How often should I feed millet?

Crystalroborovski · 05-02-2017, 05:05 AM

My two robos absolutely LOVE millet. I never give them the whole branch (whatever it is, lol), I just peel off a little clump or two and place it in the cage. I usually use this as a treat/protein booster. I usually give them millet every 2-3 days. I went to see my friend who has robos and she told me millet was fattening and they shouldn't have too much. She only let her hams have a couple of nibbles of it before taking it away from them. Is it true that millet is fattening, and am I feeding too much of it? I haven't noticed my hams getting fatter in the month that I've had them. They usually don't eat it all at once. They will fill their cheek pouches with it, take it to the burrow and snack on it (along with their other food) throughout the day when they wake up.

cypher · 05-02-2017, 05:38 AM

I've heard it said that millet is fattening too & I really don't know why!
It's a very healthy treat with lots of useful nutrients, hams rarely eat too much of it so I wouldn't worry.
The amount you're giving now is fine.

ETA I meant to say millet isn't really a protein booster, if you feel they need more protein give them some dried mealworms once or twice a week or chicken, cooked or freeze dried, depending on what they enjoy.

Drago · 05-02-2017, 06:10 AM

I used to offer a branch of millet (about 4-5 inches long) to my Syrians on a weekly basis as it generally took them a week to finish it. I found they took small nibbles of it here and there, but weren't crazy for it. I stopped buying it for a while, but recently I've gotten it again and I find Duncan will take a nibble daily, but never enough for me to worry over it. My robo enjoys it a bit more than him, but still not enough for me to worry about it affecting her negatively. I agree with cypher, what you're giving now seems just fine! Millet is a good thing to feed, and is actually found in a lot of hamster mixes

Crystalroborovski · 05-02-2017, 06:17 AM

Ok thanks again cypher! Also about millet being a protein booster- I wasn't sure if it was or not, i had already bought millet and I remember reading that it was a good protein add-on, though it wasn't something to feed too much of. I am going to get some dried mealworms on my next trip to the pet store. I originally planned to get some when I first got my hamster supplies but I had gone over my budget with everything else I had purchased

AmityvilleHams · 05-02-2017, 06:18 AM

Millet is generally found in any hamster mix.Because of this,I'd suggest at least using a different type of millet than what is in the mix you feed.This would mean more true variety rather than just feeding more of something that they'd get regardless,thus giving a more diverse diet which is extremely healthy

Crystalroborovski · 05-02-2017, 06:55 AM

ok Amity! I'm not sure if there is any millet in my hamster food mix or not. I don't think there is but i could be wrong. My hamsters absolutely love their millet and don't seem to get bored of it or anything.

cypher · 05-02-2017, 07:20 AM

I wouldn't worry, they won't eat exclusively millet anyway & much as they love it they will get bored if given a lot of the same, I'd just keep doing what you are, the different millet sprays can be quite hard to find anyway although you might get lucky looking in the bird section at the pet store.
I'm sure they'll enjoy the mealworms when you get them, don't give too many though, one a day at most is plenty or one or two every few days, whichever works best for you.

chesca_27 · 05-02-2017, 11:38 AM

Millet can be a very healthy food or treat, but the key is moderation. Too much of anything will end up being unhealthy or fatterning. Generally millet seeds are in hamster food - they are the tiny little seeds in various colours.

Crystalroborovski · 05-04-2017, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

I wouldn't worry, they won't eat exclusively millet anyway & much as they love it they will get bored if given a lot of the same, I'd just keep doing what you are, the different millet sprays can be quite hard to find anyway although you might get lucky looking in the bird section at the pet store.
I'm sure they'll enjoy the mealworms when you get them, don't give too many though, one a day at most is plenty or one or two every few days, whichever works best for you.

Ok thanks cypher. You mentioned that I could find "different" millet sprays- by that do you mean flavored? A pet shop near me has orange flavored and berry flavored millet. For the orange- I know feeding oranges to hamsters is a no no. The ingredients in the orange millet is millet and orange oil. Would the oil still be bad? For the berry- the ingredients are millet and berry flavoring. I'm not sure what they mean by "berry flavoring," but there are no dyes or preservatives or things like that. So should I stay away from these flavored millet sprays or what? I know there are other treat options I just noticed you mentioned "different" and I wondered what you meant by that, and if the different sprays would be ok to feed.

cypher · 05-04-2017, 08:06 AM

Sorry I didn't make that clear, I meant different varieties of millet but still just natural with nothing added.
I'll find a link to give you an idea of what I mean if I can find something!
This is in German but if you just look at the photo, this is silver millet. & this is red millet this is the more common kind of red millet, just to give you an idea of what they look like really.
They're rarely sold for small animals or rodents but are sometimes sold for birds so you may be able to find something.