Gerbil food: a seed and pellet mix that suits an active digger

Gerbils, also known as Mongolian gerbils or jirds, originally come from dry steppes and semi-deserts. There, they gather their food: seeds, grain kernels, plant parts and the occasional insect. Good gerbil food matches that. It is a varied mix of seeds, grains and plant pieces that gives your gerbils the nutrients they need every day, while at the same time inviting them to sort, rummage and hide.

In this category you will deliberately find only food from Zooply, our own premium brand. Zooply came about because the products that worked best for our own animals were not always available from other brands. We use it every day for the animals in our shop in Bodegraven and in our breeding facility. We keep the range small per product group: only the options we stand behind ourselves.

At a glance

• ✓ Zooply Gerbil Food is a complete mix made especially for gerbils; give it daily as the main food, preferably in the evening.
• ✓ A seed and pellet mix is normal and natural for gerbils: searching and sorting is part of their behaviour.
• ✓ Only top up once the bowl has been eaten properly empty, otherwise only the favourite pieces will get eaten.
• ✓ Gerbils drink little, but still always provide fresh, clean drinking water.
• ✓ If you switch to a different food, do it gradually over 1 to 2 weeks.

What will you find in the Food for Gerbils category?

Zooply Gerbil Food

Zooply Gerbil Food is a complete food tailored to the daily needs of gerbils. According to the product information, it contains millet, panicum, peas, carrot, parsnip, pumpkin, alfalfa and dandelion, among other things, supplemented with a flower mix of marigold, chamomile, rose and cornflower. Small seeds such as millet and panicum suit the way gerbils eat: they pick up a seed, turn it round and shell it. The vegetables, alfalfa and flowers provide fibre and variety in scent and texture.

You can choose a small 500-gram pack, handy to start with or for a pair, or a resealable 1.5 kg bag for those with a small group of gerbils. According to the packaging, you give about 25 grams per animal per day, preferably in the evening. See that as an upper limit: watch how much your own gerbils actually eat and how much disappears into their store, and adjust the portion accordingly.

Zooply Rodent Food Excellent

Zooply Rodent Food Excellent is a complete food for hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. According to the product information, the mix contains wheat, carob, barley, corn, corn flakes, sunflower seeds, vegetable chips, pea flakes, carrot chips, pumpkin seeds and mealworms, among other things. Those mealworms provide animal protein; in the wild, gerbils also eat insects. As a guideline, the product information states about 10 to 15 grams per 100 grams of body weight per day, depending on species, age and activity. Excellent is available in 800 grams and 1750 grams.

Zooply Rodent Food

Zooply Rodent Food is also a complete mix for hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. Besides grains and pulses, it also contains pressed pellets, such as grass and alfalfa pellets, malt sprout pellets and oatmeal pellets, with linseed, oats, milo, peas, sunflower seeds, safflower, peanuts, carrot pieces and mealworms, among other things. That combination of loose seeds and pellets makes it a versatile basis. You will find this variety here in a 1750 gram pack.

Which gerbil food should you choose?

If you only keep gerbils, Zooply Gerbil Food is the most obvious choice. The mix is put together specifically for gerbils, with lots of small seeds and plant pieces. The two Zooply rodent foods are broader in scope: they are put together for several kinds of small rodent. That is handy if, alongside gerbils, you also have mice or a hamster, for example, and want to work with one food, or if your gerbils enjoy a bit more variety in pellets and larger pieces.

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts are fatty and are often picked out first by gerbils. That is not a problem as long as the rest of the mix is eaten too. If you notice that your gerbils only take the fatty seeds and leave the rest, give a smaller portion and only top up once the bowl is really empty.

How much gerbil food should you give per day?

An adult gerbil usually weighs between 60 and 100 grams. The amount you give depends on weight, age, activity and the number of animals in the group. Start with the guideline on the packaging of the food you choose and watch closely what happens in the first few weeks. Weigh your gerbils on kitchen scales now and then; that way you will notice early whether they are gaining or losing weight.

Gerbils hoard a little. They drag food to their nest or to a corner in a tunnel. That is normal behaviour. It does mean that an empty food bowl doesn't always mean everything has been eaten. So also take a look in the storage spots now and then. If more and more food is building up there, you are giving too generously. Feel free to leave a store of dry food in place, but always remove perishable fresh food.

Feeding as enrichment

Gerbils are curious, active animals that spend a large part of their time digging and searching. So you don't have to give the food only in a bowl. Scatter part of the daily portion through the bedding or over a dry spot in the enclosure. Your gerbils will then start searching, digging and sniffing, exactly the behaviour they show in the wild.

You can give another part in a heavy stoneware or ceramic food bowl. Then you can see clearly how much is being eaten and the food stays clean. With a small group of gerbils, it helps to offer food in more than one place. That way a dominant gerbil cannot claim everything and everyone can eat in peace.

Switching to a different gerbil food

New gerbils are best given the same food they were used to for a while first. They already have to get used to a new enclosure and new smells. If you then want to switch to Zooply Gerbil Food or one of the Zooply rodent foods, do it gradually over 1 to 2 weeks. First mix a small amount of the new food into the old and increase that proportion every few days, until you give only the new food.

During that period, keep an eye on the droppings: they should be small, dry and firm. If you see soft droppings, go back a step and build up more slowly.

Water, fresh food and extras

Gerbils are desert animals and drink relatively little. Even so, they must always have access to fresh, clean drinking water. Check the water bottle daily and clean it thoroughly at least once a week. A small amount of fresh vegetables, such as a piece of cucumber or carrot, is fine now and then, but give it in small portions and remove leftovers after a few hours. Gerbils like things dry; wet food in the bedding can go mouldy.

Snacks, dried herbs and insects are a treat on top of the main food, never instead of it. If you give a lot of extras, gerbils will be quicker to leave their normal food.

Storing gerbil food properly

Store the food in a dry, cool and dark place, in the resealable bag or in a well-sealed storage box. That way the aroma is preserved and moisture and pests don't stand a chance. Don't pour new food on top of a bit of old food, but empty the box first. If food smells musty or feels damp, don't give it any more.

Useful combinations

Gerbil food is the basis. With these categories you complete the menu and the enclosure:

• Snacks: small treats such as Zooply Crickets and Mealworms for taming or hiding.
• Dried herbs: Zooply herbs and flowers to scatter through the bedding as a foraging game.
• Hay: for gnawing and as building material for sturdy tunnels and nests.
• Food bowls: a heavy bowl that doesn't tip over or get dug under.
• Water bottles: so there is always clean drinking water ready.

Frequently asked questions about gerbil food

Is a seed mix actually good for gerbils?

Yes. For rabbits and guinea pigs we advise against a loose mix as the main food, but gerbils are true seed eaters. A varied mix of seeds, grains and plant pieces matches how they eat in the wild. Picking out, shelling and hiding seeds keeps them busy. It is important, though, not to keep topping up, so they also eat the less popular parts.

Can I give hamster food to my gerbils?

Gerbils and hamsters eat broadly similar diets, but their needs differ by species. Zooply Rodent Food and Rodent Food Excellent are put together for hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats, so you can safely give those. If you only keep gerbils, Zooply Gerbil Food is the most targeted choice.

How can I tell if my gerbils are getting too much food?

You can tell from large stores in the nest, a food bowl that always has the same leftover pieces and gerbils that are getting heavier. A healthy gerbil feels firm, without rolls of fat on the neck or belly. In that case, give a smaller portion, scatter more through the bedding and limit snacks for a while.

Do gerbils need animal protein?

In the wild, gerbils also eat insects now and then. The Zooply rodent foods contain mealworms as a protein-rich supplement. You can also give a dried insect as a snack now and then, such as Zooply Mealworms, Crickets or Grasshoppers. Keep it to a few at a time; the main food remains the basis.

Why do my gerbils eat more in the evening?

Gerbils are active in short bursts both during the day and at night, often with a peak at dusk. That is why the packaging of Zooply Gerbil Food recommends feeding preferably in the evening. A fixed time brings calm to the group and you can see straight away who comes to eat.

My gerbil is suddenly eating less. What now?

First check whether something in the enclosure has changed, such as a new food, a move or tension in the group. Check that your gerbil is drinking and producing normal droppings. If a gerbil eats clearly less for more than a day, loses weight, is lethargic or you see breathing problems or diarrhoea, contact a vet with knowledge of rodents straight away. Small animals can go downhill quickly.

Buying gerbil food at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza, the webshop of 't Knaagplein, you will find gerbil food that we stand behind ourselves. Zooply is our own premium brand, which we use every day for our own animals in the shop and the breeding facility. Combine the food with a thick digging layer, fresh water and the occasional small treat, and your gerbils will have a good, natural basis every day.