Syrian Feeding Needs

[Jenibelle]

Hi!
What is the best mix food for a syrian hamster? What are good treats? I've read that they can eat chicken, and dog bones? What about fruits/vegetables? How often should these supplemental foods be given?

[Bertiebobbins]

Whereabouts do you live? As different mixes are available in different countries. I'm in UK I feed one of mine Burgess Hamster Harvest and the other Harry Hamster and Selective Science biscuits. They're all decent mixes, the selective science one is a complete food in pellets so no variety for the ham - means they can't be fussy but it's a bit dull for them. One of mine goes mad for them, the other won't touch them!

They also get one biscrok dog biscuit each a week, vegetables every day (today they have pumpkin, broccoli and peas), chicken dinner once a week (plain chicken breast, veg and couscous or pasta). They also have a Whimzees chew each as they're good for their teeth, and I give them a piece of dry pasta every now and then too which they love.

One of mine also has a weeny bit of porridge every morning (made with water) and the other enjoys a couple of licks of natural yoghurt to start his day.

[Jenibelle]

Oh, my apologies, I'm in the USA!

Also, is there a vegetable feeding chart made up? Something that shows what veggies they can eat, how many times a week they can eat it, and in what quantities?

[flowerfairy]

Erinsanimals does a great video about hamster feeding. Check it out on youtube. I love her vids.

[Bertiebobbins]

There is a safe foods guide I think it's pinned to the top of this section of the forum, or if you google it there's quite a few around. General guide for fruit/veg is a fingernail sized piece and remove anything uneaten after a few hours (mine never leave any tho greedy pair!) also introduce everything slowly so as not to cause an upset stomach. Mine have been having fruit and veg since they could eat solid food so I never had to worry about that. One other thing I forgot, they love a bit of egg scrambled or hard boiled!

[cypher]

Here's a link to the safe food list in the wiki section.
Safe and Unsafe Food and Plants - Hamster Central WIKI (http://www.hamstercentral.com/wiki/Safe_and_Unsafe_Food_and_Plants)

[Jenibelle]

Wow!! I had no idea this website was more than a forum, how helpful! Thank you so much!

[Pebbles82]

I'm sure some US members will come on and recommend a good hamster mix! There was a thread somewhere listing what US members used but I can't find it right now!

Veggies - I give our syrian a tiny piece each day - like thumbnail sized piece. I give a different one each day and rotate it every 4 or 5 days, so like broccoli one day, carrot the next, cucumber the next, cauliflower the next, then back to broccoli. Occasionally he'll get a couple of small peas if we're having them or a piece of baby corn - for variety. Doesn't matter if it's raw or cooked. If we're having carrots I'll save Charlie a piece. Raw is probably healthier but they like them cooked as well. He loves looking for his piece of veg each day. I don't put it in his food bowl, but in his small sputnik so he has to go and find it -:)

As well as the veg I'll also supplement 2 or 3 times a week with a piece of cheese, or half a brazil nut, or a monkey nut or a healthy treat - and I hide those somewhere else lol. So I like to think he's getting good fresh nutrition as well as hamster mix. Maybe once every couple of week's he will get a piece of fresh meat, if we've had chicken or beef. No gravy or flavourings though. So if we have roast chicken Charlie will get a bit that night. He has had chicken, pheasant, grouse, beef. All gets devoured!

[Wookiee]

Chewie blooming loves a little piece of chicken. He stops whatever he's doing to demolish it :D

[Pebbles82]

Yep, chicken certainly gets Charlie excited too! I sneakily gave him a piece so he would sit in this mug for a photo a while back.

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag389/charliethehamster/2371e757-66b2-4c7a-a043-8f001663d7c7_zpstf61c58z.jpg

As for mixes. You probably can't go wrong if you get Supreme Hazel Hamster. But supplement the protein a bit as I think the protein has gone down in the mix. Which is why I give a piece of cheese or a half a brazil nut a couple of times a week.

Amazon.com : SupremePetfoods Hazel Hamster Food, 2-Pound : Pet Supplements And Vitamins : Pet Supplies (http://www.amazon.com/SupremePetfoods-Hazel-Hamster-Food-2-Pound/dp/B001A0OEO2/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1448410109&sr=1-8&keywords=Hamster+food)

Oxbow Healthy Handfuls is used by a lot of US members as well, as a supplement, not as a complete food. So still put a tablespoon of hamster mix out but maybe scatter some Oxbow in the cage for the hamster to forage for.

http://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Healthy-Handfuls-Hamster-Fortified/dp/B0053SYJVA/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1448410109&sr=1-2&keywords=Hamster+food

I think Nancy recommended this one as well, but supplements the protein.

:: Higgins Premium Pet Foods :: (http://www.higginspremium.com/NederlandsVita_Hamster.htm)

[Jenibelle]

I was looking at the Oxbow product today! I was going to go with that because I fed the piggies Oxbow too. With guinea pigs the feed is the supplemental food (most of their diet consists of vegetables and hay)... with hamsters it seems it's meant to be the other way around though. It seems that the feed is meant to be the base, and the vegetables and proteins are meant to supplement it.

[cypher]

I quite like the oxbow, it has a good mix of ingredients, the protein is a bit low so it would need some supplementing but other than that it's a good base feed, all in one or lab block food can get a bit boring for them though so it might be worth thinking about using it in combination with another muesli type mix.

[greysome]

I feed my hammies a combo of Hazel Hamster, Oxbow, and Harlan Teklad. They usually get a relatively equal share of Hazel Hamster and Oxbow though I use Hazel to scatter feed and oxbow is normally in a bowl. Normally, they get a day's worth of each every couple of days. Once or twice a week, I'll either skip the Hazel and give them Harlan Teklad in it's place, or I'll give them all three. I find most of my hammies prefer Hazel Hamster, then Harlan, then oxbow.

ETA: I say every couple of days...on days where they don't get a tlblspn or so of "new" food, they (the syrians) do get a half tspn or so of Hazel hamster to forage for and a pinch of a (supplement) grain mix.

[Jenibelle]

I appreciate the suggestion :) I saw Hazel Hamster at the store too. I don't think I saw Harlan Teklad, but I'll look into it!

[greysome]

Harlan Teklad (aka Native Earth) are a block rodent food and I've very rarely seen it in store and never in the big chain stores--you can buy it online in smaller quantities as the one or two times I did see it in a (small local) store, it was I think a 40 lb bag. I've heard good things about it and with oxbow and the new Hazel Hamster on the lower end of protein levels, I figured it's be a good way to increase their protein intake while not taking away room with treats. Just make sure you get one with a good protein content (they have different "formulas" with different protein levels) I think they have one with 18% for more daily feedings. Since mine only get it once or twice a week, I think I may have gotten a higher percentage one though.