Frozen veggies?

[BeautyandtheBeast]

Hey guys - so I've been thinking and in the next week - two weeks I would like to start introducing my hammy to some veggies with the aim of giving him a healthy hammy salad twice/three times a week. The reason I'm waiting is because in the next few days I'm going to start weaning him off of his Pets at Home muesli and start introducing him to a mix of Harry Hamster and Science Selective (with the help of ErinsAnimals) I don't want to upset his tummy too much with all of these new foods. Anywho, to be perfectly blunt I can't afford to buy fresh veggies when using such a small amount (I'm a very fussy eater) and my parents buy frozen veggies for themselves because it lasts longer. Can a hamster eat frozen veggies when thawed in cold water? I've had a look online but there's some mixed opinions. Thank you in advance!

We also have fresh cucumber and regularly have fruits such as bananas, grapes, strawberries and sometimes kiwi

[velma]

I think that's very sensible to give him one food change before attempting another and I think he'll be a lot better off without the p@h muesli. I feed frozen veg to my hams. I just put a bit aside from the bag before I I cook my tea and it's usually thawed by the time I feed my hams before bed. Variety is good (as long as it's from the safe list). Be soaring with the fruit though as it's very sugary.

[shawniyatwain]

I find cooked veg has always been a favourite over raw veg, maybe try giving some of the veg you cook for your dinner I can't see any reason why it would be harmful to give thawed veg

I was advised on eBay
Here that it's best not to give kiwi as it's to acidic but the other fruits should be fine, Apple tends to be hit

[BeautyandtheBeast]

Thank you! I did a lot of research into hamster diets before bringing my little fella home as I wanted him get all the protein, nutrients etc. he needs. That's good to know - I'd buy the fresh veggies if I had to but he just wouldn't be able to have them as much as I'd like him to. They'd turn into more of a treat than part of a balanced diet :/

I will be sparing with the fruit, thank you again

[BeautyandtheBeast]

I'll stay away from the kiwi, I also read somewhere to avoid apples for the first couple of months because it can cause health problems. Not sure how true this is though!

[cypher]

Frozen veg is fine but I can't say mine have ever been too keen & seem to much prefer fresh, raw is best, cooked is fine as an occasional treat but mostly (apart from potato or sweet potato which must be cooked) raw is much better for them.

[RubyDG]

I have the same issue in that my husband and I buy frozen veg for ourselves as it's cheaper and it's difficult to buy fresh in small amounts. I've tried frozen but my hamster just won't eat it. The solution is that I buy a bag of mixed raw veg in a steam bag, something like this: Tesco Mixed Vegetables.

I find these will generally last about 4/5 days if stored correctly (make sure to check the sell by date, they'll usually put the fresher ones at the back ). Even 1 of these bags is too much food so when I open it I will take out most of it and use it for my husband and myself and just keep a small amount for my hamster. I buy a bag every Thursday and won't buy another until the next Thursday. The bag won't last the complete week but it doesn't need to, when I feel it's no longer usable I'll give him something else instead like porridge. It usually works out to veg 4 times a week with porridge on 2 nights (he does love his porridge!). I do stick to 1 bag a week because I work to a strict budget but you could always buy 2 per week if you wanted. It works out really well for us and because I can always find one of these for a £1 I only spend £4 a month on fresh veg.

[velma]

That's a really good idea, Ruby same problem here, fresh veg just goes off too quickly for two of us. I've rescued bits out of those sorts of veg packs in the past but for some reason never thought to make it a regular thing. D'oh!

[BeautyandtheBeast]

Thank you, that's a really good idea! I'm also on a tight budget but I would definitely prefer to give my hammy fresh veggies instead of frozen. I just thought that it'd be better than not giving him any at all. How do you make your porridge? Which oats do you use, how much, how much water? etc

[RubyDG]

I use the really cheap regular rolled oats you can find in most supermarkets, I can usually find a 1kg bag for around £1 . I have oats for breakfast most mornings and this is what I eat myself, I've never felt the need to buy pricey oats . When I make some up for my hamster Spike I do it in the microwave. I will take 2/3 teaspoons'ish of oats in a small container (one you can stick in the microwave) and will add a little bit of boiling water so that it covers the oats. I will then pop it in the microwave for 3 min, stopping every minute to give it a quick stir (oats tend to boil over if you use a small container so keep an eye on it). I make sure that it's warm but not hot before I give it. I don't give all of it because it works out as a bit much amount wise to give to a hamster but I find I can't make up the oats properly if I use too little so unfortunately some of it does go to waste. My Hamster Spike LOVES porridge, especially when it's a bit warm and I make a point of giving him some on particularly cold days : Spike and his Porridge (disclaimer: I used one of those instant sachet oat packet things for that video so don't expect normal oats to be lump free )