Newbie Hamster Owner in Need of Advice and Constructive Criticism

[SpiralTreat]

Hi!

I'm new to proper hamster ownership and haven't had one since I was a young child. I want to adopt a hamster within the next few months and give them the best life I can hopefully offer, which I shamefully wasn't able to back then.

I've been researching a lot for the last two months, but there are some things I still don't quite understand when it comes to seed mixes. I intend to make my own mix for Future Hammie, and would love any suggestions, corrections or enlightenment to my overwhelming confusion, if it's not too much trouble.

1) I'm in the US and am considering adopting a Winter White. The breeder claims they are purebred, which means they are not prone to diabetes (as stated from many sources I've come across), but at the same time, Winter Whites are included in discussions of dwarf hamsters in general and "dwarf hamsters" are supposedly prone to diabetes... So, are Winter Whites still prone to diabetes but are less prone than the Campbells and Chinese species?

2) I see a lot of confusing info with hamsters and lentils, beans, quinoa, rice, and certain seeds (like grass seeds). What can hamsters safely digest, eat raw, and what must absolutely be cooked/sprouted before given to a hamster?
---2a) When is a sprouted seed considered "safe"? When it has the long white stringy piece a few inches from the seed, or when it's strong and green after being planted?

3) There are a few homemade seed mixes often recommended, but I noticed they don't seem to always follow the "flour/oil" ratio (or perhaps, I just don't understand the ratio that well). For example, the mix might be 80:20 flour:oil, but then they break the mix down that shows oil seeds have a higher percentage or presence in the mix than the flour seeds (i.e, 23% flour seeds, 25% oil seeds). Is flour in mixes simply meant to be for variety and not necessarily quantity?

4) Are grass seeds bad for hamsters? I keep seeing sources that say they are good, but then some hamster owners claim they are bad.

5) Here is the first draft of my mix. I'm planning on mixing it 50%/50% with Science Selective (if I get an adult) or Mazuri (younger). Most of this mix is questionable due to my lack of understanding, so be warned, haha.

Ingredients (in order of most to least):
Millet blend (Hulled, Red, White, Japanese, Golden), Dari, Milo, Canary Seed, Hulled Barley, Dill Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Anise Seeds, Gammarus, Alfalfa Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Mung Beans, Brown Lentils, Amaranth, Sesame Seeds, Whole Buckwheat, Rye Grain, Mealworms, Paddy Rice, Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Parsley, Broccoli, Milk Thistle Seeds, Niger/Nyjer Seeds, Farro, Chickpeas, Puffed Rice, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Celery Seed, Safflower Seed, Oat Groats, Soybeans, Quinoa, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Wheat, Flaxseed/Linseed, Dandelion Leaves, Rose Petals, Cornflowers, Calendula Petals, Hibiscus Petals, Sunflower Petals, Spelt.

70:30 flour:oil seeds

43 ingredients (not including similar items), 49 ingredients (including similar items)

The mix itself is:
47% flour seeds, 22.5% oil seeds, 8.5% legumes, 7.5% animal protein, 6% vegetables, 5.5% grass seeds, 3% flowers/herbs

Approximate analysis for 100g is:
Protein: 15.34%
Fat: 8.36%
Fiber: 17.35%
Sugar: 0.47 grams

When mixed with the Science Selective mix (50%/50%), the analysis becomes:
Protein: 17.17%
Fat: 6.68%
Fiber: 11.23%
Sugar: Unsure

I would prefer my mix to be within the recommended analysis before combining with a commercial mix, but it is so difficult to do, lol.

So, did I totally mess up? Haha~

This became longer than expected and I'm sorry for that, but any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Kikya]

Hi!

I'm new to proper hamster ownership and haven't had one since I was a young child. I want to adopt a hamster within the next few months and give them the best life I can hopefully offer, which I shamefully wasn't able to back then.

Don't feel bad, no one starts out with perfect hamster care. I also a hamster when I was younger and my care wasn't very good. We live and learn =)

I've been researching a lot for the last two months, but there are some things I still don't quite understand when it comes to seed mixes. I intend to make my own mix for Future Hammie, and would love any suggestions, corrections or enlightenment to my overwhelming confusion, if it's not too much trouble.

1) I'm in the US and am considering adopting a Winter White. The breeder claims they are purebred, which means they are not prone to diabetes (as stated from many sources I've come across), but at the same time, Winter Whites are included in discussions of dwarf hamsters in general and "dwarf hamsters" are supposedly prone to diabetes... So, are Winter Whites still prone to diabetes but are less prone than the Campbells and Chinese species?

Diabetes in hamsters is more of a genetic condition than brought on by diet in most cases (unless it's just a trash diet and no exercise for the hamster). I'm surprised to hear about a winter white breeder in the US. There aren't many in North America. Honestly, this is not something I would worry about. Either they will have it or not and there's not really a reliable test until they start showing symptoms, such as a pee test (not 100% reliable but better than nothing)

2) I see a lot of confusing info with hamsters and lentils, beans, quinoa, rice, and certain seeds (like grass seeds). What can hamsters safely digest, eat raw, and what must absolutely be cooked/sprouted before given to a hamster?
---2a) When is a sprouted seed considered "safe"? When it has the long white stringy piece a few inches from the seed, or when it's strong and green after being planted?

The point of sprouting is that the outer protection of the seed (endosperm) is broken down and the seed can "sprout". My understanding is that as long as its opened up and it's tail is coming out, it's considered sprouted. But, if you are going to sprout seeds, please make sure they are seeds specifically for sprouting (if you are buying them) or that they are seeds grown by you and the plants are free of disease. Other seeds may not not be cleaned properly and could have been treated with chemicals (to grow into plants better).

3) There are a few homemade seed mixes often recommended, but I noticed they don't seem to always follow the "flour/oil" ratio (or perhaps, I just don't understand the ratio that well). For example, the mix might be 80:20 flour:oil, but then they break the mix down that shows oil seeds have a higher percentage or presence in the mix than the flour seeds (i.e, 23% flour seeds, 25% oil seeds). Is flour in mixes simply meant to be for variety and not necessarily quantity?

What they really mean by flour/oil ratio is carbohydrate and oil (aka plant fats). The generally accepted ranges are between 60:40-80:20 so it's a pretty wide range. I'd be curious to know which mixes you see that are off, I'd like to look at them myself. I see it more commonly recommended for Syrians to have a lower oil ratio and on the higher end for dwarves.

4) Are grass seeds bad for hamsters? I keep seeing sources that say they are good, but then some hamster owners claim they are bad.
Soon the whole no, grass seeds are not bad for hamsters. They are very good for hamsters. However, certain grass seeds can get infected with fungi or have other issues, such as tall fescue, which is a very common type of cover crop. Fescue is toxic to some grazing animals in large quantities because it's often infected with a type of fungus. Farmers deal with this by mixing fescue with other types of cover crops to lower the intake of the fungi. I think it's safe to assume that it could have the same issue with hamsters if eaten in large quantities compared to their body size. When I put fescue in my homemade seed mix, I specifically went out of my way to find a type of fescue that is free of the toxic fungus. This is not easy to find LOL

5) Here is the first draft of my mix. I'm planning on mixing it 50%/50% with Science Selective (if I get an adult) or Mazuri (younger). Most of this mix is questionable due to my lack of understanding, so be warned, haha.

Ingredients (in order of most to least):
Millet blend (Hulled, Red, White, Japanese, Golden), Dari, Milo, Canary Seed, Hulled Barley, Dill Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Anise Seeds, Gammarus, Alfalfa Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Mung Beans, Brown Lentils, Amaranth, Sesame Seeds, Whole Buckwheat, Rye Grain, Mealworms, Paddy Rice, Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Parsley, Broccoli, Milk Thistle Seeds, Niger/Nyjer Seeds, Farro, Chickpeas, Puffed Rice, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Celery Seed, Safflower Seed, Oat Groats, Soybeans, Quinoa, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Wheat, Flaxseed/Linseed, Dandelion Leaves, Rose Petals, Cornflowers, Calendula Petals, Hibiscus Petals, Sunflower Petals, Spelt.

70:30 flour:oil seeds

43 ingredients (not including similar items), 49 ingredients (including similar items)

The mix itself is:
47% flour seeds, 22.5% oil seeds, 8.5% legumes, 7.5% animal protein, 6% vegetables, 5.5% grass seeds, 3% flowers/herbs

Approximate analysis for 100g is:
Protein: 15.34%
Fat: 8.36%
Fiber: 17.35%
Sugar: 0.47 grams

When mixed with the Science Selective mix (50%/50%), the analysis becomes:
Protein: 17.17%
Fat: 6.68%
Fiber: 11.23%
Sugar: Unsure

I would prefer my mix to be within the recommended analysis before combining with a commercial mix, but it is so difficult to do, lol.

So, did I totally mess up? Haha~

This became longer than expected and I'm sorry for that, but any help would be greatly appreciated!

Your mix looks pretty good for a dwarf, lots of small seeds, which they prefer over large grains. Are your chickpeas cooked or raw? and if it were me, I would skip the lab blocks and increase your animal proteins. Is there a reason beyond the protein intake that you want to use them? Are you avoiding nuts for a particular reason? You can go higher on the far/protein and lower on the fiber in your mix by just adjusting some of the ingredients. In a homemade mix, fats can be as high as 9-12% and that's usually a good thing because of the vitamin absorption.

Hi there,

Welcome to the Clubhouse!
I'll try to respond to all your in bold above...

[SpiralTreat]

Hi, Kikya!

Thank you so much, for the welcome and the response!

Don't feel bad, no one starts out with perfect hamster care. I also a hamster when I was younger and my care wasn't very good. We live and learn =)

Thank you. I know. I still feel so bad, but like you said, it's good to learn from mistakes.

Diabetes in hamsters is more of a genetic condition than brought on by diet in most cases (unless it's just a trash diet and no exercise for the hamster). I'm surprised to hear about a winter white breeder in the US. There aren't many in North America. Honestly, this is not something I would worry about. Either they will have it or not and there's not really a reliable test until they start showing symptoms, such as a pee test (not 100% reliable but better than nothing)

That makes sense. This Winter White breeder (https://www.happyhamstery.com/) just got up and running last year 2023, so there hasn't been enough time to establish a reputation. However, she is getting around, adopting a good bunch to a handful of states already.

The point of sprouting is that the outer protection of the seed (endosperm) is broken down and the seed can "sprout". My understanding is that as long as its opened up and it's tail is coming out, it's considered sprouted. But, if you are going to sprout seeds, please make sure they are seeds specifically for sprouting (if you are buying them) or that they are seeds grown by you and the plants are free of disease. Other seeds may not not be cleaned properly and could have been treated with chemicals (to grow into plants better).

That's so helpful! Thank you very much. All of the ingredients I'll source will be organic, so I'm not too worried about that, though I hope to grow at least some of the ingredients myself once I have the space to save money, lol.

What they really mean by flour/oil ratio is carbohydrate and oil (aka plant fats). The generally accepted ranges are between 60:40-80:20 so it's a pretty wide range. I'd be curious to know which mixes you see that are off, I'd like to look at them myself. I see it more commonly recommended for Syrians to have a lower oil ratio and on the higher end for dwarves.

Oh, I see. I never knew there was a ratio difference recommended for Syrians and dwarves. The mixes I looked at were dwarf-specific, so maybe that's why the oil percentage was higher than the flour? It was the fortified dwarf hamster and regular seed mixes by Robin's Gourmet Food (https://www.etsy.com/listing/866353357/ ... mster-food / https://www.etsy.com/listing/886663426/ ... rf-hamster). The regular seed mixes of Syrians and Robos have the flour higher than the oil, but the Russian/Chinese mixes have a higher oil percentage.

Soon the whole no, grass seeds are not bad for hamsters. They are very good for hamsters. However, certain grass seeds can get infected with fungi or have other issues, such as tall fescue, which is a very common type of cover crop. Fescue is toxic to some grazing animals in large quantities because it's often infected with a type of fungus. Farmers deal with this by using mixing fescue with other types of cover crops to lower the intake of the fungi. I think it's safe to assume that it could have the same issue with hamsters if eaten in large quantities compared to their body size. When I put fescue in my homemade seed mix, I specifically went out of my way to find a type of fescue that is free of the toxic fungus. This is not easy to find LOL

Oooh, gotcha. I have been unable to find any grass seeds that are not intended for planting (which is why they're not in my mix, sigh...except canary, from bird seed), so I can't imagine trying to find a safe fescue, haha~

Your mix looks pretty good for a dwarf, lots of small seeds, which they prefer over large grains. Are your chickpeas cooked or raw? and if it were me, I would skip the lab blocks and increase your animal proteins. Is there a reason beyond the protein intake that you want to use them? Are you avoiding nuts for a particular reason? You can go higher on the far/protein and lower on the fiber in your mix by just adjusting some of the ingredients. In a homemade mix, fats can be as high as 9-12% and that's usually a good thing because of the vitamin absorption.

Thank you! I thought I was completely off the mark, LOL.

1) Sadly, chickpeas are one of the items I've been confused about. Most sources say they need to be cooked, but often-recommended seed mix videos (such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeBEiscdlls) show raw chickpeas being added to the mix...so I have no idea yet.

2) I've always seen lab blocks/pellets recommended to feed alongside seed mixes to provide an adequate amount of micronutrients, assuming vitamin supplements aren't being added to the mix. I was afraid of nutrient deficiency, so I added the pellets, but if they're not needed after all, I'd love to add more animal protein.

3) I heard nuts, while nutritious, were more of a treat since they're very fattening. Like a tiny bit each day or a tiny bit twice a week, which is quite a range. So I thought it was safer to keep them out of a regular seed mix that would be scatter-fed 2-3 times a week (depending on how fast hammy eats).

What I've come across in my research:
Fat has a recommended range, but should be as low as possible, which is why I didn't add nuts or sunflower/pumpkin/hemp seeds to the mix (and also added pellets to help keep the fat down. Amazing how fattening oil seeds are, haha~)
Sugar is very bad for dwarves and should be given as a treat only, but even then, something very low in sugar.
Nuts: Treat only, in tiny amounts.
Quinoa & Rice: Varied opinions of needing to be cooked or not cooked...
Mung Beans: Must be sprouted.
Soybeans: Must be cooked.
Chickpeas: Most say cooked, a few use raw...
Lentils: Must be cooked. Hamsters may not be able to digest as well as other things, but brown lentils seem to be a safe consensus.

My worry is anything going moldy or rotten in my mix or in hammy's enclosure. Dehydrating veggies isn't a problem, but if I have to cook anything, is it possible to dehydrate it afterwards before adding it to the mix, or should they be fed separately? And can sprouted seeds "go bad"?

[Kikya]

1) Sadly, chickpeas are one of the items I've been confused about. Most sources say they need to be cooked, but often-recommended seed mix videos (such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeBEiscdlls) show raw chickpeas being added to the mix...so I have no idea yet.

So I've never seen this video before so I can't really speak to that, although I will watch it later after work.

However, chickpeas and legumes in general are better for you when cooked. This is because of the high amount of anti-nutrients which block nutrient absorption. I personally don't feed chickpeas because I don't want to cook them and I don't want to serve them raw. If I did as an occasional treat, I would cook them and serve fresh.

Some types of beans, lentils are safe to feed raw in smaller quantities. However, I keep the total of all varieties to less than 5% of the mix because personally, I don't find Syrians or dwarves particularly enjoy them. One of my hamsters never ate them and just left them all over her cage. People use them to boost variety and because they have some protein, but I never found that my hamsters enjoyed them much.

2) I've always seen lab blocks/pellets recommended to feed alongside seed mixes to provide an adequate amount of micronutrients, assuming vitamin supplements aren't being added to the mix. I was afraid of nutrient deficiency, so I added the pellets, but if they're not needed after all, I'd love to add more animal protein.

You can use lab blocks but many people don't. They are not very high quality, they are basically trash food from the animal agriculture industry with a bunch of low quality lab created vitamins mixed in. I haven't ever used them with my hamsters. What I do instead is make sure my hamsters have a lot of variety in their diet. I've used a mix of foods I wanted to try/review such as Chubby Hamster Cheeks or other brands. Here's a link to my reasoning why: Here and here.

3) I heard nuts, while nutritious, were more of a treat since they're very fattening. Like a tiny bit each day or a tiny bit twice a week, which is quite a range. So I thought it was safer to keep them out of a regular seed mix that would be scatter-fed 2-3 times a week (depending on how fast hammy eats).

Fat is not the devil some people make it out to be. Fat is essential for skin and hair health, production of hormones, and for absorption of nutrients. In homemade mixes, I've come to believe it's even more important. For a commercial mix with some kind of pellet, most fat is recommended to be less than 6-7% but for homemade mixes the usual recommendations are between 9-12%. You can always add them to your mix then pick some out when you want to use something as a treat. Pumpkin seeds are awesome and I love giving those as treats.

People also overblow the sugar risk for dwarves as well. An occasionally treat of a fresh blueberry or strawberry will not cause diabetes. The main thing you want to avoid is dehydrated fruit because it's super concentrated.

I fed nuts regularly as treats about once a week. Walnuts, cashews or the occasional peanut. I like using them as boredom breakers and teeth wearing down. The same people who tell you nuts are too fatty, will give their hamster a whimzee which is basically pure hamster junk food.

You can certainly cook lentils and redehydrate them if that's an option for you. What I've done in the past is soak them, drain the water and rinse, then dehydrate. Rinsing after draining is key to washing away the anti nutrients. But now I'm a bit too lazy for that with multiple hamsters so I using just feed fresh if I do. I wouldn't try this with sprouted foods though. I only soak and rinse once.

What I've come across in my research:
Fat has a recommended range, but should be as low as possible, which is why I didn't add nuts or sunflower/pumpkin/hemp seeds to the mix (and also added pellets to help keep the fat down. Amazing how fattening oil seeds are, haha~)
Sugar is very bad for dwarves and should be given as a treat only, but even then, something very low in sugar.
Nuts: Treat only, in tiny amounts.
Quinoa & Rice: Varied opinions of needing to be cooked or not cooked...
Mung Beans: Must be sprouted.
Soybeans: Must be cooked.
Chickpeas: Most say cooked, a few use raw...
Lentils: Must be cooked. Hamsters may not be able to digest as well as other things, but brown lentils seem to be a safe consensus.

My worry is anything going moldy or rotten in my mix or in hammy's enclosure. Dehydrating veggies isn't a problem, but if I have to cook anything, is it possible to dehydrate it afterwards before adding it to the mix, or should they be fed separately? And can sprouted seeds "go bad"?

Yes, they can go bad. They are best used within 5 days of sprouting.

[SpiralTreat]

So I've never seen this video before so I can't really speak to that, although I will watch it later after work.

However, chickpeas and legumes in general are better for you when cooked. This is because of the high amount of anti-nutrients which block nutrient absorption. I personally don't feed chickpeas because I don't want to cook them and I don't want to serve them raw. If I did as an occasional treat, I would cook them and serve fresh.

Some types of beans, lentils are safe to feed raw in smaller quantities. However, I keep the total of all varieties to less than 5% of the mix because personally, I don't find Syrians or dwarves particularly enjoy them. One of my hamsters never ate them and just left them all over her cage. People use them to boost variety and because they have some protein, but I never found that my hamsters enjoyed them much.

I see. I'll keep that in mind. I know each hamster is different and what yours may not have liked doesn't necessarily mean mine won't as well, but if the majority of your hamsters didn't like them, the likelihood of lentils being a necessity in my mix is quite low. I'll try to feed fresh lentils to hammy separately to see if he/she is interested before adding it to the mix.

You can use lab blocks but many people don't. They are not very high quality, they are basically trash food from the animal agriculture industry with a bunch of low quality lab created vitamins mixed in. I haven't ever used them with my hamsters. What I do instead is make sure my hamsters have a lot of variety in their diet. I've used a mix of foods I wanted to try/review such as Chubby Hamster Cheeks or other brands. Here's a link to my reasoning why: Here and here.

A lot of people put so much emphasis on how boring feeding only lab blocks/pellets is for a hamster--yet also emphasize the risk of nutrient deficiency by not feeding lab blocks/pellets--that it didn't occur to me how low-quality pellets actually are regardless of brand/product. I'm happy, though, because feeding a seed mix with fresh veggies was my ideal routine, so this helps a lot.

Fat is not the devil some people make it out to be. Fat is essential for skin and hair health, production of hormones, and for absorption of nutrients. In homemade mixes, I've come to believe it's even more important. For a commercial mix with some kind of pellet, most fat is recommended to be less than 6-7% but for homemade mixes the usual recommendations are between 9-12%. You can always add them to your mix then pick some out when you want to use something as a treat. Pumpkin seeds are awesome and I love giving those as treats.

People also overblow the sugar risk for dwarves as well. An occasionally treat of a fresh blueberry or strawberry will not cause diabetes. The main thing you want to avoid is dehydrated fruit because it's super concentrated.

I fed nuts regularly as treats about once a week. Walnuts, cashews or the occasional peanut. I like using them as boredom breakers and teeth wearing down. The same people who tell you nuts are too fatty, will give their hamster a whimzee which is basically pure hamster junk food.

That's a relief. It was overwhelming choosing ingredients and then dividing it all in a way that had such a low fat percentage but high protein. I was nearly pulling my hair out, LOL. The sugar is also nice (would love to give a fruity treat once in a while). All of this truly lifts a weight off my shoulders. Thank you so much!

You can certainly cook lentils and redehydrate them if that's an option for you. What I've done in the past is soak them, drain the water and rinse, then dehydrate. Rinsing after draining is key to washing away the anti nutrients. But now I'm a bit too lazy for that with multiple hamsters so I using just feed fresh if I do. I wouldn't try this with sprouted foods though. I only soak and rinse once.

Oh, so I would do this for already-cooked lentils or lentils I previously dehydrated? Very interesting! Would this lead to a longer shelf life (like two weeks or so), or it is still about a 5-day limit?

I reworked my mix with your feedback. Opting for a seed mix I can safely store long-term, I took out the veggies and legumes and will offer those things (as well as nuts) fresh and/or as a treat/boredom breaker. If redehydrating lentils offer a longer shelf life, then I may add that into the mix. Otherwise, I'll wait for hammy to give lentils a try separately before adding a few raw ones to the mix.

For now, how's this?

Ingredients:
Canary Seed, Dari, Golden Millet, Millet Seeds, Barley, Red Millet, Milo, Gammarus, BSF Larvae, Mealworms, White Millet, Japanese Millet, Safflower Seeds, Buckwheat, Anise Seeds, Dill Seeds, Alfafa Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Amaranth, Paddy Rice, Nigerseed, Farro, Oat Groats, Celery Seeds, Milk Thistle Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Watercress, Sunflower Petals, Quinoa, Rye, Cumin Seeds, Marigold Flowers (Calendula), Hibiscus Flowers, Wheat, Cornflowers, Rice (Puffed), Rose Petals, Dandelion Leaves, Sunflower Seeds (Striped), Coriander Seeds, Spelt, Flax Seeds (Brown Linseed), Pumpkin Seeds (Shelled), Hemp Seeds.

70:30 flour:oil

Protein: 17.26 %
Fat: 11.07 %
Fiber: 10.12 %

38 non-similar ingredients.