Help with adding variety to harry hamster mix

[sportyabi007]

Hello all,

I'm struggling with all the info out there on mixes and thought its best to start a new thread to ask for help.

I want to feed my Dwarf hamster (when i get one) a more varied diet tan just the harry hamster mix. I have lots of ingredients but I just don't know what is good and what should be in small amounts etc.

Can someone help me create a mix from the ingredients I have ( I will be feeding fresh veg on top of this mix of course).

Veg:
Dried spinach
dried carrot
dried sweetcorn
dried peas
dried broccoli
dried sweet potatoe

Seeds and grains:
Flaxseed
chia seed
sunflower seed
seaseme seed
barley
quinoa
brown rice
oats
Niger seed

Protein:
Meals worms
spirilina
nori

Legumes:
Chickpeas
black eye beans

The majority of the diet will be harry hamster mix but I want to amp up the variety with extras.

[Pebbles82]

Personally I wouldn't add to Harry Hamster. It contains everything needed in the way of vitamins, nutrients and protein and it can upset the balance of a mix if you start adding things. What I did instead was add the extras as treats - but not in the food bowl - just now and then, scattered or on a separate dish. So as well as the daily veg I would give the occasional fresh treat or seed - eg the occasional nut (half walnuts are popular), piece of apple or blueberry eg and some scattered pumpkin seeds occasionally.

Having said all that - if you're planning to get a dwarf hamster, it would be better to get a dwarf hamster specific mix instead of Harry Hamster. There are two good ones but they're only available online. They both already have a really good mix of good ingredients and variety. The Bunny one from Zooplus - is very good. Zooplus only do a minimum order of £15 so I used to get 3 bags at a time - and then they last a very long time! Rodipet also do a good dwarf mix. The postage makes it more expensive though. Theirs is organic though if that makes a difference. The Bunny one is a little bit low in protein so giving the occasional protein treat would be good. eg a bit of scrambled egg, a nut weekly, some freeze dried chicken. This mix contains mealworms as natural protein which hammies like

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...d_bunny/620085

If it's a Russian dwarf hamster, they are all hybrids (unless you get one from a breeder) and this mix is specifically for hybrids (who are prone to diabetes) and has the correct protein.

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/pet-foods/...nior-500g.html

If it's a robo then there is a standard dwarf hamster mix from Rodipet

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/pet-foods/...nior-500g.html

The protein in that is pretty good, only slightly lower than Harry Hamster so the occasional nut treat should do the trick.

So you wouldn't need any of the ingredients you listed above if you get one of these good dwarf specific mixes and could just supplement with a bit of veg, the occasional fresh treat (they like any fresh food usually but there is a "safe list" on here).

I wouldn't give chickpeas, or the other beans listed mainly due to the size and they can also get too much protein.

While it's not good to take things away or add them to a mix really, I did used to scatter 2 or 3 of these all in one pellets as well as the Bunny mix - it contains everything needed just in case they didn't get the balance from the mix and helps with supplementing protein as well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supreme-Sci...1603435&sr=8-1

[megoneill]

Hello!

A lot of hamster mixes are great for hamsters you just have to look carefully for the best and most nutritional ones The mixes that have more of a dull colour are probably best because they are the most natural and healthy for the hamster.
However the foods on your list are also really good for the hamster. Try not to give your hammy too much veg as it if there is too much in one go it can give them a bad stomach. Carrots are also full of sugar I wouldn't recommend you include that because dwarf hamsters are more prone to diabetes compared to Syrian hamsters so try and include more dark green veg. Hammy's absolutely love broccoli! Although seeds are good and nutritious for your hamster they are also quite fattening so try not to include many of these either.
As for the meal worms, these are a treat really as they are so fattening to don't include many of these even though they are a good protein source. Although brown rice doesn't really have any nutritional benefits to Hamsters it should be okay give them some but only little bits at a time.
Oats should be given in tiny tiny amounts as it can harm hammy's digestive system if they eat too much.

I hope this helps and good luck!!

[Petite]

[QUOTE=Serendipity7000;934050]
Having said all that - if you're planning to get a dwarf hamster, it would be better to get a dwarf hamster specific mix instead of Harry Hamster.

/QUOTE]

Ah - I didn't know that!! I was sold Harry Hamster when I bought my last (dwarf) hammy, and wasn't offered anything else (I don't think they had anything else). They certainly didn't offer any advice about dwarf-specific mixes. Theo seemed to like it, though, and had been fed it in the shop. If the new one comes alredy "Harry-Hamstered", should I change over gradually to a dwarf-specific mix? And which mix do you think would be best for a WW, please?

So grateful for all the good advice on this forum!

[Pebbles82]

There is nothing wrong with giving Harry Hamster if they enjoy it - it provides everything needed and is sugar free (important with dwarf hamsters as your Winter White will almost certainly be a hybrid). Out of choice I would get the Bunny dwarf dream expert and supplement the protein a bit .