- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 49
- Points
- 18
I am struggling to find a decent quality food that is not extraordinarily expensive. It’s so difficult that I’m actually considering making a mix myself.
Last edited by a moderator:
Hamster food
- Thread starter mealwormdevourer
- Start date
- Messages
- 20,540
- Reaction score
- 37,572
- Points
- 1,373
I moved the post to the food section because it's quite a big topic! It can actually be more expensive making your own mix, and quite tricky to calculate - it needs a very good spreadsheet usually.
Just checking the food you've shown - it's not one I'm familiar with.
- Messages
- 20,540
- Reaction score
- 37,572
- Points
- 1,373
This post contains Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase a product from these links, we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, which helps support forum running costs.
No it's not great actually - too much roughage - high on the ingredients list are bran and hay which are not something good for hamster food and very few other ingredients. It's also only 15% protein. It's probably a Pets at Home own brand mix maybe?
It is difficult to get good hamster mixes in the Uk. but Harry Hamster would be better than this one as it's sugar-free, has the correct amount of protein and more variety. It's not the best one either, but it's easily available, inexpensive, and contains everything needed.
Other good hamster mixes usually have to be shipped from abroad. I mix Harry Hamster with Bunny Dream Syrian hamster food, which has a lot more variety. Bunny Dream only has about 15.6% protein. Harry hamster has 18% - so mixed together it gives 16.5% protein. So I supplement it with fresh food - the occasional half a walnut and some egg.
In their first year they need 18 to 22% protein. After the first year 15 or 16% is ok.
I can only get the Bunny Dream online now (from Vetsend and it's shipped from the Netherlands) at about £10 a pack. I also sometimes mix with Mixerama Syrian Gourmet mix (which is a very good hamster food) but that is really expensive on shipping from Germany - 2 x 500g costs me 38 euros (About £32.94) and about half that cost is shipping!
So mostly it's Harry Hamster and bunny Dream mixed 50/50 and with a bit of Mixerama added
For now, I would just get Harry Hamster - it's nutritionally a lot better than the one he's on now. But not the new fruity version! Just the standard version. While Syrian hamsters can have some fruit, is best given as the occasional treat rather than a regular part of the diet, and also the dried fruits in mixes are usually full of preservatives (unless it's organic).
Rodipet in Germany also do very good hamster mixes, but they are closed at the moment (and it still needs shipping from Germany).
There are various "home made" mixes that are popular now - they can also be expensive, and some I'm not keen on the fact they rely on lentils for protein too much (lentils aren't the best ingredient for hamsters and there are varying thoughts on it but I prefer not to use them).
Two bags of Harry Hamster on Amazon are just under £10 (ie £5 each) but you can get it cheaper.
Harry Hamster original
It is difficult to get good hamster mixes in the Uk. but Harry Hamster would be better than this one as it's sugar-free, has the correct amount of protein and more variety. It's not the best one either, but it's easily available, inexpensive, and contains everything needed.
Other good hamster mixes usually have to be shipped from abroad. I mix Harry Hamster with Bunny Dream Syrian hamster food, which has a lot more variety. Bunny Dream only has about 15.6% protein. Harry hamster has 18% - so mixed together it gives 16.5% protein. So I supplement it with fresh food - the occasional half a walnut and some egg.
In their first year they need 18 to 22% protein. After the first year 15 or 16% is ok.
I can only get the Bunny Dream online now (from Vetsend and it's shipped from the Netherlands) at about £10 a pack. I also sometimes mix with Mixerama Syrian Gourmet mix (which is a very good hamster food) but that is really expensive on shipping from Germany - 2 x 500g costs me 38 euros (About £32.94) and about half that cost is shipping!
So mostly it's Harry Hamster and bunny Dream mixed 50/50 and with a bit of Mixerama added
For now, I would just get Harry Hamster - it's nutritionally a lot better than the one he's on now. But not the new fruity version! Just the standard version. While Syrian hamsters can have some fruit, is best given as the occasional treat rather than a regular part of the diet, and also the dried fruits in mixes are usually full of preservatives (unless it's organic).
Rodipet in Germany also do very good hamster mixes, but they are closed at the moment (and it still needs shipping from Germany).
There are various "home made" mixes that are popular now - they can also be expensive, and some I'm not keen on the fact they rely on lentils for protein too much (lentils aren't the best ingredient for hamsters and there are varying thoughts on it but I prefer not to use them).
Two bags of Harry Hamster on Amazon are just under £10 (ie £5 each) but you can get it cheaper.
Harry Hamster original