Replacing occasional meals with canned feeders?

[MusikalMadness]

I realize that live food is much more expensive than canned food. I feel my 2 month old live insects 3x a day and I was wondering if you all think it would be okay that I replace one of the meals with canned insects if I dust them with nutrients.

If so what do you recommend. Nutrient/canned food wise.

 

[NegativeCreep]

Where are you buying your feeders? If you get them online, they should come out much cheaper, therefore being more economical than canned foods, anyways. You should be able to get 500 crickets, delivered, for $20. That should last about two weeks for a single growing dragon. (Lasts me three weeks, in addition to 400 phoenix worms). You can get them even cheaper if you got 1,000; I just don't like to fuss with quite that many crickets. Collard greens shouldn't cost you more than $1 a bunch, which should last you a week for a young dragon.

Ordering online should come out to 2-5 cents per cricket, in comparison to 5-10cents in a pet store.
I would avoid canned/packaged/prepared foods at all costs..

ETA: Ok, I do understand that some beardies eat 100 crickets a day, so 500 may not last quite that long!

 

[citrusdragon]

Buying 1000 superworms at a time can put the breaks on those 100 cricket days. I like crickets and roaches because the movement seems to stimulate appetite, but some dragons eat them like they're popcorn. Superworms are more filling and easy to keep.

Jeff

 

[NegativeCreep]

Superworms are more filling and easy to keep.

Jeff

But only when they are big enough to eat them safely!! OP said that his baby was only 2 months!
I can't wait til I can feed supers, too. Phoenix worms are so tiny!!

 

[MusikalMadness]

Where are you buying your feeders? If you get them online, they should come out much cheaper, therefore being more economical than canned foods, anyways. You should be able to get 500 crickets, delivered, for $20. That should last about two weeks for a single growing dragon. (Lasts me three weeks, in addition to 400 phoenix worms). You can get them even cheaper if you got 1,000; I just don't like to fuss with quite that many crickets. Collard greens shouldn't cost you more than $1 a bunch, which should last you a week for a young dragon.

Ordering online should come out to 2-5 cents per cricket, in comparison to 5-10cents in a pet store.
I would avoid canned/packaged/prepared foods at all costs..

ETA: Ok, I do understand that some beardies eat 100 crickets a day, so 500 may not last quite that long!

I get mine from timberline fisheries. Do you know of any better places? A lot of them will come dead and then they'll die here. I do buy in bulk, though.

It usually costs me around 28 dollars for 1000.

Thank you all so much!

 

[NegativeCreep]

That's good. I was hoping you weren't buying locally (even though buying locally is USUALLY better)!
Hmm.. you shouldn't get a large amount of DOAs. Maybe you should try a different supplier. Also, how do you keep them? Maybe we can find out why you are having die-offs.

lllreptile.com has crickets, 1,000, $20 delivered
I usually go with premiumcrickets.com since they have other insects that I like to try..
I am considering changing suppliers, though. But, I haven't found any that offer the worm selection they do.
I usually get 500 at a time.. I got 500 crix, 25 butter worms, and 35 wax worms on their way for right at $30

There are a lot of other good suppliers out there, too. (just avoid wormman right now..)

 

[patrickb]

It should be safe to feed canned foods, IF you can get your beardie to eat 'em. However, I think most are freeze-dried maybe? Whatever method they use, they lose a lot of nutritional content in the process most likely and thus you are just feeding them the equivalent of air. Just a thought on that and why I would recommend against it.

NegativeCreep is on the money, you shouldn't be getting a lot of DOA's to start with. There will usually be a certain amount with crickets, but that is why overcounts were invented. And at $28/1000 that is a bit on the pricey side. You should be looking at around $20-22 per a thousand with shipping (and no DOAs) even cheaper if you really shop around. Search through the forums and read up on reviews for different places. Wormman.com is NOT a good place to order from my experience and many others. Ghanns, premiumcrickets, nyworms all seem to be decent companies to deal with.

Another thing, you said they die after you get them? Make sure you are providing food and water plus plenty of hiding and crawling spaces for them in an adequately sized tank or tote. 10 gal should be ok for 1k crickets. If they are just dieing anyways, it could just be that your supplier is shipping unhealthly crickets. And last but not least, look into the idea of breeding your own insects for feeders. Roaches in particular. They are much easier than crickets and have 100x more benefits as well. Search for Dubia here in the forums for a start if you could consider that as an option. Even if you can't, search for it anyways you might just changed your mind and convert.

 

[pscaulkins]

patrickb on Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:07 pm
It should be safe to feed canned foods, IF you can get your beardie to eat 'em. However, I think most are freeze-dried maybe? Whatever method they use, they lose a lot of nutritional content in the process most likely and thus you are just feeding them the equivalent of air. Just a thought on that and why I would recommend against it.

I totally agree with you. Their nutritional content is pretty much wiped out due to the processing but as a snack wouldn't hurt. I have heard of someone's beardie getting sick from the canned kind. I know I can't get my 3 to eat them and mine love pellets.

 

[h0ndap0w3r]

i buy from mulberryfarms, but thats mostly because im in CA and i dont like to wait for my stuff to arrive in the mail for a week or so. However, they are slightly on the pricy side, but its more of a convenience for me to go that route.