Currently available Hamster mixes

[RainbowBrite]

I’m a new hamster owner and I got a mix off of Etsy. It is a Dwarf/Chinese mix for a Junior hamster from Chubby Hamster Cheeks. The food hasn’t come yet so I don’t know if she will like it but it has good reviews. Does anyone know this brand and thing it’s a good mix. I want my hamster to have the best

Welcome to the forum. It is lovely to have you here. Please feel free to introduce yourself in the introduction thread. Chubby cheeks is a popular brand in the US what I have seen.

 

[Maz]

I’ve just looked it up on their web page but could only see the Syrian mix listed on there. It has a good variety of ingredients. I mentioned on your introductory thread about storage and keeping an eye on freeze dried chicken. There is definitely a shortage of good dwarf specific mixes, especially in the US. Some people use Higgins Vita garden (which is sugar free) but that’s a bit low in protein so the protein needs supplementing.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I’ve just looked it up on their web page but could only see the Syrian mix listed on there. It has a good variety of ingredients. I mentioned on your introductory thread about storage and keeping an eye on freeze dried chicken. There is definitely a shortage of good dwarf specific mixes, especially in the US. Some people use Higgins Vita garden (which is sugar free) but that’s a bit low in protein so the protein needs supplementing.

This is the one: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/116...m=5c5a76aa&ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1&sts=1

 

[Maz]

Thanks Rainbow. Ok so it says it keeps for up to a year in an airtight box. Personally I think it relies quite heavily on lentils for protein - lentils are quite high on the list and further down there are split peas (also lentils). It contains crickets and shrimps as well which will be protein sources.

It says a tablespoonful every other day. I think it’s better to feed daily as they like to forage daily as part of normal habits so you’d give half that daily. An American tablespoon is 15ml (ie three times that of a teaspoon. So a heaped teaspoon daily would be about right

I think you’ll need to see how it goes with your hamster. If the hamster leaves certain items (eg lentils or crickets) then they won’t be getting enough protein but you can supplement that. You can buy the freeze dried chicken bites yourself and elusive on here suggests giving the occasional pine nut (which will also have protein). Plus you can give a bit of chopped hard boiled egg once or twice a week. But see how it goes - your hamster might eat the lot

I have tended to stick to commercial mixes due to the fortified vitamins but you could give the odd supplement like a pinch of linseeds (flax seeds) and a pinch of hemp seeds - on a separate little dish. Both are chock full of vitamins and inexpensive to buy and a bag lasts longer than a hamster’s lifespan usually.

The mix does contain hemp seeds but not linseeds so maybe just give a pinch of linseeds daily on a separate dish - they are very good for skin and coat condition . Hamsters seem to like them and lick them up.

 

[Winter white dwarf]

Thank you so much for the breakdown! I’ll check to see if she is eating those protein sources and get some linseeds.

 

[Winter white dwarf]

Also, do you know where I could buy some good quality linseeds?

 

[elusive]

I had a look through the ingredients in the mix & it does seem to be quite heavy on the lentils & split peas which I wouldn’t really recommend as these aren’t really very good for Russian or Chinese hamster & are more often found in Syrian mixes.
The protein level is very good but I expect quite a bit of this comes from the pulses although it does also have mealworms & crickets for protein.
The seed content is ok but could be more varied.
Overall I would look for something better, I saw this was listed on Etsy UK, are you in the uk?

You can get linseed (also known as flaxseed) most places, supermarkets, health shops or online , try to get brown rather than gold if you can.

 

[Maz]

I think she has already ordered the mix - is that right?

 

[Winter white dwarf]

I live in the Eastern US and yes I have ordered the food but I got a very small size. I figured this would allow me to see if it was worth paying the expensive shipping. After that food runs out, I could try another mix. Would my hamster be able to transfer food like that? But if anyone has a good recommendation for other foods I can get in the US, I would give it a try!

 

[elusive]

You could just try it for a while & see how it goes, if you’ve only bought a small amount then it might be better to change to another food, this is fine as long as it’s done gradually over a week or so slowly adding in more of the new food.
I know it’s not easy to find good mixes in the US & I can never remember which are the better ones but I’m sure Maz knows so she can tell you when she’s back on.

 

[Maz]

It's the Higgins Vita Garden (it's sugar free). It might not have as good a range of ingredients as some of the etsy ones, and it is low on protein (I think I mentioned before about giving chopped hard boiled egg a couple of times a week for extra protein, or you can buy freeze dried chicken cubes).

I think it's good you only sent for a small bag. I think what I would do is get the Higgins Vita Garden, supplement the protein as above, and use the small Etsy bag as an occasional "treat" forage mix to scatter - just a little bit as a treat now and then. If it's just a forage treat, you can pick out anything you think isn't great (eg lentils) and it will also be a test to see if your hamster will actually eat a cricket or not

So it might be best to put the hamster's regular mix in a bowl or dish for now (normally people suggest scattering although I do a bit of each) so it doesn't get mixed up with the treat scattering.

 

[oddvon]

Hi Ive just ordered this to try... I looked back but couldn't see it mentioned... sorry if it has been...

Reason it interests me is Buddy sifts out pellets and the flat dried corn and peas .. he doesnt wanna know...

The only thing I think he will avoid in this for sure is the mealworm....AND YES.... following Maz's advice

I already add protein via chicken...which I have in for me and Sparx anyway. He will still get fresh veg as and when I do .

its very expensive..... but works out half price if im not throwing half out for the birds ... ( eBay for sure and vet send maybe? ) xx

 

[Maz]

I use Bunny Dream, but this is the second new version linked on here recently! Someone else linked a fruit version and this one says it's a vegetable version. I just use the original version (about £9 from vetsend) and mix it with Harry Hamster 50/50. I'd be interested to see how the vegetable one goes down. My hamsters seem to like the mealworms in it.

 

[Tulsi]

Ooo not heard of vetsend. Will look them up. Yey a new place to buy hamster things from!

 

[Maz]

It's about the only place you can get the Bunny Dream food from now - other than ebay. It's in the Netherlands. They send it quite quickly but there is postage to pay.

 

[PuddingBear]

Hello, i have just received an order for this. Shipping was quite expensive though. Could i please get people’s thoughts on this for our dwarf? He currently hates his muesli so trying to have a more varied muesli. Thanks

 

[Maz]

Hi It looks ok to me. I'm not keen on red lentils being quite high up the list but your hamster might not eat those anyway (they're a bit indigestible). Other than that it sounds good. The protein at 17.5% isn't bad either, but I would probably supplement the protein a bit by giving a fresh extra once or twice a week. Eg you could get some freeze dried chicken pieces (cat treats are often pure freeze dried chicken). Although they don't last that long once the bag is opened unfortunately. Just to bump up the protein a bit and as the lentils will be classed as a protein ingredient probably and they may not be eaten.

Assume you know about freezing food first to prevent any moth eggs hatching out?!

 

[PuddingBear]

Hi It looks ok to me. I'm not keen on red lentils being quite high up the list but your hamster might not eat those anyway (they're a bit indigestible). Other than that it sounds good. The protein at 17.5% isn't bad either, but I would probably supplement the protein a bit by giving a fresh extra once or twice a week. Eg you could get some freeze dried chicken pieces (cat treats are often pure freeze dried chicken). Although they don't last that long once the bag is opened unfortunately. Just to bump up the protein a bit and as the lentils will be classed as a protein ingredient probably and they may not be eaten.

Assume you know about freezing food first to prevent any moth eggs hatching out?!

 

[PuddingBear]

Thankyou - no I have no idea?! Please could you share some details on this?
Thanks

 

[Maz]

It's just a good idea to freeze hamster food for a week before using it. Virtually all pet foods contain moth eggs - they're not visible to the naked eye and they normally are dormant. But if it gets particularly warm - eg in summer or when the heating is on, they can start to hatch out! I've had a moth outbreak before and it's a real pain. It doesn't harm the hamster but they breed quickly! Freezing kills the moth eggs basically (and any other bug eggs).

So most of us freeze all hamster food for a week before using. If you get two bags you can have one in the freezer ready to use when the other one is finished. I also freeze any hay or anything hay related, plus any treats etc as well. Things like bark wood or cork can be baked in the oven to sterilise them. (100 degrees centigrade for 30 to 40 mins) I went quite a long time without freezing the food before I had the issue but once you've had it you don't want it again ha ha.