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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Dec 9, 2005 11:55:48 GMT -8
I have frequently given my gerbils hamster food! Hamster food is good for gerbils too. Special gerbil food is not everywhere available and than is hamster food a very good replacement. Hamsters and gerbils are quite the same when it comes to feeding needs.
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Dec 10, 2005 0:30:02 GMT -8
no
Too much fatty seed and nuts (sunflower and pumpkin seeds, peanuts) will.
If the mix seems a little high in fat, or gerbils seem podgy, mix soem rolled/porridge oats into the mix and measure the amount so they have what they need and no more. That way they can't pick and choose their favourite bits (usually the ones that make then fat, just like us).
Gerbils need 10-15g, depending on size and appetite, a day.
One tip:Try measuring their feed and keeping an eye on how much is eaten. Vary the weight for each cage depending on how much they eat. Then get a disposable cup and mark on it the amount for that cage so instead of measuring you can just fill the cip to that line.
Remember to watch how much is eaten and vary amounts as needed, individuals requirements may vary through their lives.
If you wish to mix your own feed take time to research the nutritional needs and find out the right percentage of each ingredient.
By pallet I assume you mean pellet..do you mena the extruded biscuits or the compacted dark green [alfalfa?] pellets? These are often not eaten by gerbils. One explanation I have heard is that winter alfalfa is used for rodent feed pellets and it is bitter. Apparently horse pellets use the sweet spring alfalfa and are therefore more palatable. I haven't put this to the test but if you can get hold of a handful of horse alfalfa pellets I'd be intertested to hear what they think of them.
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Post by paws on Dec 10, 2005 8:21:42 GMT -8
This sounds like an OK food, but if this is a mix of the three, I would reccomend mixing oatmeal into it, and measuring what you give them. That's just my opinion. If you can find a local petstore with just rodent food, that would be better. Rabbits are not even rodents!  My gerbils often don't eat the pellets, I've even tasted them, they just taste boring and tasteless, I can understand the dislike.  HAYLEY |
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