Burgess Dwarf Mix - Page 2

Aquarius · 07-22-2015, 05:28 AM

Has anyone tried them with pistachios in shells? Was just wondering if they were a more suitable size... but they might be sharp?

Milkshake · 07-22-2015, 06:18 AM

Milkshake (my chinese hammy) doesn't seem to like fruit... Raspberries, cherry, strawberries and a small slice of apple have all been declined... So fussy!

Also, do you cook broccoli and sweetcorn for your ham? I am not sure so I haven't tried him with veggies yet apart from lettuce.

I feed him on Burgess Dwarf, so should I add in another mix to make it more nutritional? I think it needs a bit more veg power! Also, in the parrot section at my local PAH they do a great mix of nuts. Are they OK for him too?

Milkshake
xxx

cypher · 07-22-2015, 06:27 AM

Aquarius
I haven't tried mine with pistachios in the shell but they should be ok (as long as they aren't salted!) & they are very easy to crack open so they probably wouldn't bother with the shell much.

Milkshake
You could cook corn although I wouldn't give much of that or any fruit or sweeter veg like carrot to a Chinese, apart from things like potato or sweet potato which again I wouldn't give anyway stick to raw veg, they can eat cooked but raw is better.
Go easy on the lettuce, small amounts are fine now & then, broccoli, cucumber, red peppers, kale, cabbage & courgette are just some of the favourites with mine.
Raw courgette does sound a bit disgusting to me but mine loves it!
Burgess is fine alone but I prefer to give use a variety of mixes, I don't trust one mix to provide everything (that's just my personal take on things) but with additional veg, a few extra seeds & the occasional nut he should be fine, not too many nuts though!

racinghamster · 07-22-2015, 06:52 AM

Also, veg is best fed raw (uncooked) as cooking it removes some of the vitamins/nutrients. Raw broccoli for example is one of the best for having anti-cancer properties. My Russian dwarf gets a thumbnail piece every second day and in between, he gets a garden pea (frozen but thawed) or a small piece of lettuce, green bean or a piece of apple. I`ve never ventured into anything else yet as I only buy in what`s in the freezer or if I`m in a supermarket that has more variety! x

cypher · 07-22-2015, 07:12 AM

I forgot spinach, another big favourite! Should be good to power up a few laps in the wheel!

Broccoli is a bit of a "superfood" & really good for them but always best not to give too much of any one thing, variety is always the best bet.

racinghamster · 07-22-2015, 08:52 AM

I was in Asda yesterday and passed the refrigeration bit and they had some bags of mixed salad reduced to 60p. It usually contains a wee mixture of goodies like kale, various lettuces, grated carrot, watercress and various other things. I didn`t buy one this time but will do when I`m next in and pop it in the fridge for Chubs.

I always advise washing all veg though as the packet stuff can be soaked in chlorine before it`s bagged. This worries me a bit but I`m sure rinsing it well helps to reduce any chemicals. Can`t be 100% sure on that though, would need to look into it more. It` s cheap way of storing a bag of veg though that hamsters enjoy. x

barley · 07-26-2015, 08:54 AM

I use Harry Hamster as a base mix and had been thinking about swapping to Burgess Dwarf Harvest as I found most of the pieces in HH were a bit too big for my Robo. However I ordered a selection of goodies from Rat Rations - things like canary seed, grass seed, linseed, rye flake and bran - and now use these mixed with the smaller pieces of HH for my Robo. He likes the smaller seeds and still gets the nutrients from HH, and it saves me buying two different brands of food for my Robo and Syrian which I didn't really want to do.

I also add stuff like oats, extra little pieces of nuts, millet, dog kibble, dried herbage mix, dried pasta, cornflakes and mealworms, along with Science Selective pellets (which I crumble for my Robo otherwise they're ignored) so I think he's getting a nice mixture.

I also give a little something extra everyday - fruit, veg, cooked chicken, tiny bit of probiotic yoghurt - something along those lines.

Aquarius · 07-27-2015, 07:06 AM

Wow Barley, sounds like your little fluffs get quite a varied diet!

I got a free sample of hamster museli from pets at home at the weekend and have mixed a little of that in with the Burgess to give Jerry a little bit of variety. He seems to like the dried sweetcorn pieces, although im a bit wary of giving him sweet foods usually.

I gave him a bit of defrosted broccoli this weekend and he loved it! He completely ignores carrot and spinach, but peas and cucumber disappear very quickly!

Probably eats a more varied diet than me haha!

Only problem is i eat no meat whatsoever and have dairy less than once a week, so i have lots of veg on hand to give him but dont really have yoghurt to try him with or chicken, but hopefully mealworms, peas, nuts and seeds are enough protein for him. I've heard tofu is good for them as a treat? Has anyone tried this?

It's not like plant-based food has no protein at all in it, otherwise i'd be dead myself