throwing out food

[downtown]

Is there a point at which the food should be discarded and replaced, or should we wait until it is almost gone, so they eat more of the healthy bits? When I had gerbils as a child, I thought they ate everything I gave them, but these ones don't seem to be. Of course if we wait long enough they will be forced to eat it, but I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do. This food is different from what was available in the late 1970's!

[RitzieAnn]

From all that I've read, there's what I do.

The average gerbil will eat one table spoon of food each day.

I feed my gerbil by the 1/4 cup. 1 scoop for geach gerbil in the tank. When the girls' food dish is down to JUST alfalfa pellets, then i dump it into the bedding, and put in 1 scoop for each gerbil in EVERY cage. My girls are the only ones who have a food dish. Plus, this way, they are forced to eat more than just the sunflower seeds, and even if they eat at slightly different rates, there's the left over food from the time before scattered in the bedding. They'll eat it if they're hungry.

Personally, I make sure to choose foods that don't have a bunch of the little millet seeds. Pretty much if it looks like I should feed it to a bird, then I don't get it. My gerbils don't eat them, and I feel it's a waste. I know that Wal-Mart has a decent food. It's 8-in1 brand, and it comes in a box. Now, for myself, now having 12 gerbils and 2 mice that eat it... I mix my own food and store in bulk!

[downtown]

Thanks!