ECO Forest Hamster Feed

Chriscarter · 08-03-2020, 08:01 PM

I've been using Versele-Laga Hamster Nature + Mazuri Rat & Mouse for a while now, but came across this brand today and was wondering if it's a good mix?

The GA looks pretty good, but I'm not so sure about some of the ingredients, particularly the coloring and additives.

Please advise.

cypher · 08-04-2020, 12:38 AM

It does seem to have a lot of fruit in the ingredients, fruit isn’t a natural food for hamsters & while an occasional tiny piece as a treat may be ok I wouldn’t recommend a mix with fruit in it.

AmityvilleHams · 08-04-2020, 12:45 AM

There are also some concerning vague ingredients/additives. "Dehydrated vegetables" can mean anything, and while many vegetables are quite safe for hamsters there are also quite a few that are absolutely not safe. This food also includes unknown "spices" as an additive which is certainly not safe either!

ETA there's also orange in the ingredients list and even if it's quite far down it is still not an ingredient you want to see in hamster food. Citric acid as a preservative is fine, but orange despite not being toxic to hamsters isn't a species appropriate ingredient and mostly is a potential risk factor for digestive upset and such.

Chriscarter · 08-04-2020, 04:09 AM

So my worries checked out. Thank you both so much for your input. I shall stick with my usual VL + protein block. Cheers!

Chriscarter · 08-05-2020, 03:45 AM

I came across another quite promising feed.
A brand called Bucatstate from China, apparently a company that studies small animals and obtained Germany GER Certificate (whatever that means).

They have a variety of series to suit the different type of hamsters. The one I'm looking at is their High Protein series suitable for dwarfs.

Protein: 21%
Fat: 4.6%
Fiber: 5%
Ash: 10%
Calcium: 0.8%
Phosphorous: 0.4%
Water Content: 9%

GA looks spot on, ingredients looks great. This looks quite promising. What you guys reckon?

Pebbles82 · 08-05-2020, 08:05 AM

The first one does have too much fruit as Cypher says (ie high in sugars and also the fruit is likely full of preservatives if dried). The odd bit of fresh fruit is ok to give as a treat - eg a bit of apple or a blueberry but I steer clear of the dried fruit is it's so full of sugar and preservatives.

The second one - not sure - it doesn't seem to have a lot of variety of ingredients. The protein level sounds fine but it's badly spelled/translated so not sure what some things are! Probably millet?

To be honest I would stick with a known brand and what you are using now is fine. The Versele Laga and Mazuri. Which country are you in and how old is your hamster/species? Protein levels don't need to be as high when they are over a year old. And dwarf hamsters (other than Robos) need a mix without sugar/added sugar.

Chriscarter · 08-05-2020, 05:23 PM

I'm in Malaysia, and Versele-Laga is about the only good brand available here. I have 4 Robos, 3 siblings will be 2 yrs old in December, and 1 parent approaching 2.5yrs old.

I placed an order for that Bucatstate brand so I can have a closer look at the mix. I'll post here once I received them. I'm also trying out their paper bedding as it's 3 times cheaper compared to CritterCare bedding.

Maker · 08-06-2020, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriscarter

I'm in Malaysia, and Versele-Laga is about the only good brand available here. I have 4 Robos, 3 siblings will be 2 yrs old in December, and 1 parent approaching 2.5yrs old.

I placed an order for that Bucatstate brand so I can have a closer look at the mix. I'll post here once I received them. I'm also trying out their paper bedding as it's 3 times cheaper compared to CritterCare bedding.

Take care that it's no too much protein which in elderly hamsters can cause kidney problems, perhaps don't feed additional high protein treats ontop of the bucatstate