What can I feed my sassy hamster?

Question
Hello, I just got a Golden hamster, female. Named Bailey.
Had her for a week now, and I am wondering. What are some things she can eat? I hear you can give her boiled eggs, but that just sounded so funny to me, that I wanted to ask a expert first.
Also, how long should she spend in her ball outside her cage?

Answer
Hi Karlie

I hope you and Bailey are getting along well together.

Foodwise, she needs a good dry hamster mix.  I tend to vary this every couple of months just to make sure mine get a good mix of foods.  This mix should contain seeds, nuts, hard biscuits, sometimes they contain dried fruit too.  If there aren't any hard biscuits you can always give dog biscuits.  Hard food is needed for the hamster to gnaw on so that their teeth stay short.

The dry mix should be available at all times so always make sure her bowl is topped up - she might remove it all and store it in her nest, in which case just a add a small amount every day.  In addition, she should have fresh vegetables nightly if possible.  She doesn't need a lot of this, but it is good to give some of the following: peas, sweetcorn, brocolli, spinach, cabbage, french beans, etc.  Avoid giving too much lettuce as it can cause diarrhoea.  You can also give apple, cooked egg (boiled or scrambled)or small pieces of cheese now and again.  There are hamster treats available but don't give too many as they contain sugar (in the form of honey), but the best ones are the types that they have to gnaw.  I avoid giving mine the 'hamster yoghurt/chocolate drops' as these can clog the hamster's cheek pouches if they don't remove them straightaway.  Never give human chocolate as this is highly toxic.

Most hamsters seem to enjoy a run in their ball.  If she curls up and goes to sleep, always get her out and return her to her cage.  Otherwise, mine all run around for about 30-40 minutes in the evenings.  I tape over all the joins on the ball as they do have a habit of opening up if they bang into furniture and the last thing you want is an escaped hamster.

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila