Millet Spray

[Hamtastic]

Hm, it can be in packages, yes. Like there's Healthy Select at Petco, which packages millet sprays in quantities of 6, 12, and 24. The kind of millet spray I'd look for is a healthy light golden, without odd colorants (I've seen some "rainbow colored" millet sprays... just unnecessary food coloring). Once you open that package and take out a spray or two, you can put the rest in a ziplock bag and keep in your freezer. When you need another, it will defrost in minutes in room temperature.

Example:
http://www.petco.com/product/104738/...sultRedirect=1

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Hamtastic

Hm, it can be in packages, yes. Like there's Healthy Select at Petco, which packages millet sprays in quantities of 6, 12, and 24. The kind of millet spray I'd look for is a healthy light golden, without odd colorants (I've seen some "rainbow colored" millet sprays... just unnecessary food coloring). Once you open that package and take out a spray or two, you can put the rest in a ziplock bag and keep in your freezer. When you need another, it will defrost in minutes in room temperature.

Example:
Healthy Select Spray Millet at PETCO

Thanks! I've seen it in stores but the two colors would throw me off and I didn't know what to get. Thankfully I haven't seen the rainbow millet spray sticks, but I have seen in the treat aisle all the new "candy coated" treats for hamsters.

[louisbs]

Just gave honey another millet spray.. its so special she has taken it to bed.. not in with her regular food

[kyrilliondaemon]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I think I will try the feed store, and if they don't have it maybe they can direct me in an area that does. In the bird aisles at pet stores, is it the millet in packs or loose? I've seen the kind in a packet, but they are always 2 different colored. A light and a dark bag

In the pet stores that do it packaged its in packs and yes can be in two colours. P@H has it in the two colours, we got the light one for the hamsters because its the same as the stuff we can get cheaper elsewhere and that they all seem to like.
Its considerably cheaper if you can get it unpackaged though.

Some stores do it loose but I'm not sure they're the ones big enough to actually have aisles devoted to things lol


Edit - Whoops, way too late. Sorry about that... Got distracted by Scamp wanting to know what the laptop was lol

[Flamestriker]

Originally Posted by Roxie

No Hamster is fat, just beautifully chubby.

Wouldn't want it any other way

Btw Squeak likes millet as I have tried her with a single spray so I will get her more when I visit a pet shop next. She also likes the jr farm nibble ears and nibble block with herbs. In fact squeak will try anything

[MismatchedMongrel]

Originally Posted by Roxie

No Hamster is fat, just beautifully chubby.

Still not healthy

[MismatchedMongrel]

Originally Posted by Hamtastic

I don't think it's "very high" in fat. It's higher in fat than wheat, but much lower in fat than nuts and sunflower/pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Millet, raw
4.2 grams of fat per 100 grams (half a cup) of raw millet

Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried
24 grams of fat per half a cup of dried (deshelled) sunflower seeds (46g), 52 grams of fat per 100g.

That is great and all but it doesnt' mean anything to me if I dont know how many calories a hamster is supposed to consume on a daily basis. So, hwo many calories is a hamster supposed to consume on a daily basis?
Also, how is this affected by age, type of hamster and activity level?

[Hamtastic]

A hamster will eat as much as your hamster needs. Beyond injecting it with nutrients, you can't control exactly how much your hamster will eat, and generally hamsters will not overeat. You can control the nutrients somewhat if you provide all-in-one pellets only, but feeding only those is a bland way for a hamster to exist. As soon as you start adding seed mixes, your hamster will inevitably pick and choose and leave some things out.

Of the various ingredients a hamster can have, sunflower seeds are very fatty but are also very nutritious and are good for it, so you'd just limit the intake to a couple a day, maybe. Millet is by far not as fatty, so it can be given freely. A hamster will often pouch a bunch of millet seeds off a spray and then stash them somewhere in its nest and eat along with other foods it has in the cage. Millet spray a tasty treat for them with no threat to health, so it's safe to offer periodically.

[Elliriyanna]

Around here some of the brands look Dirty they should look clean and light golden and like this

I have noticed they gorge on Millet though They will eat what tastes best first Also when Digested Millet turns to sugar so Peri's intake should be limited to an extent.

[Roxie]

Originally Posted by MismatchedMongrel

Still not healthy

Bull. Chubby Ham does not = unhealthy Ham