Hi there! I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I would be very thankful if some people could offer me advice and help with the situation below!
I got my Syrian hamster, Millie, around 6 weeks ago. She is currently around 3.5 - 4 months old. Millie is very tame - she loves being handled, never bites, loves cuddles and playing with her toys! She lives in a large 100cm x 50cm cage (around 770 square inches).
The only issue that I am trying to solve is her picky eating. I use a mixture of Harry Hamster food and Pets at Home hamster pellets. I have tried exclusively feeding her the pellets, however she did not touch them on their own. She is also very picky with the Harry Hamster food, picking out only the pieces she enjoys. She does NOT like the artificially made chunks, such as the ones coloured orange, green, brown and black.
My question is, would it possible for me to formulate my own hamster food? I already have all of the ingredients for the mix that I am about to list below.
To do this, I would:
1. Take out all of the artificially made pieces from the Harry Hamster food mix that she does not like (essentially leaving the grains, seeds, nuts, muesli and pea flakes).
2. I would then mix in some dried mealworms, for added protein.
3. Add in some of the pellets.
4. Add some forage mix, containing petals and small pieces of timothy hay.
5. Add some garden forage mix containing maize, beans and carrot.
6. Mix in some Nature’s Touch food mix, which is more of a plant based food.
Once I have formulated the mix, I would observe what Millie eats from the mix, and what she leaves in the bowl. I would continue to alter the mix until it contains the foods and nourishment that she requires. I also have a hamster vitamin solution, which I add a few drops of to Millie’s food once or twice a week.
I am also aware that creating your own hamster mix requires extensive research, and that having specific quantities and composition of nutrients is important.
If anyone has any tips or advice that they can offer me, please do respond to this post. I would be extremely appreciative of any help or advice offered. Any advice about other ingredients to add to the mix, or if you have any experience in making your own hamster food, I would be very thankful for any help. Thank you for taking the time to read my post
I just want the best for Millie - I want to give her the best life possible.