What is everyone's preferred hamster mix?

sarah · 10-13-2005, 03:05 AM

Hi I was just wondering what hamster food people prefer to buy from the petshop (not treats) and why.

I started using Supa Hamster (in the yellow bag) as I liked the variety it contained including banana chips. Now that my first bag has ran out I'm trying Harry hamster (green bag) as I hear it contains stuff that aids and promotes healthy digestion. It doesn't seem as varied though. What does everybody else think?

SnuggleHam · 10-13-2005, 04:34 AM

I certainly dont buy anymore Hartz products! This should be a helpfull threat for me though! I like to mix my hamsters diet up a bit, I feed lab blocks, but I also like to feed some seed to mix things up a bit and provide a bit of cage enrichment....

So Im going to have to find another good hamster feed mix, one thats recomended,

But for part of the record.. and to answer the question here, The main feed I give is Kaytee Forti- Diet Mouse rat and hamster food (lab blocks) Come to think of it.. Kaytee has been a pretty good brand! I by Kaytee Aspen shavings all the time. As well as kaytee bird feeds for Houdini my lovebird, I have no complaints about them!

**babyboos** · 10-13-2005, 09:30 AM

Sorry Candace but please check your Kaytee bags carefully. Do you remember this thread?

Please be aware of ethoxyquin and BHA

I recommend and use Harry Hamster (Hazel Hamster in USA). The banana chips can be purchased seperately and are a treat not an everyday nutritional necessity, in fact I would say they are too sugary for everyday. Hamsters are grain and protein (meat), not fruit eaters in the wild. I used to use Burgess Pellet Free (Purple Bag) but they stopped doing it, and the Yellow Bag just had too many pellets in it, and was too sweet for Russian Dwarf Hamsters who are susceptible to diabetes.

The prebiotics in Harry Hamster are really important to hamsters health. I have never had a case of Wet Tail whilst using it, in hamsters I have bred or brought into the hamstery. Of course I also use AviPro Plus and wheatgerm with my babies which I am positive does help.

**pophammy** · 10-14-2005, 06:13 AM

We always use Harry hamster. The hams love to shell the peanuts and the pumpkin seed are popular too. And there are not many of those black stick things either! None of our hams ever eat them! Does anyone else find this? We also like the fact that it contains probiotics.

PJ · 10-14-2005, 06:19 AM

I've just had to switch my lot from Harry to Burgess Supa Hamster I had Campbells going on starvation diets refusing to touch the Harry. Since the switch they have started eating all the food again. I do like Harry Hamster and the prebiotics but for some reason they would rather have Burgess. I mixed in the Harry with the Supa Hamster and they are leaving the bits of Harry Hamster and eating the Burgess .. I don't understand it but at least they are eating now.

SnuggleHam · 10-14-2005, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babyboos

Sorry Candace but please check your Kaytee bags carefully. Do you remember this thread?

Please be aware of ethoxyquin and BHA

I just checked the bag and it does list ethoxyquin, in brackets says (a preservative) It a lab block mix.. it doesn’t say anything like bananas in it.. Meh.. I just bought a new bag of this stuff too!

So..Hazel Hamster is a US brand name huh? I'll have to look it up.. and it doesn't contain any preservatives at all? I’m not sure I have ever seen this brand in the pet stores I shop in? So Ill go and look it up now.

Damn hamster feeds, Everyone says this or that is bad in a hamster mix, how are you to know who's right and who's wrong and what is a good brand and what isn't!

Well I suppose if my hubby wont let me eat many things with preservatives then he wont expect my hamsters to either.

SnuggleHam · 10-14-2005, 07:05 AM

~~~~~~~~~~

Supreme Pet Foods Harry Hamster Food

This superior blend of premium ingredients like alfalfa, flaked corn and beans, soybean meal, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and (poultry by-product meal) delivers a complete and balanced diet that's fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. Encourages your hamster's natural foraging behavior while keeping him fit and healthy.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Poultry by-product meal?? Is that healthy for the hamsters? They don’t eat chickens in the wild. I understand they are Omnivorous, eating bugs and what not. But how do hamster owners feel about feeing their hamsters the by-products of chickens?

And what sorts of medication and feed were they feeding to the chickens that are now in the hamster food? They sell this food on both the Petco and PetsMart website so I'm sure it's in the store.. So it is available to me.

**babyboos** · 10-14-2005, 08:34 AM

I doubt they eat over 75% of the things we feed them in the wild to be honest. In their natural habitat hamsters eat a range of grasses, wind-blown seeds and grain. Hamsters are often mistaken as herbivores, but they are omnivores and do need protein in their diet to keep them healthy. Left alone in the wild, they will find grubs and insects to supplement their diet. The bulk of their diet is cereals and other hard foods which are chewed and digested slowly.

Poultry is white meat and I would rather they have this than red meat. Hamsters naturally harbour samonella (in their gut - and E.Coli too

) just like chickens which is a reason we should always wash our hands thoroughly before and after touching them. It is a good source of protein. I always aim for well over 16% daily in total, including treats.

You could make up our own if you are really concerned? I believe Emma was working on a make-your-own recipe? It would be interesting to see how she got on.

For me the conveneince of having it all in one bag is the over-riding factor. Once upon a time I used to buy made-up mix from a small local petshop at 88p per kilo, but they stopped making it and now use Amos Hamster Food which is very like Burgess (banana chips and all). I do find hamsters tend to prefer Burgess over Harry but I think that may be due to the fact it is sweeter. Like humans they love their simple carbohydrates even if they aren't that healthy for them. There does seem to be a lot of pellets in Burgess which was why I always got the no pellet version when it was produced. If they brought it back I may consider a half-and-half mix to keep up the probiotic side, as adding it seperatly through AviPro Plus can get very expensive on a daily basis.

I spoke with Burgess many times and they have no intention to bring it back which seems daft you ask anyone and any hamster I will bet 9/10 will say no pellets please

Burgess Supa Hamster is a complete, nutritionally balanced mix for hamsters and is also ideal for gerbils. Because it has a wide variety of ingredients including banana flakes, Supa Hamster provides essential vitamins, proteins, fats, minerals and carbohydrates. Extruded pieces healp prevent tooth malocclusion.

Supa Hamster contains no whole oats, this is to protect the sensitive cheek pouches and prevent puncturing.

Ingredients - Flaked peas, grass pellets, extruded biscuits, flaked maize, flaked wheat, whole wheat, sunflower seeds, peanuts, oil and banana flakes.

Nutritional Analysis - Protein 14.0%, Oil 6.5%, Ash 5.5%, Fibre 10.0%, Vitamins A, D3, E and Copper.

Supa Hamster is available in 1kg bags and 15kg sacks.

Burgess Supa Hamster Pellet Free is a complete, nutritionally balanced mix for hamsters and is also ideal for gerbils. Because it has a wide variety of ingredients including real banana flakes, Supa Hamster Pellet Free provides essential vitamins, proteins, fats, minerals and carbohydrates but without the pellets that many hamsters leave behind. Extruded pieces help prevent tooth malocclusion.

Supa Hamster Pellet Free contains no whole oats, this is to protect the sensitive cheek pouches and prevent puncturing.

Ingredients - Flaked maize, flaked peas, extruded biscuits, beetpulp shreds, soya flakes, sunflower seeds, whole wheat, wheat flakes, flaked beans, peanuts, oil and banana flakes.

Nutritional Analysis - Protein 14.5%, Oil 9.0%, Ash 5.0%, Fibre 8.0%, Vitamins A, D3, E and Copper.

..............................

It was even higher in protein though still a little on the light side for hamsters I would say.

Harry Hamster is rich in protein (17%) and oil (6.5%) to suit a hamster's high metabolic rate. Oh and it is the only hamster food approved by the National Hamster Council. I am NOT on commission incidently

SnuggleHam · 10-14-2005, 08:55 AM

This is what they have listed on the PetsMart website..

Supreme Diet Mix for Hamsters

Petco has..

Supreme Pet Foods Harry Hamster Food

Im not sure if both these are made by the same food company?

**babyboos** · 10-14-2005, 09:01 AM

Yes the packaging is changing at the moment again I believe. Always check the back and the manufacturer should say Supreme. Harry Hamster is a trademark name so hopefully you wont find any imposters

If anyone is interested they can phone Burgess and complain about taking the No Pellet version off sale 0800413969 and call Supreme to ask for Harry Hamster to be made in a mono-diet formula to stop any possible selective feeding 02392369000. They have introduced mono-diet guinea pig and rabbit food so far, so fingers crossed...