uk seed mixes

[myhammycoco]

these are the few mixes i know of available in the uk but i’m sure there’s more

commercial seed mixes

• getzoo seed mixes
• bunny nature expert mixes
• rodipet seed mixes
• mixerama seed mixes

etsy seed mixes

• hammypals

typical seed mixes should have a starch: oleaginous seed ratio of 70:30. hamsters on average require: 15-18% protein, 5-12% fat, 10-15% fiber. with younger hamsters under 6 months having more protein ( 18-22%) and older hamsters having more fiber in their diet

also if anyone notices anything i’ve missed, please let me know. or if i’ve made any mistakes since i do consider my hamster knowledge to be at a “beginner/intermediate stage” still but i have been in the community for almost a year


sources i use

GRANADOS H. Nutritional studies on growth and reproduction of the golden hamster Mesocricetus auratus auratus. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl. 1951;24(87):1-138. PMID: 14902515.​

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Feldman DB, McConnell EE, Knapka JJ. Growth, kidney disease, and longevity of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) fed varying levels of protein. Lab Anim Sci. 1982 Dec;32(6):613-8. PMID: 7162130.​

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Banta, C. A., R. G. Warner, and J. B. Robertson. 1975. Protein nutrition of the golden hamster. J. Nutr. 105:38–45​

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Arrington LR, Platt JK, Shirley RL. Protein requirements of growing hamsters. Lab Anim Care. 1966 Dec;16(6):492-6. PMID: 4226457.​

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[Maz]

Hi - that is helpful thank you I've tended to call them just "hamster mixes" as seed mixes can mean other things to some people (ie treat seed mixes). Elusive may come along and post soon as she is up on all the percentages, but I agree with the protein percentage and that is an important one.

I use the Bunny nature ones and they are slightly low in protein so need the protein supplementing a bit for the first year of life but for the second year of life, the protein is about right. For our Syrian I mix the Bunny nature 50/50 with Harry Hamster - which has the correct level of protein so there is less supplementing to do and he really likes the larger pieces in the HH. So he has variety with both of them.

I sometimes suggest Harry Hamster to a new owner as it contains everything needed and is sugar free - as it's a simple mix for a new owner and no supplementing to worry about. It's maybe not the best quality ingredients compared to some but it's not bad.

 

[Maz]

I'm quite interested in the etsy one you mentioned. We've had some chat on here recently about some of the Etsy and Mixerama mixes as to whether or not they contained fortified vitamins in the same way as a commerial mix like Bunny or Rodipet. And mostly they don't - so that is something else to consider.

I sent for a mix from Etsy recently to use as an additional scatter mix. I'd be a bit concerned about the lack of added vitamins as a main mix plus it would be ridiculously expensive as a main mix.

 

[Maz]

I checked out hammypals on etsy and they have a very large range of good stuff including niteangel stuff. I notice they're in Singapore though - is shipping slow? Have you sent for things from them?

 

[myhammycoco]

I'm quite interested in the etsy one you mentioned. We've had some chat on here recently about some of the Etsy and Mixerama mixes as to whether or not they contained fortified vitamins in the same way as a commerial mix like Bunny or Rodipet. And mostly they don't - so that is something else to consider.

I sent for a mix from Etsy recently to use as an additional scatter mix. I'd be a bit concerned about the lack of added vitamins as a main mix plus it would be ridiculously expensive as a main mix.

the one on etsy mostly resells a few mixes from rodipet, getzoo, futterparadies, futterkrameri, etc

there are a few opinions about synthetic nutrients vs naturally occurring vitamins already found in the mixes and how the absorption and digestion could vary, so i just spent a bit of time researching . also with hamster mixes, i believe this is also why a high variety , balanced diet is important for hamsters. if the mix isn’t too high quality then i think that’s when people often supplement it with appropriate lab blocks/pellets


i used this site as part of my research for the added vitamins

Burton GW, Traber MG, Acuff RV, Walters DN, Kayden H, Hughes L, Ingold KU. Human plasma and tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Apr;67(4):669-84. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/67.4.669. PMID: 9537614​

- this study is on humans but idk if it could also apply for rodents too​

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Liu RH. Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78(3 Suppl):517S-520S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/78.3.517S​

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Thiel RJ. Natural vitamins may be superior to synthetic ones. Med Hypotheses. 2000 Dec;55(6):461-9. doi: 10.1054/mehy.2000.1090. PMID: 11090291.​

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[myhammycoco]

I checked out hammypals on etsy and they have a very large range of good stuff including niteangel stuff. I notice they're in Singapore though - is shipping slow? Have you sent for things from them?

i haven’t bought from them yet but i am thinking of getting the futterkrameri mixes and their hides at some point

 

[Maz]

I think we'd all agree with you there About a high variety balanced diet. I'm just wondering if your phone or computer is doing the wrong emoji somehow as you have a crying sad emoji ! Which one are you actually typing as it maybe a glitch or bug with the forum emojis?

 

[Maz]

The lab block thing is a US thing I think - for protein supplement as there are very limited mixes in the US. Most Uk members use other things for supplementing protein - like dried chicken bites, shrimps, insects - or some fresh meat (leftovers), nuts etc.

 

[myhammycoco]

I think we'd all agree with you there About a high variety balanced diet. I'm just wondering if your phone or computer is doing the wrong emoji somehow as you have a crying sad emoji ! Which one are you actually typing as it maybe a glitch or bug with the forum emojis?

i’m typing from my phone, i think there might’ve been a glitch !! with my first post, the “ starch : oleaginous seed” for some reason showed up as “ starch leaginous seed” and i was so confused LOL

 

[Maz]

Which emoji are you trying to use? I know there is a glitch with one particular emoji on here that comes up differently. Also some phone emojis display differently on here. Or it may be some characters you're typing that turn into an emoji! Eg If you do colon dash bracket it's a smiley face.

I'm guessing you didn't mean to put a crying face so I'll change it to a smiley face

 

[Member ID2]

I don't buy food from etsy because i can't figure out why someone would buy mixes from Futterparadies/krämerei (they are more popular than Rodipet in Germany), pay the high shipping cost (if they ship to UK) and then resell on etsy to make a profit?

Does anyone know how this works? Are the mixes in a sealed bag to guarantee their authenticity?

 

[myhammycoco]

I don't buy food from etsy because i can't figure out why someone would buy mixes from Futterparadies/krämerei (they are more popular than Rodipet in Germany), pay the high shipping cost (if they ship to UK) and then resell on etsy to make a profit?

Does anyone know how this works? Are the mixes in a sealed bag to guarantee their authenticity?

they’re located in singapore but sell worldwide

 

[RainbowBrite]

they’re located in singapore but sell worldwide

Do you have any hamsters? It would be nice if you introduced them.

 

[myhammycoco]

Do you have any hamsters? It would be nice if you introduced them.

yeah sure !!!!!