Hamster Clubhouse

I bought Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend from Petland.

Listed Prices
Petland: $21.91 for 1.13 kg / 2.5 pounds. (December 2024.)


There's also Higgins Vita Garden Hamster & Gerbil Food from Petland. I've bought both kinds. Vita Garden looks like it has smaller things in it. It must have less of something important to cost less. I would go for the Sunburst Gourmet blend if you can get it, although Vita Garden is still decent.

Listed Prices
Petland: $15.47 for 1.13 kg / 2.5 pounds. (December 2024.)


Both Higgins mixes are advertised for hamsters and gerbils, but they're still good mixes. I find that my hamsters have been interested in them! Higgins is also owned by the same company that makes the Versele-Laga mixes. It says "A Versele-Laga company." on the back of the Vita Garden bag that I have. I didn't notice that before. I don't know if that means they have similar sources of their ingredients or not.

On the ingredients list, they say "Contains a source of live (viable) naturally-occurring microorganisms." So I don't know if that means if we freeze it, that will kill those (presumably good/healthy) microorganisms? I normally freeze new mixes for a day.
Ingredients
White Millet, Oats, Sun-Cured Timothy Hay, Wheat, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Hay, Corn, Sunflower Seeds, Red Milo, Flaked Peas, Flaked Beans, Peanuts, Yellow Peas, Flaked Carrots, Flaked Corn, Soybean Hulls, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Pumpkin Seeds, Coconut, Raisins, Soybean Meal, Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Cashews, Papaya, Pineapple, Salt, Flaxseed, Vegetable Oil, Color Added (Algae Meal), Soybean Oil, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Potassium Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein - Min. 15.0%
Crude Fat - Min. 7.0%
Crude Fiber - Max. 9.5%
Moisture - Max. 11.5%
Vitamin A - Min. 8,000 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Min. 0.40%
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) - Min. 0.03%
Total Lactic Acid Bacteria - Min. 2 x 105 cfu/g (Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei)
Contains a source of live (viable) naturally-occurring microorganisms.

Ingredients
White Millet, Wheat, Red Milo, Corn, Oats, Sun-Cured Timothy Hay, Sunflower Seeds, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Flaked Beans, Flaked Peas, Peanuts, Yellow Peas, Soybean Hulls, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Soybean Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed, Salt, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Algae Meal, Soybean Oil, Hemicellulose Extract, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Potassium Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein - Min. 15.0%
Crude Fat - Min. 6.5%
Crude Fiber - Max. 11.0%
Moisture - Max. 11.0%
Vitamin A - Min. 8,000 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Min. 0.40%
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) - Min. 0.03%
Total Lactic Acid Bacteria - Min. 2 x 105 cfu/g
(Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei)
Contains a source of live (viable) naturally-occurring microorganisms.


***
In alphabetical order, I'd say these have been the top food mixes I've found in major pet stores in Canada:
Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Hamster & Gerbil Food. Petland.
Higgins Vita Garden Hamster & Gerbil Food. Petland.
Versele-Laga Nature Hamster Food. Petland and Petvalu.
Vitakraft Sunseed Vita Prima: Hamster & Gerbil Food. Petland.
Vitakraft Vita Smart Complete Nutrition Natural Forage Blend Hamster Food. Petsmart.

It is hard to get your hands on good quality food here in Canada, especially in not so populated places like western Canada. I have looked on Etsy but it is very expensive to buy homemade hamster food. I have used Higgins Sunburst for years as it is the best pet store food I can get my hands on. I also add in mealworms, and freeze-dried chicken. I also want to start adding some mazuri rat and mouse blocks. The most convenient and cheapest place to buy Higgins is at Petland. You can also purchase from Global Pet Foods, but I have not been there in years so I am not sure if they still carry.

I agree, it’s not easy finding truly good mixes in Canada without paying a small fortune for shipping. I’ve also used Higgins Sunburst and had good luck with it — my hamster actually eats most of it instead of picking around. I think adding mealworms or Mazuri blocks is a smart way to boost the protein too. It would be nice if more Canadian stores carried a wider range of hamster-specific foods instead of us having to rely on just a couple of options.

"On the ingredients list, they say "Contains a source of live (viable) naturally-occurring microorganisms." So I don't know if that means if we freeze it, that will kill those (presumably good/healthy) microorganisms? I normally freeze new mixes for a day."

With regards to freezing the probiotics in the hamster food.

According to the below link, 2 of the Lactobacillus strains do well with freezing. The article did not mention the 3rd strain. It did mention a strain that does not do well with freezing but it is not in the Higgins hamster food.

https://guthealthimprovement.com/does-f ... robiotics/

Hope this helps.