Adding Oxbow to Tropical Carnival?

[horselover]

Would there be any benefit to adding Oxbow food to the Tropical Carnival that I currently use? If so, in what proportions? Thanks!

[Demonic Hope]

I do it. I like it because it helps with selective feeding. They tend to eat the Oxbow last. So if I see the Oxbow gone then its time to refill. Plus I believe Tropical Harvest and Oxbow help balance each other out.

I've used one bag of Oxbow to one bag of Tropical Harvest.

[chakotay]

I mix Oxbow and Tropical Carnival too. My girls enjoy the variety.

[banditcuster]

I use both in my mix, they seem to like it.

[rhianna]

I really like the health factor of Oxbow, and adding it to their diet is a good idea, if you can get them to eat it. I tried it mixed in with the TC a while ago and they wouldn't touch it. Some people have more luck with it though. I might try it again, since it's a really healthy food.

[mothman]

I came to search for info on this very question, wondering about transitioning my new gerbils from Oxbow to Tropical Carnival, wondering about how to do so.... seeing this, perhaps I'll just mix them 50/50 and leave it at that.

A question though... if I do this (mix the foods), once I run out, am I setting myself up to "have to" continue mixing the two foods? Or could I then simply stop adding the Oxbow and still have happy gerbils?

Also, what is it about the Oxbow that makes it so healthy? The reason i want to switch from it to TC is that TC seems so much more interesting, plus I figure I ca use parts of it (seeds) as treats while taming.

[mothman]

Update on this question....

I went ahead and bought a bag of Tropical Carnival to try it, and mixed it with the Oxbow.

Both gerbils took to the TC right away, and seem to enjoy it. They do eat selectively, but after a 24 hour period, a good portion of the TC is gone, so they do eat *most* of the mix.

However, from day 1 of mixing the TC with the Oxbow, they seem to be completely ignoring the Oxbow.

Initially on getting the gerbils I was feeding the two of them between 2.5 and 3 tablespoons of Oxbow per day,and after 24 hours, there would be about 1 Tbs of food left in the bowl, give or take, which i take it is a good amount of feeding on the gerbils part.

In adding the TC, I basically mix it 50/50, Oxbow/TC (although there is probably more TC in the mix as it 'packs' more densely in the scoop, being smaller pieces), and still feed a total of 2.5 to 3 tablespoons.

Now, after a 24 hour period, the majority of the TC is gone (mostly just the little seedy bits left), and the majority (maybe all) of the Oxbow is still in the bowl.

I've tried leaving that Oxbow even longer, without adding more food, and it remains untouched. eg. I last gave them new food yesterday morning, and this morning the food bowl is mostly Oxbow... I'll leave that until tonight after work, and the Oxbow will appear untouched.

Is there any point leaving it even longer, to try to 'force' them to eat the Oxbow? Or do I just accept the fact that they have moved away from the Oxbow, prefer the TC, and just toss the rest of the Oxbow bag in the trash?

I had wanted to mix them to try to improve the balanced nutrition in case one gerbil is more aggressive with taking the best bits of the TC... but if they both ignore the Oxbow, then I guess there's no point?

[banditcuster]

Mothman, this is a late response to you but. I when I feed a mix of foods I leave it till all of the mix is gone, that includes the oxbow because it does help improve the balance when gerbils are being picky about what part of the seed mix they are eating or can eat with their buddy also eating food. Leaving food till it is gone will help reduce what you are tossing out, and it will help curb them being fussy eaters even if it takes them a little while to suck it up and eat the oxbow.

[mothman]

Thanks for that Buster, one thing I'm unsure of, and asked this in another thread too, is that I'm unsure of how to balance leaving the food til it's gone (or mostly gone), which is easy enough, with the recommendation to always have food available to the gerbils.

How 'strict' is that always have food bit? Say I wake up in the morning and there is a bit of food left, so I leave it, and they eat it that morning, then are left with nothing til I get home from work in the evening...?

[daisy]

I'm confused. When I got my gerbils, they had been eating Oxbow and I kept them on it. I some time sprinkle a little Bonanza food around so they can forage. Other than that, I give them seeds and a little broccoli or cucumber or things like that from time to time. Is there any reason to vary the Oxbow. I thought it was the best since it is a solid ring and the gerbils can't select out what they like best and leave other pieces behind.

Help.

[Thelodar]

I feed both Oxbow and tropical carnival but I don't mix them. I feed Oxbow in the evening and TC in the morning. They eat all of the oxbow and most of the TC (they don't like everything in it).

You do not have to feed multiple foods so long as the nutrient profile of whatever you are feeding are at good levels for gerbils. I like to feed TC simply because I like the idea of them having a variety. Others mix foods because one food might have a little too much protein/fat/whatever, the other not quite enough, so by mixing they sort of balance each other out. But I don't think there is anything wrong with feeding just oxbow.