Harry Hamster v Burgess Supahamster Harvest

racinghamster · 05-08-2011, 05:53 AM

I wanted to find out more about Burgess Supahamster Hamster Harvest versus Supreme Harry Hamster. My syrian is fed on Harry Hamster as his main mix, but I looked up the Burgess mix and it seems to have silimar ingredients, with the excepton of having animal proteins added in the form of Poultry fat, which Harry Hamster seems not to have added?

My question is, which is correct? The Burgess website state that hamsters are omnivours (much as mice and rats are) and require animal protein in the form of insects and mealworms, which is why they have added the poultry fat to their mix.

Yet Harry Hamster seem to have ommited the animal fats and just state that the 19% protein content in their mix is adequate for a hamsters needs, but is solely vegetable based.

This same confusion exisists in the mouse keeping world and most say that mice require added animal proteins (because they are a total protein), yet my mice have always been fed on a vegetable based seed and grain diet and never suffered any deficiencies, with the odd dog biscuit added for enjoyment now and then.

So which hamster mix would everyone say is best in terms of all round content? The Burgess mix has banana flakes added but I would pick those out as treats as they have natural sugars I imagine.

I don`t want to change my mix from harry to Burgess, but thought mixing the two might give my lad more variety?

fluffymunchkins · 05-08-2011, 12:05 PM

I haven't used burgess supahamster before, but I did buy the dwarf version today as I was impressed that it had mealworms, small seeds and no corn.

Like you say, although protein is supposed to benfical and they enjoy chicken, dog biscuits and the like. I've never had any problems and I don't feed a massive amount extra than whats in the harry hamster.
Young hamsters and pregnant mothers should have extra protein (which is why I bought the new mix for squishy and squirt).
But for an older hamster its not advisable in large amounts as they struggle more to digest it.

So the point to all my waffle is, harry hamster with no added protein is perfectly fine and you should have no problems. But I would reccomend adding protein like mealworms for young hamsters

racinghamster · 05-09-2011, 05:24 AM

Thanks for replying fluffyminchkins. I plan to stick with Harry Hamster purely because Boris has been fed this all his life. I just really wanted to know if I should be adding another mix to it for the sake of feeding the poultry fat biscuits that the Burgess mix contains, rather than feeding actual mealworms?

I thought mixing both together might give him the best of both worlds, but I`m still not sure whether mixing two seperate hamster foods might muck up the protein levels? I like the sound of the Burgess mix, but only because it has different ingredients to the Harry Hamster. Boris is my first syrian for many years and I don`t want to be feeding him too much protein if mixing two foods would raise the protein levels, or even dulute them? This is my dilemma.

I read on here that many people do choose to mix two seperate foods together but usually Harry Hamster with PAH hamster mix, or Harry Hamster with Tesco`s hamster mix etc....

fluffymunchkins · 05-09-2011, 12:27 PM

I know some people with high numbers of hamsters, mix a cheaper mix in with the harry hamster (e.g.wilkinsons own).
I think its fine as long as he is eating the majority of the harry hamster for his main diet, that way the other mix will act as extra

I add sumpreme science pellets as an other mix as I find its good to know that even if some of the stuff is being left they are eating the all in one bits anyway - if you get me!

My hamster food is quite the mixture of stuff, using just a plain old mix doesn;t do it for me. But I feel its great variation, hardly anything is ever left in the bowl and all the hamsters are happy and healthy (I must be doing something right

)

racinghamster · 05-10-2011, 03:09 AM

I might look into buying a bag of the Burgess and mix it with the HH mainly to add more variety. It`s just the added poultry that looked good to me in the Burgess mix, although many say that animal proteins are not necessary for hamsters, but other proteins sources like meaworms can be given a treats, yet I would rather feed the animal protein within the actual mix itself rather than rely on things like mealworms.

I`ll have a wee think about it and decide whether one syrian actually needs to seperate mixes!

racinghamster · 05-15-2011, 08:14 AM

Having looked at the ingredients in the Burgess Hamster Harvest mix again, I`ve decided to buy a bag this week because it does seem to have more in it than the Harry Hamster does, although I will still be feeding the HH and be mixing the two gradually. Here is what the Burgess mix contains:

Cooked cereal biscuits (probably just extruded biscuits)
Toasted wheat flakes
Toasted maize flakes
Toasted soya flakes
Toasted oat flakes
Grass pellets (probably alfalfa/lucern pellets?)
Peas
Maize
Pumpkin seeds
peanuts
banana flakes (I will pick these out and feed as a treat only)
Poultry fat (again, possibly an extruded biscuit?)
Mealworms

Analysis

Fibre 6.5%
Protein 18%
Oil (fat) 8%
Ash 5%
Copper 10mg/kg
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin D3

No sunflower seeds mentioned but these are in the Harry Hamster mix anyway so will be included. I will also add to these Kallo organic puffed rice and organic jumbo oats and buckwheat, which he already gets and loves.

I`ve read some other people`s lists that include rye flakes, spelt etc, so I can always add these in at some stage if I feel they are needed.

fluffymunchkins · 05-15-2011, 10:09 AM

oooh that sounds quite yummy (for a hamster

) I might pick up a bag if I spot it. Although the pet shops near me are so unpredictable with their stock.

I just remembered I did try the Burgess supa gerbil once, it was fine apart from the bad smell, although I definitley prefer supreme gerri gerbil more. Haven't noticed a bad smell with the dwarf mix so hopefully it won't be a problem with this mix either.

racinghamster · 05-15-2011, 10:39 AM

That`s what I thought too fluffymunchkins. I compared the ingredients in this to the Harry Hamster and it looked far more nutritious with more `flaked` grains included, so though I would get a bag and try Boris on it. I`m sure he will appreciate it because he seems to love the jumbo oats and puffed rice that I add to his Harry Hamster! So I thought feeding both mixes would allow more variety for him.

The Burgess Hamster Harvest comes in 750g bags and is around £2.20p -£2.50p a bag compared to Harry Hamster which is around the £1.99p mark depending on where you buy it.

I`ll report back once I have it and give you my (and Boris`s) views on it!

mangoandmimi · 05-15-2011, 12:39 PM

looking forwards to see what he makes of it

i've been looking into this too, but i cant find it locally so would have to buy it online and i dont want to be buying food in bulk online lol :P
i find its easier to just buy a tub of mealworms from time to time and they just eat them :P the leftovers go the chickens anyway :P
does look quite nice though!! and mixing it in sounds like a good idea, i would do that if i found it locally :/

racinghamster · 05-16-2011, 04:11 AM

Hi mango. Sometimes you have to ask your local pet shop or supplier if they will order a bag or two in for you as it depends on who their stockists are. Some deal with Burgess, some don`t. I`m lucky that mine can usually get stuff in that I ask for. I`m popping in to their shop on Wednesday morning to see if they have a bag of the Hamster Harvest in the shop. If not, I will ask them to get me one and deliver it to me on Friday as I order wild bird seed and peanuts aswell for the garden birds.