Can Hamsters Eat Sunflower Seeds? Do They Reduce Life Expectancy?
Sunflower seeds are one of the most leisurely meals to find for your pet hamster. You can easily find them in any general store, but they might not be the suitable diet you expect them to be.
Can Hamsters Eat Sunflower Seeds? In a nutshell, hamsters love to eat sunflower seeds, and they are quite healthy for them as well. They contain Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C, etc. That help to keep their health in shape. The drawbacks take place if they are overfed, which can reduce their lifespan.
However, there are more things to consider before feeding your loving pet sunflower seeds. Such as what kind of sunflower seeds can hamsters eat and how many seeds should be fed.
Let’s check them out!
Can Hamsters Eat Sunflower Seeds?
As long as the sunflower seeds are not flavored, the hamsters can eat sunflower seeds with ease. Hamsters would prefer sunflower seeds over other meals as they are entertaining for them. Especially the shelled ones.
Can hamsters eat sunflower seeds with shell? Yes, they have strong enough teeth to penetrate the shells. The hamsters can keep them in their mouth for hours and slowly crack them into pieces. They find it entertaining as well as a good exercise for their jaws.
![hamsters eat sunflower seeds with shell](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/hamsters-eat-sunflower-seeds-with-shell.jpg)
Types of Seed
You have two types of seeds to choose from. One of them is the stripped one, and the other is the black seed. Additionally, the answer to whether can hamsters eat roasted sunflower seeds is a yes. You can use the roasted ones without worry. Nevertheless, we recommend using the stripped seed as they are healthier and easier to find.
Also Read: Can Hamsters Eat Pumpkin Seeds
Benefits
There are numerous health benefits that your hamster can get from sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds are filled with vitamins such as Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Folate, Choline, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
The hamster’s blood circulates in a blooming manner and helps to keep the heart and kidneys fit. As a result, increased lifespan. Additionally, calcium helps to strengthen the bones just like it does to humans.
Balancing Out
Contrarily, a hamster’s diet needs to have a balance between protein, fibers, calories, and fat. As sunflower seeds are rich in calories, overfeeding them with seeds will only negatively affect the hamster. They will make your pet obese and have a lacking of other nutrients that are required to keep their overall system healthy.
The last thing you should know is that are salted sunflower seeds bad for hamsters, and you should never dare to give them that.
Shelled Vs Unshelled
![Shelled Vs Unshelled](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Shelled-Vs-Unshelled.jpg)
Just because we recommend you to feed shelled sunflower seeds doesn’t mean that you can’t feed the unshelled ones. They both provide almost the same nutrition to your hamster. However, one hamster may like shelled ones, and others might like unshelled ones.
It’s entirely up to them which they will like. You can always experiment by putting a shelled one vs an unshelled seed and check which one your hamster chooses.
However, we like to go for the shelled ones because it’s good for the hamster’s jaws. As the shelled ones require more action to be eaten, most of the hamsters were seen to like the shelled seeds better.
Stripped Seed Vs Black Seed – Which Seed To Feed?
![Stripped Seed Vs Black Seed](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Stripped-Seed-Vs-Black-Seed.jpg)
While most people will say that black sunflower seeds are fine to be given to the hamsters, we simply don’t recommend them.
Even though most of the nutrients are the same, the black seeds contain an extra layer of calories. As mentioned before, calories are the ones that shorten their lifespan. Overfeeding is forbidden due to calories. Thus, when it comes to extra calories, every grain of it matters.
On the other side, stripped seeds are the best bet here. If you can maintain the proper diet of the hamster that includes the right amount of stripped sunflower seed, then only the pros count.
How Many Sunflower Seeds To Feed Hamsters
![How Many Sunflower Seeds To Feed Hamsters](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/How-Many-Sunflower-Seeds-To-Feed-Hamsters.jpg)
The most confusing question is how many sunflower seeds can hamsters eat. Moreover, how many are healthy? Firstly, it entirely depends on the breed and size of your hamster. While some can eat only two seeds a day, others can go up to four.
For example, a Syrian hamster can eat up to four seeds a day and still have its diet uninterrupted. They just can withstand the nutrients that the four seeds provide.
In contrast, the Dwarf Roborovski will only be able to consume two seeds a day. Feeding them more than two would be considered overfeeding and interrupting their diet. As a result, their life expectancy decreases.
It’s a very sensitive topic, and mentioning a number would not be fair. Thus, getting to know about their breed first is the key to knowing how much protein, fiber, and carbs your hamster can intake.
However, the average number of seeds that most hamsters are fine with is three. Feeding them three seeds a day is a suitable spot.
Should I Feed Hamsters With Sunflower Seeds Every Day?
![Should I Feed Hamsters With Sunflower Seeds Every Day](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Should-I-Feed-Hamsters-With-Sunflower-Seeds-Every-Day.jpg)
Rather than thinking about whether can hamsters eat sunflower seeds every day or not, think about their diet. You can feed them sunflower seeds every day, but you need to make sure they are getting other nutrients that a seed doesn’t contain.
Thus, bringing up a variety in their diet is important for their body as well as their minds. Having the same food every day wouldn’t make the hamsters excited about food.
How To Feed Hamster Sunflower Seeds?
![salted sunflower seeds](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/salted-sunflower-seeds.jpg)
Can hamsters eat sunflower seeds with salt? A simple answer is no. Thus, make sure the one bought has not added salt. Secondly, make sure it is not a flavored seed. After you have made sure they are safe for your hamster; you can start by washing the seeds.
You have two options to feed your sunflower seeds. If you are interested in being the friend of your hamster, then you can hand-feed the seeds with your hand. Take it in your arms and slowly take your seed-full hand in front of its mouth.
The other method involves just taking the seeds and leaving them near the hamster. You wouldn’t want to do that if you would like to establish a connection with it.
Here’s a video of hamsters enjoying their seeds and answering that can hamsters eat raw sunflower seeds.
FAQ
Now that you know everything about sunflower seeds and hamsters let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions. It will surely clear your fundamentals on sunflower seeds.
Do I Feed More Sunflower Seeds If My Pet Hamster Wants More?
Just because they want more doesn’t mean you have to give. They will love having seeds in their small jaws but surely feeding them more than required is bad for their health.
How Does Vitamin E In Sunflower Seed Helps Hamsters?
Vitamin E helps the hamsters to grow healthy. They help the hamster’s fur and skin, but too much of it will cause diarrhea.
Why Doesn’t My Hamster Eat Anything Else After Consuming Sunflower Seeds?
As sunflower seeds contain a good amount of protein and fiber, they fill up the hamster’s stomach to the full.
Outro
To conclude, that’s all you need to know about sunflower seeds and hamsters. Feeding them in the proper amounts is the key here to keep the hamsters healthy and fit. The sunflower seeds contain nutrients that can give your hamster an increased lifespan.
However, not following a good diet will do the opposite. Yes, certainly hamsters can eat regular sunflower seeds, but you need to make sure they aren’t flavored or salty.