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Old 07-28-2021, 08:52 PM   #11
Quin
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Amity knows more about the best hamster diets in the US. But to answer the question about Quaker Oats - yes they're fine! Rather than add it to a mix, a lot of people just make up a bit of porride in a mug with a bit of water, in the microwave, and put some on a teaspoon. Most hamsters love porridge. Just as a kind of extra treat now and then. Best made with water than milk and make sure its cooled down a bit!

Providing these are actual oats for porridge and not the "instant" porridge which can contain sugar and all kinds of things other than oats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Imogen View Post
As with Llamacorn's suggestion on the %'s. They're a little out. Hamster diet % can vary on the hamster themselves as well as age as a possible outcome. This means most hamsters can tolerate 17% fat diet but some may still put on weight, so some hamsters will be recommended slightly under the minimum so they stay a healthy weight. But as stated from hamster hideout (a website that is an American equivalent to hamster central but with a few 1000 more members) "At most health levels and life stages, protein should be between 17% and 19%, Fiber - 6% - 15% and Fat - 4% - 7%"

[HAMSTER NUTRITION I] Nutrition, Variety, and Quality - Food & Nutrition - Hamster Hideout Forum

[HAMSTER NUTRITION IV] Commercial Hamster Food List - Food & Nutrition - Hamster Hideout Forum

[HAMSTER NUTRITION V] Safe Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Dietary Supplements - Food & Nutrition - Hamster Hideout Forum

Pets at Home muesli mix meets all the dietary requirements and is actually recommended by hamster hideout (again is the American version of hamster central)

Their muesli mix is the only thing P@H has done right, and both my hamsters are obsessed with it. My dwarf will actually only eat their muesli mix as well. I was on harry hamster before but saw that they didn't recommend it because the fibre is so low for it.

The muesli mix is...
17% fat
7% fat
7% fibre.

You don't have to but I've optionally chosen to add different flower petals and mealworms as well, but that's because corn is a slight filler but again, all information provided by hamster hideout is always updated with correct information.
This is the mix you're referring to, correct?
http://https://www. https://www.vers...---hamsters-co
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Old 07-29-2021, 02:40 AM   #12
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

I meant to add/second/third to the anti Oxbow diet! It really is bad for hamsters - fine for rabbits - far too much roughage for hamsters.

The other reason a muesli mix is better for hamsters is, one of their main purposes in life is foraging - it keeps them happy and healthy. they like rummaging through and sorting the food, or finding their favourite bits scattered on the substrate (although it might seem like they are being selective, I never find any leftover food if I have scattered a bit of it).

Your link above didn't work for me - but assume it was to Versele Laga? Not the worst in the world but I think the protein levels are a bit low and the sugars a bit high.

Not knowing much about mixes available in the Us I often recommend Harry or Hazel Hamster (Identical mix with different labelling for different countries). Which I do know a bit about. Some will say it is not the best quality mix for ingredients, and other mixes have more grains. But it actually contains everything a hamster needs.

The protein levels are correct at 18% and all the other levels are correct too - it is sugar free (and there are very few mixes which are sugar free), the pieces are a good size for a Syrian (it's also ok for a dwarf hamster but they do like smaller seeds as well - which could be supplemented). I personally don't find the ingredients that bad at all. It has nice whole sunflower seeds in and pumpin seeds and whole monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells). The biscuit type pieces are more like an all in one food but the hamsters like them. They can tend to leave the brown pellets (but that's ok as they are mostly fibre). It's always recommended to give a small (very small) piece of fresh veg daily for a hamster, whatever mix you use, and they get roughage from that too. And they really love and look forward to the bit of fresh veg.

The easy thing about the Harry/Hazel Hamster mixes is you don't have to worry about supplementing to get the levels right - it contains everything needed. But you can still supplement for variety. I use pumpkin seeds as treats, the occasional half a walnut (there aren't that many monkey nuts in the mix so an extra nut or two is always popular) or half a brazil nut (which is good for the immune system). Also a pinch of linseeds on a separate dish (this is really good for their fur and skin health).

For the first year a hamster does need at least 18% protein and more is ok. It's fine to give them a tiny bit of cooked meat if you've had it for dinner! Eg a bit of roast chicken or roast bit - really tiny bit though or they'll pouch it and save it for later (not good as then you have to check the hoard). They love meat! EG plain cooked roast chicken or beef but not anything with any gravy or spices etc.

For their second year, when older, they need less protein and you can in fact give them too much then which can exacerbate kidney problems as they get older. So it's fine to keep using Harry/Hazel hamster but go easy on any extras that are high in protein.

Sugar free if possible, is important. Hamsters can also get sugar related illnesses and tooth decay! If their teeth get painful in old age they can't eat properly and end up having to have soft food - then their front teeth don't get the benefit of hard food to keep them trim and can overgrow.

For dwarf hamsters a sugar free mix is highly important as dwarf hybrids (and other species of dwarf hamster) are prone to diabetes. Virtually all russian dwarf hamsters are hybrids, even if sold as campbells or winter whites. Still hybrids of both.
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Old 07-30-2021, 10:06 AM   #13
Quin
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
I meant to add/second/third to the anti Oxbow diet! It really is bad for hamsters - fine for rabbits - far too much roughage for hamsters.

The other reason a muesli mix is better for hamsters is, one of their main purposes in life is foraging - it keeps them happy and healthy. they like rummaging through and sorting the food, or finding their favourite bits scattered on the substrate (although it might seem like they are being selective, I never find any leftover food if I have scattered a bit of it).

Your link above didn't work for me - but assume it was to Versele Laga? Not the worst in the world but I think the protein levels are a bit low and the sugars a bit high.

Not knowing much about mixes available in the Us I often recommend Harry or Hazel Hamster (Identical mix with different labelling for different countries). Which I do know a bit about. Some will say it is not the best quality mix for ingredients, and other mixes have more grains. But it actually contains everything a hamster needs.

The protein levels are correct at 18% and all the other levels are correct too - it is sugar free (and there are very few mixes which are sugar free), the pieces are a good size for a Syrian (it's also ok for a dwarf hamster but they do like smaller seeds as well - which could be supplemented). I personally don't find the ingredients that bad at all. It has nice whole sunflower seeds in and pumpin seeds and whole monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells). The biscuit type pieces are more like an all in one food but the hamsters like them. They can tend to leave the brown pellets (but that's ok as they are mostly fibre). It's always recommended to give a small (very small) piece of fresh veg daily for a hamster, whatever mix you use, and they get roughage from that too. And they really love and look forward to the bit of fresh veg.

The easy thing about the Harry/Hazel Hamster mixes is you don't have to worry about supplementing to get the levels right - it contains everything needed. But you can still supplement for variety. I use pumpkin seeds as treats, the occasional half a walnut (there aren't that many monkey nuts in the mix so an extra nut or two is always popular) or half a brazil nut (which is good for the immune system). Also a pinch of linseeds on a separate dish (this is really good for their fur and skin health).

For the first year a hamster does need at least 18% protein and more is ok. It's fine to give them a tiny bit of cooked meat if you've had it for dinner! Eg a bit of roast chicken or roast bit - really tiny bit though or they'll pouch it and save it for later (not good as then you have to check the hoard). They love meat! EG plain cooked roast chicken or beef but not anything with any gravy or spices etc.

For their second year, when older, they need less protein and you can in fact give them too much then which can exacerbate kidney problems as they get older. So it's fine to keep using Harry/Hazel hamster but go easy on any extras that are high in protein.

Sugar free if possible, is important. Hamsters can also get sugar related illnesses and tooth decay! If their teeth get painful in old age they can't eat properly and end up having to have soft food - then their front teeth don't get the benefit of hard food to keep them trim and can overgrow.

For dwarf hamsters a sugar free mix is highly important as dwarf hybrids (and other species of dwarf hamster) are prone to diabetes. Virtually all russian dwarf hamsters are hybrids, even if sold as campbells or winter whites. Still hybrids of both.
Sorry, this is what I meant.
Muesli - Hamsters & Co - Versele-Laga
And this message was pre-typed but deleted. So, I'll keep it short. He's been fed carrots, peas, zucchini, strawberries, bananas, grapes, spinach, and kale. Not in one whole sitting, the fresh fruits he’s been fed are bananas, kale, spinach, carrots, strawberries, and grapes. But he has ate dried vegetables from that Zilla mix. I'm thinking of getting him this:
Amazon.com
Or the mussel.
(my phone keeps autocorrect it)
And I'm thinking of getting him the Flukers mix that features freeze dried shrimp, mealworms and crickets. Though, I may get the freeze-dried shrimp because someone else mentioned the fat content. And that wasn't the first time I've heard of it either (for mealworms). I've given him boiled chicken breast and he enjoyed it.
Thank you for your additional replies. I may switch to the other hamster community that’s U.S based, though I’ve seen people in States here as well.
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Old 07-31-2021, 09:33 AM   #14
Quin
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

Never mind that mix has a lot of filler. Maybe in the past it was once good.
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Old 07-31-2021, 10:47 AM   #15
Karinalara89
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

So sunburst isn't very good? I thought it was-a hamster breeder recommended it, along with lab blocks. I have teklad global 2018 lab blocks (18% protein, 6% fat) for the dwarves, and "mulberry lane farm" lab blocks (22% Protein, 5% fat, 4.5% fiber.) for Syrians. Should I get another type of food?
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Old 07-31-2021, 10:54 AM   #16
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

As I've said before the proper diet is Higgins Vita Garden, the only thing needed with that being a high quality protein boost(a pinch of flax seed would be helpful too but isn't critical). Sunburst used to be popular and widely recommended in the US, but it does have issues. Lab blocks were only recommended in the past to boost protein and I've covered better sources for that already.
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Old 07-31-2021, 05:14 PM   #17
Quin
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

You've been a great help. Thanks.
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Old 07-31-2021, 06:54 PM   #18
Karinalara89
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Default Re: Quaker Oats

Thanks! I'll look for it (higgins vita garden)
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