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Old 02-03-2019, 11:45 AM   #1
KitOfKat
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Default Uk hamster diet

Being from the UK getting a hamster food that is suitable is very difficult as products from the US are very expensive to get shipped over.

I'm personally trying to get a hamster food mix that's suitable for all hamsters that I can easily get from the UK. Any ideas on what foods I should get and what to mix with it
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Old 02-03-2019, 11:29 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

Food in the UK is far better than US foods tbh anyway so you don't need to worry about that, the best foods actually come from Germany but you can get Harry Hamster in the UK that is ok for Syrians, you won't find a food that is suitable for all species as they have different dietary needs & unfortunately there are no longer any good dwarf specific foods available in pet shops in the Uk any more but there are options for ordering online.
You can get the Bunny Dwarf HamsterDream Expert from Zooplus which is a good food but low in protein so you do need to supplement with mealworms, chicken, tofu or other protein.
Rodipet does a good range of foods for all species & delivery isn't too expensive, you can always buy a few bags at once & keep them in the freezer. They sell lots of other greats stuff for hams, houses & other things so not hard to make delivery costs worthwhile!
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Old 02-04-2019, 07:12 AM   #3
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

You won't find a "one-size-fits-all" mix when it comes to hamster food; simply because dwarfs and syrians have different preferences and overall just consume different foods (syrians consume more cereals, dwarfs prefer smaller seeds, etc). Your best option would be to get a mix targeted for dwarf hamsters, and another mix targeted for Syrians. Harry hamster (and pretty much any other seed mix you'll find readily available at pet stores) are very poor quality foods, and while they won't kill your hamster, they're best avoided if possible. Those mixes are pretty much pure pellets - which is really not good for them at all - and have little to none variety at all. Generally speaking, if you want a high quality, species appropriate mix, you're going to need to order online.

If you can; Getzoo is by far my favourite for both syrian & dwarf hamster food. I love rodipet for cage items, but I'm not really a fan of their mixes (personally!). I fed my guys on the rodipet diets for a while in the past, but I found it insanely overpriced for what it was (and expensive when you have more than one ham!) and my Syrian at the time wasn’t a huge fan of their mix either. It’s been a while since i’ve used the rodipet mixes, but I also found the syrian one in particular smelled awful. The Getzoo mix has a bulk option that's reasonably priced (so you can pop it in the freezer if you don’t go through it quickly) and they smell amazing. I've fed my guys on the get zoo mixes for about a year now, and all my hamsters (both dwarfs and syrians) have adored and thrived on their mixes too.

It’s from Germany,and shipping is a little on the expensive side (it's a little over €12), but you can bulk order so can save yourself some money in the long run - and their mixes are worth every penny.
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Old 02-04-2019, 09:22 AM   #4
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

How long ago did you use the Rodipet food EmmaAndChester? I wasn't impressed with their old mix when I tried it a few years ago (can't remember how long exactly) but it has changed a lot since then & is really improved.
If you don't mind paying that much for delivery I think the Getzoo food does look good although I haven't tried that, Mixerama do some really nice mixes as well.
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Old 02-04-2019, 09:44 AM   #5
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

I think I stopped using them early 2018 (and I used them for a little over a year, I think) - so they may have changed the recipe since! I liked the dwarf version of their food, but admittedly was disappointed with the syrian one (and my boy at the time was picky with it, and it stunk horribly!). I keep usually 5 hamsters (4 dwarfs, 1 syrian) at a time, so I also found their mixes to be horribly overpriced for what they are - even if I had just one hamster, their prices are crazy. For me personally, I order 2.5kg of Syrian food & 2.5kg of dwarf feed every time I order - for 5kg total, I pay a little under 60 quid (with shipping). Whereas for that same amount of food, Rodipet would charge me over €100. I mean they’re good (and like I said, I did really like the dwarf version in particular), but I don’t think they’re *that* great haha.

Getzoos shipping is a little pricer, but their food is more reasonably priced (and honestly I think it’s even better - the syrian one in particular is miles ahead of Rodipet!) and they have bulk options, so it kind of cancels itself out in that way. I’ve been using them since taking my guys off Rodipet, and honestly haven’t looked back - I love them, they’re really nice, high quality mixes and totally worth the price.

eta; I figured I'd do a pic comparison between the two brands (HERE), just to show what they look like against each other. The rodipet mixes I used in this mix were purchased at the beginning of 2018, just for clarification - in case they have changed their recipe since. The getzoo mixes are shown with the rodipet spoon, because I still use those scoops for measuring haha (apologies if thats confusing!). I think even looking at the two visually, Getzoo overall just looks better. Rodipet are known for being expensive, and their foods are certainly no exception - but expense isnt always a reflection of quality, and I think that is certainly true here. For me personally, I order 2.5kg of Syrian food & 2.5kg of dwarf feed every time I order - for 5kg total, I pay a little under 60 quid (with shipping) from Getzoo. Whereas for that same amount of food, Rodipet would charge me over €100. Their prices are crazy! and while I agree that they are high quality mixes, I think that there are better and more reasonably priced options out there.

Last edited by EmmaAndChester; 02-04-2019 at 11:31 AM.
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Old 02-04-2019, 10:05 PM   #6
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

I haven't tried the Syrian food from Rodipet so can't comment on that, I think others have so maybe they'll comment too.
I do agree about the price though! It's great that Rodipet do organic food now & that may well be in part at least why the price is higher but it is expensive.
I do think both Getzoo & Mixerama delivery prices may be a bit prohibitive for some people in the UK too, if someone has only one hamster they won't want to be buying so much food at once I wouldn't think, I have two or three usually but still only buy 1kg at any one time, even in the freezer I don't really like to keep it too long.
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Last edited by cypher; 02-04-2019 at 11:26 PM.
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Old 02-10-2019, 04:47 AM   #7
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

I ordered Burgess Dwarf Hamster from Amazon - it’s on prime and came the next day. I tried two other brands but - eurgh. I threw them out in the end.

I was horrified to see the hamster/gerbil pellet combo! SURELY that’s a horrific idea???
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Old 02-10-2019, 05:47 AM   #8
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximus View Post
I ordered Burgess Dwarf Hamster from Amazon - it’s on prime and came the next day. I tried two other brands but - eurgh. I threw them out in the end.

I was horrified to see the hamster/gerbil pellet combo! SURELY that’s a horrific idea???
Is it the seed or pellet mix? The seed mix is very good but discontinued so you’ll want to stock up while it’s still available. You can store bsgs in the freezer so thry dont go off. If its the pellet mix though, I don’t recommend it longterm as its not natural for them to eat a pellet diet.

Sadly a lot of companies combine hamster, gerbil, and mouse food into one mix that isn’t really suitable for any species
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Old 02-10-2019, 06:54 AM   #9
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

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Originally Posted by alpacassei View Post
Is it the seed or pellet mix? The seed mix is very good but discontinued so you’ll want to stock up while it’s still available. You can store bsgs in the freezer so thry dont go off. If its the pellet mix though, I don’t recommend it longterm as its not natural for them to eat a pellet diet.

Sadly a lot of companies combine hamster, gerbil, and mouse food into one mix that isn’t really suitable for any species
The seed mix!! I have six bags already in my freezer! I don’t know what to do when that’s gone. I guess I’m hoping an alternative will appear! I was devastated when they discontinued it coz it’s easily the best I’ve found so far. I’m perfectly happy to pay for decent food so when the time comes I guess I’ll get some imported from Germany? Or ask you lot. But I’m good for now hehe
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Old 02-10-2019, 07:06 AM   #10
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Default Re: Uk hamster diet

That should last you quite a while then
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