We suggest a mixture of: Also, steer clear of any roasted or salted seeds. As it is so dense with nutrients, you may want to feed meat to your gerbil. So, if you also have a pet gerbil, you may wonder whether…, Popcorn is a healthy snack. Food ideas: broccoli, carrots, apples, lettuce, berries, parsley, cucumber, cauliflower. They work as a snack for gerbils, too. They are usually covered in pulp and need cleaning before eating. The center of a pumpkin is chock full of large, solid seeds. This means it’s easier to feed the correct amount of chia seeds than other seeds. These should not be the main part of your gerbil’s diet, but can supplement and add variety. Pumpkin seeds are great for hamsters, but only offer a few at once since they are very high in fat. One such organic item which is considered as a … This becomes obvious when you compare the different parts of a gerbil’s diet. Feed them once at the end of each week. In short, gerbils can eat seeds. Seeds are good for another reason. Note that plants from the onion family, together with raw potato and rhubarb should not be fed as they are toxic for gerbils. Pumpkin seeds are the seeds that are found at the centre of pumpkin. So, in many ways, poppy seeds are the same as the other seeds in this list. Gerbils need a varied diet. With organic living gradually gaining popularity, the urban milieu is drawn towards leading a natural and organic life as a way to keep their system healthy with all things natural. Seeds are a vital part of this wild diet. The only human foods that a gerbil should eat are some fruits and vegetables, and three or four varieties of unsalted nuts. Squirrels love to eat the leaves of the pumpkin plant. Melon seeds have a different nutritional profile to the seeds listed above. So can gerbils eat pumpkin? So at the same time as providing much-needed fat and protein, sesame seeds offer lots of vitamins and minerals too. But if you do, there’s little point putting both butternut squash seeds and pumpkin seeds. I would caution, however, that the seeds I received had a warning, "May contain Traces of Peanuts And/Or Tree Nuts." Where they differ is their fat and carbohydrate content. Almost any fruit or vegetable that is edible for humans can be fed to gerbils. But it will also enjoy gnawing on the shell itself, which is safe to ingest. As you can imagine, food can be scarce. There are two main problems that they present. When you look at the minerals they contain, melon seeds still stand out: The only issue is that melon seeds don’t contain many vitamins. These are among the best raw pumpkin seeds I've ever had. Instead, seeds should be an occasional snack at most. Just don’t feed them too many as they are high in fat. While most of what gerbils eat should be a premade food mix, you can supplement that with seeds or give gerbils seeds as a snack. But you need to prepare it correctly, and offer it sparingly. Rabbits can eat pumpkin.” But there’s more to learn. It is extremely hard to find pumpkin seeds at this price in any grocery store. So, feeding gerbils seeds is only a good idea if they’re an occasional snack. Weigh it occasionally to avoid this from happening. Popcorn: They can eat it, if it isn’t salted, sweetened of flavored. Yes they can but feed them in small amounts on an occasional basis as they are high in fat. Sunflower seeds are collected from sunflowers. Sesame seeds are collected from a flowering plant that grew wild in Africa and India. Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seeds. They also like whole buckwheat, rolled oats, steel cut oats, peanuts (raw, unsalted), any kind of raw, unseasoned tree nut. Nuts can be offered but do so sparingly since they are high in fat. The same proportion of one fifth is made up of proteins. Just a few will do fine for them in one serving. Sweet and tasty, you might want to share some chestnuts with your gerbil. They contain large amounts of manganese and copper. There are more than enough kinds of seed or nut for gerbils to eat which we already know are healthy. Gerbils, like all animals, need fat in their diets. A mix of all of these seeds is good for your gerbil’s health. Pumpkin seeds: Can be eaten in small amounts, on an occasional basis. According to Seed Science Research, the Mongolian steppe has both woody and herbaceous perennials that produce seeds. But that’s not all. It’s not just seeds and nuts that your pet will enjoy. The steppe is a dry grassland. However, eating too many pumpkin seeds can cause indigestion, gas, diarrhea, or less commonly, constipation. You will be pleased to know here are no sunflower seeds in this mix. Your gerbil’s food mix should also already contain all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals a gerbil needs. Gerbils need lots of fiber in their diet to keep going to the toilet regularly. You can sprinkle them over your gerbil’s bedding, and it will enjoy digging for them. Popcorn…, If you watch your pets for long enough, you may notice your gerbils eating poop. As it is plant-based and whole-grain, you can also feed popcorn to gerbils. In the wild, gerbils have access to a few different kinds of seed. This could hurt your gerbil’s eyes. Half of each seed by weight is made up of fat. Some people like to eat the seeds themselves but I prefer to give them to the squirrels. Gerbil food will also provide ingredients to help with such things as obesity prevention and other associated problems. You can roast them, coat them in salt, and eat them as a delicious snack. Hi, I'm Lou. As for squash seeds, wash them off and don't give too many at once, they can get pudgy, lol! Many of these things are suitable for gerbils, too. A Brief Guide to the Lesser Short-Tailed Gerbil, A Brief Guide to the Greater Short-Tailed Gerbil, A Brief Introduction to the North-African Gerbil. However, far better than feeding one kind of seed is feeding a mixture of seeds. Like pumpkin seeds, butternut squash seeds are half fat by weight. Birds That Eat Pumpkin Seeds . That’s why seeds are a part of many commercially available gerbil food mixes. Pumpkin seeds have less fat, and they provide fiber, magnesium, and smaller quantities of calcium and iron. This behavior was learned in the wild, because there are times when food might be scarce. Gerbils can also eat sesame seeds, melon seeds, poppy seeds, and butternut squash seeds. The only drawback of sesame seeds is that they don’t have a hard, fibrous shell. Your gerbil can eat more of these seeds than other seeds. So, consider buying a seed mix rather than only one kind of seed. 3  Whole grain bread can be offered either plain or toasted. Since I have no nut allergies, not a problem for me. They offer lots of nutrients that your gerbil couldn’t otherwise find in the wild. While you might be used to cooking or baking with pumpkin, you might be surprised to find out you can also eat raw pumpkin. Sunflower seeds are favorites of gerbils, but they are high in fat and are no good for them in high quantities. Pumpkin seeds are substantially less fatty than sunflower seeds. In particular, we are interested in its water content, acidic content, phosphorus, sugar, fat, as far as gerbils are concerned as these are … But they don’t need anywhere near that much. It is not good to feed them foods with too much fat in them as their bodies are not designed to deal with too much fatty foods. They are so nutrient-dense that you risk making your gerbil overweight if you do. They contain…, Gerbils enjoying berries because they're sweet and tasty. Alternatively, try using raw pumpkin seeds to add texture to soup -- simply soak the seeds overnight in water until they soften and then blend into pureed soup. If you feed your pet a quality gerbil food mix, it will already contain everything they need. Again, there’s no strict need to do this. One difference is that chia seeds have slightly less fat, at 31g per 100g serving (roughly one ounce in every three). Oatmeal. Pumpkin seeds contain lots of magnesium. Use your imagination but … In times of ever increasing consumption of processed food, one is often ignorant of its detrimental effect in the long run. Gerbils live in a part of the world called the Mongolian steppe. If you don’t, your gerbil could become sick. While rats can eat the seeds, we suggest you give your rat pumpkin seeds in moderation. You can roast them, coat them in salt, and eat them as a delicious snack. The last time you will have seen pumpkin seeds is at Halloween. © 2021 onlinegerbilcare.com - All rights reserved. They are solid and crunchy, so your gerbil has to use its sharp teeth to break into them. For example, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds are recommended over sunflower seeds, because sunflower seeds have too much fat. It will also include natural prebiotics to promote healthy gut function. The main reason they are good for gerbils is their magnesium content. What About Pumpkin Pie? Chia seeds have a normal amount of protein for a seed. Can rats eat rice? When I am making Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween I will save the pumpkin seeds that I scoop out and then roast them on a cookie sheet (400F, 30 minutes). They offer the same minerals and vitamins as other seeds. They will even hoard some, in case times get bad. They contain lots of copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium. But markets have access to seeds and nuts from all across the world. 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