Many people would be surprised to be told that hamsters can eat eggs, but that's just how it is. Often these little rodents are associated with fresh foods like fruits and vegetables, yet this is not actually part of the diet of free-ranging hamsters. An important part of keeping them in a species-appropriate manner is giving them animal protein, which they can also get from eggs.

In their natural habitat, hamsters feed mostly on seeds, nuts and grains, but also on worms and insect larvae. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether hamsters can eat eggs is: Yes, they can. What you should pay attention to when feeding and much more important information you will learn in the following text. We hope you enjoy reading.

What must be considered when feeding?

If you want to feed your hamster eggs, you should only use the egg white. This contains mostly pure animal protein, whereas the yolk contains a lot of fat and cholesterol. The egg should only be fed hard-boiled and never raw, as there is a risk of salmonella.

Hamsters like to bunker down their food, so you should make sure your pet doesn't hide their snack and rot the egg.

The right amount of eggs for your hamster

As an appropriate portion size that you can feed your hamster, you can take the size of a sugar cube. Dwarf hamsters are also more dependent on animal protein than other hamster species, so you can feed your pet egg more often than a golden hamster.

As a guideline, you can feed a dwarf hamster a serving the size of a sugar cube three times a week.

For larger animals, we recommend giving once or twice a week, also in the same portion size.

Hamster eat eggs, the advantages

Eggs are, as a natural protein supplier, a welcome change from dried worms or insects. Protein is responsible for building and renewing the cells in their small bodies. Especially young animals need a lot of protein to support growth.

Also, do not forget about the many vitamins that eggs contain. Vitamin A helps your hamster's eyesight, vitamin B supports health and vitamin D helps keep your rodent's teeth healthy.

Hamster and eggs, the disadvantages

If the hamster is fed too much protein, it can strain the kidneys of the small animals. Due to the amino acids from proteins, which is converted into urea and excreted via the kidneys, these can be overstressed if the protein supply is too high.

In the worst case, this can lead to renal insufficiency and ultimately to poisoning, as the kidneys are no longer able to filter degradation products from the blood and transport them out of the body in the urine.

Are hamsters allowed to eat duck eggs?

Yes, hamsters can also eat duck eggs. Since they have a different taste than chicken eggs, you should try them out beforehand to see if your hamster likes them.

Are hamsters allowed to eat quail eggs?

Again, the answer is yes, hamsters can eat quail eggs. As with any other type of egg, you should try beforehand whether your hamster also likes them and always make sure that he does not carry them into his hiding place and spoil the egg there.

Are hamsters allowed to eat eggs? - Conclusion

All in all, it can be said that you definitely don't go wrong with eggs as a small snack for in between. Hamsters are dependent on animal protein and accordingly eggs are a good nutritional supplement. However, you should only use the egg white and preferably not the yolk. This contains a lot of fat and cholesterol and can, in high quantities, make your hamster sick. Most importantly, you should only feed hard boiled, cooled eggs. Otherwise, salmonella poisoning can occur quickly.