154 replies to this topic

[ILoveMyRobos]

This is a great series of threads, and thank you so much for the work you have put in to creating this- I've found these threads really helpful in answering my questions about hamster diets, and I'm sure many other members have too

[nebit]

I added this.  It was not terribly easy to make, and I worry that it's confusing, but it might be worth a shot.  

I love it! worked well for me.

 

And I should never assume something I don't have the skills to do myself will be easy, sorry about that!   

[bobthealien]

Awesome, thank you!

[old bird]

This will be brilliant for me..
Thanks

[Rodent Zoo]

The GA Calculator is so helpful!!

[Its a Hammies World]

I found out the percentages, but I don't know the finishing weight I should use. Anyone got any ideas? I have a robo dwarf of that helps you make your decision

Edited by Its a Hammies World, 13 July 2015 - 07:32 AM.

[LittleHams]

 I calculated a diet of 50% Vitakraft Vitanature, 40% Mazuri rat and mouse lab blocks, and 10% Oxbow pellets. I realized that to get the GA listed was for if you were to mix that amount of food together to to create a seed mix. (My dwarf gets 1tbs of food when I fill his dish, which is equal to about 15 grams) Instead of creating a mix, I would rather put in his dish the equivalent of 7.5 grams of Vitakraft, then find out how many Mazuri pellets are equal to 6 grams, and then find out how many Oxbow pellets are equal to 1.5 grams. (Sorry if what I said didn't make sense!) Anyway, I wondered if doing that would give the same GA. I would prefer doing that than mixing the foods into one big tub.

[HamsterFluff1978]

I am a little confused on calculating my mix, I have vitasmart & hazel hamster I ended up mixing both bags in a storage food container and I just use a small coffee scoop and put it in his bowl so how would I know he is getting the proper protein, fat & fiber

[nebit]

I am a little confused on calculating my mix, I have vitasmart & hazel hamster I ended up mixing both bags in a storage food container and I just use a small coffee scoop and put it in his bowl so how would I know he is getting the proper protein, fat & fiber

You wouldn't. Although if you used full bags and the OLD (18%) Hazel formula, it would be-

17% Protein, 4% Fat, 10% Fiber

 

Using the NEW formula it would be-

16% protein

3.5% Fat

9% fiber

[Fancifulfoxling]

I love this guide! Quick question though. So I understand the calculating percentages based on weight and all that, but how much weight should their diet be in total? I don't want to overfeed my syrian hamster or anything but i feel that adding on all the mixes and extras can end up being a lot without a baseline to go off of.

[Taxonomist]

I love this guide! Quick question though. So I understand the calculating percentages based on weight and all that, but how much weight should their diet be in total? I don't want to overfeed my syrian hamster or anything but i feel that adding on all the mixes and extras can end up being a lot without a baseline to go off of.

 

It varies by hamster.  My dwarfs have historically eaten 4 - 6 grams per day, and my Syrians around 6 - 8 grams per day.

 

That said, hamsters do not overeat - they simply lack the instinct to do so.  They eat exactly what they need to.  Even if they are overfed, it's a simple matter of leaving the food in the cage until it's finished.  Hamster food, being dry, is fairly stable and can safely be in the open for a day or so without any serious harmful effects (though this doesn't mean it should be left out indefinitely).

 

Regarding the mixes being a lot, what many people do is mix up large "batches" and then just feed individual portions from that, rather than hand-mixing the food every single day.  Granted, I personally prefer hand-mixing each portion, but I package about 24 servings individually so I don't have to do it daily.

[Fancifulfoxling]

It varies by hamster.  My dwarfs have historically eaten 4 - 6 grams per day, and my Syrians around 6 - 8 grams per day.
 
That said, hamsters do not overeat - they simply lack the instinct to do so.  They eat exactly what they need to.  Even if they are overfed, it's a simple matter of leaving the food in the cage until it's finished.  Hamster food, being dry, is fairly stable and can safely be in the open for a day or so without any serious harmful effects (though this doesn't mean it should be left out indefinitely).
 
Regarding the mixes being a lot, what many people do is mix up large "batches" and then just feed individual portions from that, rather than hand-mixing the food every single day.  Granted, I personally prefer hand-mixing each portion, but I package about 24 servings individually so I don't have to do it daily.

Thank you! I don't mind hand mixing daily. I'm thinking of pre making individual packages also.

[AdriannaNoel]

Hi! I'm new to this forum. The links for the calculators are not working for me and the manual one is a bit confusing. I know the two foods I have are not the best but it's what I can get for now. I picked out a very large young teddy bear long haired Syrian female from petco and am going to get her Wednesday. The two foods I orfmdered get are the oxbow pellets and the vitakraft vita smart complete nutrition. Could anyone please help me in tablespoons or teaspoons, how much I should feed her and how often? Thanks in advance! I am only 13 and this is my first hamster so I'm sorry if any of this sounds dumb, I just would really like to the best for her that I can!

[lowkey~queen23]

That's why it's not working.  The words are supposed to stay there--they are labels.  The blank area to the right of the words is where you enter the numbers.

i made a really good diet with this idea but i dont have a scale to measure it . i dont know what kind of scale to get because Food 1 was oxbow and that has one pound of food in it. so i put 1 pound but i dont know what scale to use. a grams scale or a pounds scale . i know it sounds stupid but i need to know so when i get my hamster i know how to make its diet . 

[lowkey~queen23]

Hi! I'm new to this forum. The links for the calculators are not working for me and the manual one is a bit confusing. I know the two foods I have are not the best but it's what I can get for now. I picked out a very large young teddy bear long haired Syrian female from petco and am going to get her Wednesday. The two foods I orfmdered get are the oxbow pellets and the vitakraft vita smart complete nutrition. Could anyone please help me in tablespoons or teaspoons, how much I should feed her and how often? Thanks in advance! I am only 13 and this is my first hamster so I'm sorry if any of this sounds dumb, I just would really like to the best for her that I can!

all i know is that its easir to use a scale but i have a simmular problem