This is the Esty shop I purchased from:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HamsterlifeProducts
I purchased the trial pack of all three dwarf mixes. Hamsterlife has three types of dwarf mixes, the Regular Menu, the Unique Menu, and the Balance Menu. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by all three mixes. Like the Syrian mixes, this wasn't just a base mix with small tweaks. Each one had a very unique recipe and look, with a very specific purpose.
Starting with the Regular Menu mix. This mix had a great combination of Dwarf friendly grass seeds, flower seeds, vegetable seeds and herbs, as well as a higher amount and variety of insects which would be in a wild dwarf diet. I would think of this as a good mix for a young dwarf hamster or an older dwarf with no health issues. No large grain seeds, such as wheat or rye, which I find with my dwarfs at least, they will ignore, but small seeds with a good amount of caloric density for a high energy hamster like a dwarf or robo. No dried fruits, dried vegetables or legumes in this mix.
Ingredients:
Millet (white, yellow, red, Japan, Senegal), buckwheat, pointed seed, safflower seed, nettle cut, grass seed, sesame seed, barley, milo, dari, milk thistle seed, rosehip seed, spinach seed, coneflower cut, hemp seed, silkworm, gammarus, niger seed, carrot seeds, linseed, mealworms, turnip rape, blue poppy, perilla, lettuce seeds, evening primrose seeds.
Then I opened the Unique Menu mix. I believe this mix is formulated for dwarf hamsters with diabetes. What's interesting about this mix is it's not just your same old dwarf mix with a few fenugreek seeds thrown in to say it's diabetic friendly etc. The mix actually took care to put in more seeds in that have a low glycemic index while still providing a good amount of variety, edible herbs and flowers. No dried fruits, dried vegetables or legumes in this mix. However, it does have hazelnut leaves and I could not find out if the leaves of hazelnuts would cause allergies for humans such as hazelnuts themselves, but I thought I would point this out for people with treenut allergies.
Ingredients:
Pointed seeds, grass seeds, sesame, while millet, buckwheat, safflower, mealworms, turnip rape, sunflower seeds, linseeds, red millet, Senegal millet, gammarus, Japanese millet, yellow millet, red dari, spinach seeds, barley, chickweed, marigold blossoms, coneflower, broad plantain, lady's mantle, buckhorn, hazelnut leaves, hemp seed, cornflower blossoms, daises, mallow blossoms, sunflower leaves.
Finally, I looked at the Balance Menu mix. This mix suggests that it for dwarf hamsters who are overweight. This is especially a problem for dwarf hamsters in the US who eat the same mix as a Syrian hamster (looking at you, Higgins Sunburst >.>) and eat too many sunflower seeds, wheat, corn etc. I recently adopted a Robo who was 60+ grams, he was so big at first glance, I thought they called him Robo by accident. I feel like this is the mix I will give to him and see how he likes it. It looks like it's got a lower proportion of fatty seeds, higher amount of grass seeds but still with some fat and insect protein. No dried fruits, dried vegetables or legumes in this mix.
Ingredients:
Grass seed, spinach seed, buckwheat, yellow millet, Senegal millet, weed seed, hemp seed, Japanese millet, red millet, white millet, carrot seed, hibiscus blossom, gammarus, chamomile blossom, peppermint leaves, lemon balm, turnip rape, calendula blossom, cornflower blossom, rose petals, pointed seed, niger seed, blue poppy, perilla brown, lettuce seed, thistle seed, cabbage seed, linseed, sesame seed, evening primrose seed.
All three of these mixes had a fresh smell and appealing look to them. When I gave the Unique Menu to my two Robos, they snatched it up like it was going out of style. These mixes have ingredients more commonly found in European homemade mixes than US ones so I was happy to see them for myself and I was impressed with a high variety of seeds without the number bloat of dried fruits or veggies or legumes on the ingredient list. I feel like if I want to give those things, I want them fresh, not dried without needing to worry about how many are in the mix itself. All in all, I really liked these mixes and would love to hear if anyone else has tried the dwarf mixes.
