Robo Dwarf Hamster Diet Question

Question
I have a Robo Dwarf Hamster.  He gets fed a typical hamster/gerbil food, but there are pieces in it that he absolutely hates.  He won't eat the alfalfa and usually the corn.  I was wondering if it would be even remotely okay to switch him to bird seed so that he can get more of the seeds that he really likes and not have to deal with the bits that he doesn't.  Would this switch be detrimental to his diet?

Answer
Dear Bre,
thank you for your question.
Switching to a diet of small seeds would actually be much better for your hamster than the gerbil food. Dwarf hamsters feed mainly on small seeds in the wild and prefer those.
I would recommend a 1:1 mix of budgie and canary food. Add a whole grain mixture to that, two parts small seeds and one part grains. You can buy whole grain mixes in health food stores or order them online. Grass seeds can also be added, just make sure they are not treated with anything, they often come fertilized and sprayed with pesticides.
Animal protein is an important part of a dwarf hamster's diet. You can either offer insects (mealworms, crickets, silkworms - alive or dead, can also be bought dried) or you add them to the mix. The hamster should have a mealworm or whatever you want to feed daily.

Nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkins seeds, raisins and corn shouldn't be part of the diet. You can offer those as occasional treats, except for the raisins. Dwarf hamsters shouldn't have any fruit or sugary treats since they are susceptible to diabetes and other disease. It's also not part of their natural diet. Leavy greens and vegetables are fine. If a hamster already has diabetes, you should only offer vegetables that have low  fructose content (carrots for example are high in fructose). A test stick for humans can be used with the hamster's urine after he has peed in a clean container, like a transport box.

You can also add dried vegetables and dried flowers and herbs to the food, for example dandelion, stinging nettles, roses, snuflower petals, parsley, peppermint, cornflower, as long as they are not treated with pesticides.

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer