Question about feeding Schedules

[JennieLovesKisses]

I brought Chopin home yesterday and his/her appetite hasn't kicked in too much, which I'm not concerned about atm since hes still adjusting...but I am curious what might be okay as far as when I should offer food.

I wake up generally around 4:30 AM.
Leave the house at 5:05AM to be at work at 6AM.
I get home around 3:30.
I currently have his lights on a timer for 8AM - 8PM.

I feel that to squeeze in 2 feeding between 3:30pm and say 7PM, giving an hour to bask and digest before lights are out will be too close. I'm trying to decide if I should get Chopin on a longer and earlier time set to do a first feeding in the morning before I go to work...or what I'm kind of stuck, what are your thoughts?

Right now Chopin doesn't have a huge appetite, he's eaten maybe 10 crix randomly throughout the day. Normally I feed in a separate bin but I don't want to bother him too much since hes still settling. I also offer a salad which he wants nothing to do with right now lol but better to offer.

Anyways, any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[kingofnobbys]

I brought Chopin home yesterday and his/her appetite hasn't kicked in too much, which I'm not concerned about atm since hes still adjusting...but I am curious what might be okay as far as when I should offer food.

I wake up generally around 4:30 AM.
Leave the house at 5:05AM to be at work at 6AM.
I get home around 3:30.
I currently have his lights on a timer for 8AM - 8PM.

>>>>> 12 hour photoperiod is too short , increasing it to make a nice and long photoperiod will be good (ie 16 hrs).


>> set the lights to come on 4am (I'd go 3am) , this way he'll be nice and warm and likely starting to look for food while you are waking up, feed him, then do your morning routine (shower, dressing, putting on your warpaint, brekky) while he's eating.
if he's still sleepy , get him out for a snuggle and hand feed him a few bugs (great for bonding and trust building then put him back in his tank and show him the nice wriggly worms ( BSF maggots and / or silkworms) and leave him to it to graze as he feels the need.

For the first meal , I'd go for a feeder you can leave with him for the day:
>> BSF maggots (Phoenix Worms (USA), calciworms elsewhere) = excellent feeders who wriggle but stay put
>> silkworms ( 1 month old can handle small (1.5 inch) and medium (2 inch) silkworms , you can leave them in a dish on a bit of fresh mulberry leaf or with some silkworm chow and they will not travel (very far) but will be irresistible to little Chopin.

Feed of crickets or roaches or locasts of suitable size , as many as he wants when you get home , he'll be ready and really hungry by then unless you were too generous and gave him too many worms to eat , this is meal No2 for hatchling (if older than 6 months isn't necessary).

Meal No3 for hatchling , or No2 for juvenile see above , I'd do that at about supper time (5 - 6 pm) so he has at least a couple of hours to bask and digest his last feed for the day.

I'd have the lights turn off about 8pm.


I feel that to squeeze in 2 feeding between 3:30pm and say 7PM, giving an hour to bask and digest before lights are out will be too close. I'm trying to decide if I should get Chopin on a longer and earlier time set to do a first feeding in the morning before I go to work...or what I'm kind of stuck, what are your thoughts?

Right now Chopin doesn't have a huge appetite, he's eaten maybe 10 crix randomly throughout the day. Normally I feed in a separate bin but I don't want to bother him too much since hes still settling. I also offer a salad which he wants nothing to do with right now lol but better to offer.

Anyways, any thoughts or suggestions?