My Gerbil Diet Info....

[Andrea]

My Tips and information on Gerbil Diets



Dried Fruits
Raisins, Apple, Cranberries, Blueberry, Coconut, Raspberries, Papaya, Pumpkin, Banana, Pineapple,

Dried Veggies
Carrots, peas, Parsley, Alfalfa leaves, Potatoes, Parsley flakes, celery flakes, Red & Green peppers, Cabbage flakes, leek flakes, diced Zucchini, tomato flakes, Spinach flakes,

Seeds
Oat kernels, Millet (red & white), Pumpkin, Safflower, Sunflower, Rose hips, corn, barley, milo, wheat (middlings or puffed), hemp seed, barley,

Nuts
Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts,

Cereals & Other
Corn flakes, wheat flakes, Barley Flakes, Oat groats, Wheat bran, cornflower, Soya bean meal, Extruded rabbit pellets, Cat food, Alfalfa or Timothy (hay and sometimes cubes), Dehydrated alfalfa meal, heat processed soybeans, soybean meal,

Extras/Treats – Cheese, Applesauce, Cranberry juice (no sugar), Lettuce, Tomato, Carrots, Broccoli, grapes, apple, clover, boiled egg, cucumber, Dog Cookie, spray millet, Cat/Kitten food, Dried corn on the cob, honey bars, Frozen Fruits & veggies (summer treat), yogert, baby food, blue berry, strawberry, tomato, celery,


8 in 1 “ecotrition” (www.eightinonepet.com) is a great pre-bagged food. Though even with packaged food I reccomend adding extra protine in the form of a dry dog/cat kibble works well. For nursing/pregnet mothers kitten food and/or powdered milk (sprinkled) is needed. You can also feed crickets & mealworms (live) to your gerbils, some though don't care for them, while others go crazy for them.
When picking a premade feed, choose one with minimal sunflowers and corn. Also make sure it is not dusty.

These are just some of the things you can give your gerbils to kepe them healthy and happy.

[Die Fledermaus]

All my gerbils go for crickets!

Ecotrition is good but it has kernel corn which none of MY gerbils will eat. Yours? It also has zero sunflower seeds which is not necessary. A small number are OK.

That photo. Is that everything together or what?

[Andrea]

I've never fed crickets My honey says "No love bugs!" lol...
Mine eat corn, some actually really like it to. I used to not haev any sunflower seeds in my mixes, but I've started, mostly the small ones.

I can't buy the same stuff all the time, it's usually what's on sale and what looks good and fresh (and what Ic an afford) lately, so it will have most fo the ingridients listed, i knwo there is no coconut or rasberries right now (expencive), i do buy this awesome "rat treat mix" stuff and add it in, it has alot of yummies like spanish peanuts and such, the green cereal bits are from that bag.

[Die Fledermaus]

"No love bugs"! That is more often the term for certain venereal diseases!! LOL ;D

Just don't let them get big and fat. I have one that is looking like he needs a miniature treadmill. Maybe a different wheel he can run faster on.

[Andrea]

LOL... wow bad typo.. i ment "live" Bugs

All my gerbils are super fit, i added the sunflowers now b/c everyone could use a bit 'fattening up'
I never had them in my mixes before, i used them only as hand treats. I still use them as hand treats too.

[Die Fledermaus]

"Love bugs". Papillons d'amour! hehe But that should be in the "crustacean" forum. ;D

I do what I can. But it takes several hours a day to feed, clean, and play with my critters. Whipping up gourmet diets will have to wait until time permits. But some day. . .

[Andrea]

I mix my own b/c it's So much cheaper then buying bagged stuff, and i know what goes into the mixes. I use a big bucket and it lasts me a couple months.

[Die Fledermaus]

You keep it frozen until used?

Give me a simple specific recipe and we can talk: a cup of this; two cups of that; a dash of that, etc.