The little black bits...

[Hana]

What are those little black bits in Harry Hamster mix?
I was just wondering because I have never had a hamster who eats them! Do any of your hams eat them?
Does it matter that they don't eat them or are they missing out some kind of nutrition? Can I give that nutrition to my hams in another type of food?

Sorry for all the questions! :oops: It was just bothering me! :wink:

[souffle]

Nobodys hammy eats them :lol: :lol: I suspect they are like a sort of hay/alfafa sort of pellet and are more a filler. I have found them in almost all hamster mixes. I doubt it does them any harm not to eat them as ours all live full lives without. Nelson can remove every single other seed and stuff from his bowl and leave all the black cylinder things in there. He wont even touch them. Sonni takes them to her store and leaves them there. Maybe they secretly eat them when we are not looking :lol: :lol:

[Holly]

Nelson can remove every single other seed and stuff from his bowl and leave all the black cylinder things in there. He wont even touch them.

Treacle does exactly the same - just leaves a pile of black lumps in his bowl every day! I thought there was something wrong with him until I realised Mocha and Custard were also leaving them - just in various food stashes around their cages :wink: ..I think they might eat one or two as they don't seem to have quite as many left over - but they don't exactly seem like a hammy gastronomic delight :)

[Bailey-Benji]

Benji eats them, I have no idea what they are though :P

[babyboos]

Some eat them some don't, it is a shame as you used to be able to get Burgess Supa Hamster without pellets for those hamsters that just leave them behind, but they no longer manufacture it.

[Widowmaker]

Mine eat them, but then they'll eat anything :lol:

[Hana]

it is a shame as you used to be able to get Burgess Supa Hamster without pellets for those hamsters that just leave them behind, but they no longer manufacture it.

Thats a shame, I get Burgess Supa Rabbit for my rabbit as he used to leave the good bits, just like my hams.

So its not just Snowy and Smokey then! :lol: They just leave them in their bowls, they don't even bother to take them to their hoard! :roll:

Thanks for reasuring me guys :D

[Emms]

Twinkle doesn't touch them :x

[Slash]

I've had 5 Hamsters and none have ever eaten them. And you find more in local pet shops clear bags.
I think it is the hamster world equivalent of cutting drugs to maximize profit lol
I have to change Slash's food as he hates Pets at Home mix. Gonna try Harry me thinks :P

[Pouchy]

Just moved onto Harry Hamster and like most people have found the black cylinders are left in the bowl,the dark green nuggets are given a cursory nibble then dropped. The dwarfies won't eat them either. The previous food had the very thin cylinders which were not eaten but that wasn't so bad as they were smaller but those in HH are huge and it seems as though a lot is going to be wasted so paying £1.70 for it seems a bit of a ripoff.
I tried Wagg Hamster Crunch too. Its cheaper by a lot at £1.29 for the same amount as HH but the same problem arises. There were no cylinders of alfalfa/hay but there was plenty of wheat feed thingies in red and some other stuff in brown that very rarely was eaten so a lot was just thrown out.
Actually the best stuff came off a market stall at £1 a bag. It had the thin green cylinders but lots of other things and the hams seemed to eat most of it which just goes to show that where pet food is concerned you don't necessarily get what you pay for.
Now, shall I write to the manufacturers and suggest they remove the green things that our furry friends won't eat and replace with something more nutritious....

[souffle]

If you have a local Wilkinson's store Harry is very well priced at £1.17 there. You could try mixing a variety mix. I have heard good reports on Tesco's own brand and also Wilkinson's ownbrand though do not use them.

[Pouchy]

Tesco have two different ones - at 99p and £1. something. maybe it should be used as a base and then add extra things to it to improve the variety.

[babyboos]

that would be preferable - the 99p stuff is a perfectly adequate base, but do be careful what you supplement with as it can start to get very expensive that way also especially if you are providing for only one or two hamsters. I get economy of scale with my guys allowing me to give them all sorts of yummy extras - of course being vegetarian myself it helps that we have all manner of seeds, grains, pulses and nuts in our house.

[Bunsey]

my robos gather all the black bits round the edges of the top layer of their cage (the duna fun) and then push them through the bars! "we're not having this scum in our cage" :lol:

[Widowmaker]

:lol: :lol: That's brilliant!

[Pouchy]

No reply from HH manufacturers - no surprise there ....