What to feed and how to feed Gerbils?

[wildmask]

Hello! I'm going to be getting pet gerbils very soon, and I'm doing the most research I can so I can assure they'll be healthy and happy. An issue for me though is food. So many different sources say different things about how and what to feed your gerbil, I'm very confused!

1. I heard scatter feeding is the best way to feed your gerbils. But I'm a little hesitant to do scatter feeding because I can't see what they have and haven't eaten. Should I go with it anyway? Is there a way to monitor what they eat?

2. What do I feed them? A common thing I see people saying is seed mix and Oxbow. Should I feed them both? Or only one of the brands? Also, people say to take out the sun seeds while others say leave them! Which one is the best way to do it?

3. Lastly, how much do I feed them and how many times? What people say vary from saying 1 tablespoon to just grabbing a hand full. I was thinking to reach a plastic spoon into the bag of food and then sprinkle that into their cage, and do that once everyday. Is that overfeeding or underfeeding? People say to only feed them once every two days, but I'm afraid they'll starve!

For the record, I'm planning to get two gerbils, if that helps gauge how much I should feed them!

[catnut]

It can be confusing as people say different things and have different brands available. I would use a bowl and put enough in as some gerbils don't eat everything. It depends what they are being fed, my current girls Oxbow and a seed mix taking out more of the sunnies and corns. Gerbils tend to eat when they are hungry and not overeat. Ask when you get your gerbils what they suggest and search online.

take care,

Tammy

[drago]

Hello and congrats on considering gerbils!

1. I think whether you bowl or scatter feed is really up to your individual pair. Pairs that get along more and are less scrappy around dinner time tend to be better with bowls, but overall, scatter feeding ensures both gerbils get a chance at food rather than one hogging the bowl. In extreme cases, especially in one of my female pairs, one gerbil dominated the bowl and my other gerb lost a lot of weight unfortunately because she wasn't getting enough food. Scatter feeding plus a fat/protein supplement helped bring her back up to an ideal weight.

2. The best mix you could offer a gerbil is a well balanced, homemade mix. This ensures all ingredients are natural and free of dyes/preservatives that could harm your gerbils. If however you'd prefer a commercial mix, I like to use Higgins sunburst hamster/gerbil food mixed with Oxbow to add some fiber. I would NOT suggest removing sunflower seeds as this will mess up the GA and you don't want that. Besides that, sunflower seeds contain essential oils and fatty acids that a gerbil needs to thrive.

3. As for how much to feed, the general rule for a healthy adult pair of gerbils is 1-2 tablespoons of mix. It will vary though depending upon how skinny/chubby your gerbs are as well as how aggressive they are around feeding time.


Good luck with your new pair and make sure to ask if you have any other questions

[tomandjerry]

i feed mine two different gerbil foods and add treats every so often
hope this helps