shelled if you can get it (Ratrations always have it as well as other sites selling animal food), it is important for their teeth that those tasty treats like hemp, sunflower & pumpkin seeds have to be worked for getting them out of the shell!