Am I feeding her too much?

SBarney · Sep 4, 2016

My little fatty is about 3 months old and loves to eat. I feed her crickets 3 times a day, about 50 each time. She would eat more, but I stop around 50. She also eats a little salad of dandelion greens mixed with about 20 small super worms. Then for a snack I'll give her about 10 phoenix worms. All that and she still seems hungry.

Gormagon · Sep 4, 2016

I think 150 crickets a day is a bit over the top in my opinion. Hell, 50 is to many. Do you by chance own controlling interest in CRICKETS-R-US, LOL?
I'll go out on a limb and say .... Yes!!

Sharpy · Sep 4, 2016

Hi
Babies are proper eating machines most of the advice I've read on here says to feed as much as they want in 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a day so I think you are doing fine.
You would be advised against feeding super worms though until your baby reaches 16 inches as babies have a kink in their dietary tract & super worms have a tough exoskeleton that is difficult for them to digest that could cause impaction.

Hope this helps

Kay

SBarney · Sep 5, 2016

Sharpy":j0y5nqoo said:
Hi
Babies are proper eating machines most of the advice I've read on here says to feed as much as they want in 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a day so I think you are doing fine.

Thats what I've read too, but I never thought she could eat over 50 crickets in 10 minutes.

Sharpy":j0y5nqoo said:
You would be advised against feeding super worms though until your baby reaches 16 inches as babies have a kink in their dietary tract & super worms have a tough exoskeleton that is difficult for them to digest that could cause impaction.

Even the little baby super worms?

kingofnobbys · Sep 5, 2016

What size crickets are you currently buying ?

150 crickets per day if they are extra small (7mm) would be expected for a hatchling of your's age.

You might consider upping the size of crickets you are buying by one size to medium - small , the ratio of exoskeleton to protein is better with larger insects than smaller ones.

Pinheads are supersmall under 4mm long.
15 day old crickets are about 5mm long (3x small size) = super small size
20 day old crickets are about 7mm long (2x small size) = extra small size
25 day old crickets are 10-12mm long (x small size) = medium small size
1/3 size = small size are 12-15mm long.
2/3 size = medium size are 15-20mm long.
adult size are 20-25mm long.

3 feeds of live insects per day is perfectly OK for a hatchling of that age.

kingofnobbys · Sep 5, 2016

SBarney":1dxphzvv said:
Sharpy":1dxphzvv said:

Hi
Babies are proper eating machines most of the advice I've read on here says to feed as much as they want in 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a day so I think you are doing fine.

Click to expand...

Thats what I've read too, but I never thought she could eat over 50 crickets in 10 minutes.

<<< hell yes ---- they are eating pooing machines when young ... , if the crickets being offered are too small you'll see huge numbers consumed per feed

Sharpy":1dxphzvv said:

You would be advised against feeding super worms though until your baby reaches 16 inches as babies have a kink in their dietary tract & super worms have a tough exoskeleton that is difficult for them to digest that could cause impaction.

Click to expand...

Even the little baby super worms?
<<<< I would not offer baby superworms or mealworms either to a young bearded dragon at all, only to adult beardies as occasional treats.
if you want to offer worms I highly recommend either phoenix worms or silkworms (yours will handle silkworms up to 2 inches long no problem).

Karenxx67 · Sep 5, 2016

Just wanted to say those crickets give my Fuzzy a run for his money. They sure are a lot more lively than locusts.

Your little one does good to catch 50 at a time lol.

Fuzzy had a job catching 7 lol

SBarney · Sep 5, 2016

kingofnobbys":1zwla4yu said:
<<< hell yes ---- they are eating pooing machines when young ... , if the crickets being offered are too small you'll see huge numbers consumed per feed

I've been buying small, I guess I will try going to medium.

kingofnobbys":1zwla4yu said:
<<<< I would not offer baby superworms or mealworms either to a young bearded dragon at all, only to adult beardies as occasional treats.
if you want to offer worms I highly recommend either phoenix worms or silkworms (yours will handle silkworms up to 2 inches long no problem).

I've tried reptiworms and bsfl from another company, but they were a stinky mess. I had to dig them out of nasty mud, pick out the live ones, then they just died quickly too. It looks like the Phoenix worms come in something else, so they might be easier. I also ordered silkworms, which were tiny and also stinky, and they didn't last long either. Super worms are just so easy to keep and she loves them, but I guess I will stop feeding them to her for now.

Karenxx67":1zwla4yu said:
Just wanted to say those crickets give my Fuzzy a run for his money. They sure are a lot more lively than locusts.

Your little one does good to catch 50 at a time lol.

Fuzzy had a job catching 7 lol

She doesn't exactly catch them. I pretty much hand feed her them individually with tweezers. :shock:

Karenxx67 · Sep 5, 2016

Haha. This is the 1st batch of crickets ive had an they are making me kinda nervous tryin to handle them on my own. Having to get the required amount into a pot for dusting without dropping the tube full of other crickets all over the floor. Then trying to get the tube back into the cricket keeper as well as putting the lid on the dusted 1s.

Think i may need to grow some more arms ??

The locusts sat still an played nicely but the crickets are better value for money.

kingofnobbys · Sep 5, 2016

SBarney":3n17lugn said:
kingofnobbys":3n17lugn said:

<<< hell yes ---- they are eating pooing machines when young ... , if the crickets being offered are too small you'll see huge numbers consumed per feed

Click to expand...

I've been buying small, I guess I will try going to medium.

kingofnobbys":3n17lugn said:

<<<< I would not offer baby superworms or mealworms either to a young bearded dragon at all, only to adult beardies as occasional treats.
if you want to offer worms I highly recommend either phoenix worms or silkworms (yours will handle silkworms up to 2 inches long no problem).

Click to expand...

I've tried reptiworms and bsfl from another company, but they were a stinky mess. I had to dig them out of nasty mud, pick out the live ones, then they just died quickly too. It looks like the Phoenix worms come in something else, so they might be easier. I also ordered silkworms, which were tiny and also stinky, and they didn't last long either. <<<< worth the trouble to get the silkworm husbandry right , with them it's very important to keep their box or tub as clean as possible (complete clean out at least once a day) and not to overcrowd them or let the humidity get high (will cause yellow and white mould to grow on their poo and food and this is lethal to them, see my thread for some tips

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=222193
,
they are well worth extra help and will give your little beardie a great start in life .... most local (Australian breeders swear by silkworms as a feeder for their hatchlings , and lots of them breed their own for the many mouths they need to feed when they have several clutches to feed).

I've never used phoenix worms , hard to find commercially here (in Australia) Super worms are just so easy to keep and she loves them, but I guess I will stop feeding them to her for now. <<< yep they do love the mealworms and superworms, but this don't mean these are good choices as a stable feeder insect ,

Karenxx67":3n17lugn said:

Just wanted to say those crickets give my Fuzzy a run for his money. They sure are a lot more lively than locusts.

Your little one does good to catch 50 at a time lol.

Fuzzy had a job catching 7 lol

Click to expand...

She doesn't exactly catch them. I pretty much hand feed her them individually with tweezers. :shock:

I handfed a few crickets to each hatchling as the morning greeting ritual and a bonding thing, then put them back in their rearing tubs and put the crickets in with them a few at time. The silkworms were simply placed on a bit of fresh mulberry leaf in the salad dish with the last feed of the day.
Adding a few crickets at time is a good way of keeping track of how hungry the hatchling is and how many it's eating, and it is not such a large number of insects that it's overwhelm the hatchling and crickets are less likely to hop or scurry away and hide before being eaten, while the hatchling still has to hunt them and catch them.

Tiles are fine as a bedding.

kingofnobbys · Sep 5, 2016

Karenxx67":3mk3xk51 said:
Haha. This is the 1st batch of crickets ive had an they are making me kinda nervous tryin to handle them on my own. Having to get the required amount into a pot for dusting without dropping the tube full of other crickets all over the floor. Then trying to get the tube back into the cricket keeper as well as putting the lid on the dusted 1s.

<<< you need one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bug-Buster-Vacuum-Spider-Catcher-with-FREE-9V-battery-Blue-only-/252111312375?hash=item3ab30155f7:g , I've been using these for years and they make very fast and easy work of collecting bugs and catching them , and a little plastic bottle to dust the bugs in.

Think i may need to grow some more arms ??

The locusts sat still an played nicely but the crickets are better value for money.

Karenxx67 · Sep 5, 2016

I need 1 of those ?

So u suck them up then drop them into the pot?

kingofnobbys · Sep 6, 2016

Karenxx67":1a624jud said:
I need 1 of those ?

So u suck them up then drop them into the pot?

Yep, pretty much ,
-- suck them up
-- switch it off and shake the wee beasties out into a small round tub with some calcium powder in it
-- close the lid
-- shake shake (dusty bugs)
-- fish then out all dusty as needed a few at a time (I hand feed my skinks and beardies - they're all mega spoilt ....)

If I loose a cricket when dealing with my bulk order , I can catch them ezypezy too.
I can suck up about 80 crickets in under 5 seconds ....

SBarney · Sep 6, 2016

kingofnobbys":dbr3hpm5 said:
see my thread for some tips

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=222193

I will check that out, thanks. I also ordered one of those cricket vacuums. ??

Karenxx67 · Sep 6, 2016

Im too nervous to hand feed incase i ger nipped ?

Am I feeding her too much?

SBarney

Member

Gormagon

Extreme Poster

Sharpy

Hatchling Member

SBarney

Member

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko

Karenxx67

Juvie Member

SBarney

Member

Karenxx67

Juvie Member

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko

Karenxx67

Juvie Member

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko

SBarney

Member

Karenxx67

Juvie Member

Members online

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Forum statistics

Share this page