6 replies to this topic

[Silktail]

As part of my personal goal of learning about every animal we sell at work to the point that I could set up any beginner, I'm trying to figure out all my best options within my store to offer to customers for mice. I am struggling a little with food.

PetSmart's All Living Things lab blocks for mice and rats actually make pretty decent hamster lab blocks if you are willing to trust the likely fact that they are nutritionally complete for hamsters. I trust the ALT Power of 5 mouse/rat lab block is safe because it and the hamster one used to be identical before hamster one was reformulated to be a dupe of Oxbow hamster food.

Anyways, from what I've read, mice should have only 12-14% protein in order to prevent hot spots and kidney damage. Those lab blocks are way over that, being 18% and 21%. I read on a very old looking forum that many people feed their mice certain brands of parakeet food, with Sunseed being most popular.

I don't think work would appreciate me telling people to feed their mice parakeet food even if that is a standard in the hobby. Otherwise, Higgins Sunburst seems like an okay option since my work does not carry Vitakraft Sunseed. My next best option in store is Brown's Tropical Carnival for Hamster/Gerbil (normal version, NOT natural). I know this is notorious for being a bad hamster seed mix because it's only 12.5% protein, but I've read on that website this is also a popular choice. Before recommending it, I just want to make sure what I was finding wasn't outdated information.

As for foods my store does not carry . . . Is White Mill Pure hamster food a good mouse food? They do have a rat food too, but neither hamster nor rat says it's also for mice and the hamster one just seems like a better fit.

Edited by Silktail, 06 December 2021 - 10:56 AM.

[Robin~]

Higgins Sunburst (either their hamster or mouse mix work) is pretty good. I wouldn’t use all living things’s pellets due to their high protein content and lack of variety; if you come across someone who insists on using a pellet Oxbow’s adult rat pellets are really good.

Here’s an article I wrote a while back compiling some commercial foods I found and ranking them. It’s a little out of date for my taste but it’s still mostly accurate imo.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tlKugiWbxFFnE8uz-wEooidh_BZRLO6-bZWO4C_cdjs/edit

[Silktail]

Higgins Sunburst (either their hamster or mouse mix work) is pretty good. I wouldn’t use all living things’s pellets due to their high protein content and lack of variety; if you come across someone who insists on using a pellet Oxbow’s adult rat pellets are really good.

Here’s an article I wrote a while back compiling some commercial foods I found and ranking them. It’s a little out of date for my taste but it’s still mostly accurate imo.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tlKugiWbxFFnE8uz-wEooidh_BZRLO6-bZWO4C_cdjs/edit

Thank you! I see the tropical carnival food I mentioned is on your recommended list and is something my store carries, so I can gladly recommend this to customers . Should be easy since it's a cheaper food too lol.

Would Brown's Tropical Carnival hamster/gerbil be a good hamster seed mix if it weren't for the crazy low protein?

[Robin~]

Thank you! I see the tropical carnival food I mentioned is on your recommended list and is something my store carries, so I can gladly recommend this to customers . Should be easy since it's a cheaper food too lol.

Would Brown's Tropical Carnival hamster/gerbil be a good hamster seed mix if it weren't for the crazy low protein?

It’s hard to say, I’m not a fan of the wacky colors and crazy shapes in it that are basically there to appeal to children but the variety is decent so it wouldn’t be a terrible option. I’d still favor Higgins regardless of protein content due to its overall quality.

[Silktail]

It’s hard to say, I’m not a fan of the wacky colors and crazy shapes in it that are basically there to appeal to children but the variety is decent so it wouldn’t be a terrible option. I’d still favor Higgins regardless of protein content due to its overall quality.

Yeah I don't like gimmicky stuff either.

This is totally unrelated, but since I am talking to you . . . I currently feed my hamster mazuri + vitakraft vitasmart. I know that's not the best seed mix. The second half I have of the mix is sitting in my fridge with no add-ins. When I get to that bag, I want to make the mix better by adding one of your foods. Which adult robo food of yours should I add and should I use the 500g or 100g amount? I do have animal proteins I can mix in myself (I have freeze dried chicken and a reptile treat mix of mealworms, crickets, and shrimp).

Edit: to clarify I have 2lbs of mazuri + vitakraft in the fridge not used yet

Edited by Silktail, 08 December 2021 - 10:59 AM.

[Robin~]

Yeah I don't like gimmicky stuff either.

This is totally unrelated, but since I am talking to you . . . I currently feed my hamster mazuri + vitakraft vitasmart. I know that's not the best seed mix. The second half I have of the mix is sitting in my fridge with no add-ins. When I get to that bag, I want to make the mix better by adding one of your foods. Which adult robo food of yours should I add and should I use the 500g or 100g amount? I do have animal proteins I can mix in myself (I have freeze dried chicken and a reptile treat mix of mealworms, crickets, and shrimp).

Edit: to clarify I have 2lbs of mazuri + vitakraft in the fridge not used yet

What ratio do you have Vitakraft and Mazuri mixed as? I’m assuming 1:1 since both come in 2 lb bags, but just making sure.

If you did have equal parts of each and would mix 500g in with that you’d get a mix that’s about equal parts of each, which would come to a good GA.

[Silktail]

What ratio do you have Vitakraft and Mazuri mixed as? I’m assuming 1:1 since both come in 2 lb bags, but just making sure.

If you did have equal parts of each and would mix 500g in with that you’d get a mix that’s about equal parts of each, which would come to a good GA.

Okay, thanks! And yes it's a 1:1 mix.