Mini Production line XD

[Gimleyand Meeko]

Hello all,

So yesterday I posted that as I am going on holiday in 2 weeks I needed to buy plenty of food for when Nutmeg is at a friends and I bought 5 bags, two being Burgess Dwarf Hamster Harvest, two Harry Hamster and one Nature's Touch. As I wanted to put Nutmeg on a new diet, I opened up the new mix bags to freeze hem and put them in bags, for anybody curious about the Nature's Touch mix here it is as well.

I put the mixes into freezer bags and a test hammie bowl to show you what it would be like in a bowl. WARNING: If you ever use Nature's Touch put a peg on your nose as it stinks!!

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As you can see I have freezer bags full of 3 different mixes. In the Nature's Touch there are dehydrated apples, carrot and coconut which I have taken out, should I? She is prone to diabetes so that's why I took them out and they are huge like the width of a hammie bowl! The nature's touch is full of fibre I was quite shocked as it looks like rabbit food but there is crunchy pellets and nuggets in there. The wheat was very long so I snipped the grain at the top and removed the seeds and put those in the bowl as the whole plant was huge again!

In the bowl there is all three mixes, THIS IS JUST A TEST BOWL I WONT GIVE THIS TO NUTMEG STRAIGHT AWAY

The harry hamster mix is large as it isn't for dwarf so I may need to crush it??

Gimleyand Meeko

[cypher]

I've never used the Natures touch food but no hamster food should smell unpleasant, if it has dried fruit in it do you think something may have gone mouldy in there? It also looks as though it may need checking for sharp bits the way you do with hay.
Harry Hamster biscuit bits are too large for a dwarf & would probably need a bit of a bash in a pestle & mortar, personally I prefer to stick to dwarf food mixes for dwarf hams but I know some others do use HH.
Any particular reason why you wanted to put Nutmeg on a new diet & chose those foods specifically?

[Gimleyand Meeko]

The unpleasant smell was just my personal preference, I am not a big fan of wheat smells, so it is nothing mouldy. I can crush the HH stuff, that is easily done I am adding to the diet as Nutmeg was just on Burgess Dwarf Hamster Harvest. I chose the Harry Hamster as I know that is a big brand and it had a few more bits in it, I had seen Nature's Harvest before and I picked it up as a hunch yesterday as it contains 15% fibre and the others didn't have lots of fibre, what other fibre do you recommend if I don't use the mix- I could use wholegrain cooked pasta and give that to her twice or three times a week- what do you think?

As I am on holiday in two weeks perhaps I could leave changing the diet until I come back- what do you think?

[cypher]

The fibre levels in Burgess are ok, it doesn't have a huge range of ingredients I know but it is still a good standard mix for a dwarf ham, all she really needs in addition is a small amount of fresh veg daily, maybe a little chicken once or twice a week & you're done really, of course you can add other treats in moderation if you like but she doesn't really need much else from a nutritional point of view.
It's too easy to over complicate things sometimes, I'm good at that lol! but it may be better to just keep it simple.

[Gimleyand Meeko]

I am just very worried in regards to fresh veg daily that they may have too much sugar in and cause her to have diabetes and regards to the chicken could that be substituted for anything else and what veg would you recommend and how would I introduce this all slowly?

[cypher]

Chicken is a very good low fat source of extra protein, this is more important when they're young, they don't need extra protein as they get older.
If you don't want to give fresh plain cooked chicken you can use freeze dried, I use this one.

Veg you just start with a tiny piece, thumbnail size, every few days then gradually build up to daily if she gets on ok with it, they don't always take to things straight off, though many do so don't give up if something is ignored first time around.

This is my list of safe veg.
Safe veg, those marked * are relatively high in sugar so only feed to diabetes prone species as an occasional treat if at all.
Asparagus (mine have never liked this)
Basil
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Common or red clover
Cabbage, green or red
Carrot*
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Coriander
Courgette
Cress (not mustard & cress as commonly sold together)
Cucumber
Dandelion leaves & flowers
Endive/chicory
Green beans/runner beans
Kale
Pak choi/Bok choi
Parsley
Peas/mange tout/sugar snap/snow*
Peppers, any colour
Potato/sweet potato cooked only*
Radicchio
Spinach
Squash/pumpkin*
Swede
Sweet corn/baby corn*
Turnip

[Gimleyand Meeko]

Nutmeg is a year old in 2 months and 13 days so will I need to give her chickens still? Ok will check on the veg and won't give pasta

[cypher]

10 months is still quite young but she is fully grown so it's up to you whether you want to give her a little chicken or not.

ETA I just had a look at the ingredients in the Nature's Touch & it's not something I would give to a diabetes prone species tbh, you'd have to take so much out you would have no idea what the GA is & you really do need to check hay for any sharp bits that can damage pouches.

[Gimleyand Meeko]

Yeah, I won't give Nutmeg Nature's touch or harry Hamster, will give fresh veg though and maybe not chicken, Will give Dwarf Hamster Harvest still is that one ok for diabetes prone hamsters though?

[cypher]

Yes, dwarf hamster harvest is fine, if you're not sure about nutrition, sugars & diabetes then by far better to stick to a mix like that & some nice veg which I'm sure she'll love.