when is too young to separate siblings M & F ?

[kingofnobbys]

2nd day of winter and none of my skinks or dragons are showing any interest in brumating ( up and basking this morning when my wife got out of bed to have her brekky ).

Swapped out the old 26W UVB150s (BTs) and 26W UVB200s (beardies) last night before I went to bed, and I think the skinks and beardies have all noticed. All up and basking at 8am , the beardies were very highly coloured so obviously enjoying the extra UVA and UVB and brighter white light.
I was naughty as I was tardy in replacing the UVB150s and UVB200s this time , should have replaced them on 25 May.
This is last set of 26W UVB200s , I am hoping to be mobile enough to build the new Beardie Mansion for Peppa and Toothless before the next schedule UVB200 and UVB150 renewal , and will be upgrading to Arcadia Slimline T5 reflector hoods with 12% 24W T5 Arcadia tubes and 80W Arcadia MVBs for the beardies (only the best for MY spikey children).

And all still hungry and active. Guess it must be too warm in our house with aircon running 24/7 and set to keep the house at about 24oC even overnight.... .... I don't mind .... I'd be at a loss if I didn't have my beardies and BTs to care for and spoil and interact with each day....

Back into the silkworms , splashed out and bought 100 mediums and smalls from a guy in Queensland, still using the blanched frozen mulberry leaves from Mar 2016.
Found if I lay some paper toweling over the ventilated 4L tub's lid , the aircon doesn't dry the leaves out and they stay soft (so far it's they've been in the tub since last Thursday and no mould and no deccicated leaves , allows air ventilation but re-tards deciccation of the blanched leaves) and the silkworms are happily munching away on them.

Each of my lizards is getting 2 medium silkworms (2inch long) each day with the greens and their daily cricket rations.
They all disappear the silkworms pretty quick. Only things that they like more are superworms (for the beardies) and cultivated escargots (for the bluetongues).

 

[CooperDragon]

Glad to hear they're still doing well and no brumation signs yet. I'm sure they appreciate the new lighting and will love the upgrade when you can get to it. That's a good tip on the silks. I'll have to give that a shot next time I make an order of them.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Peppa and Toothless both having another growth spurt.

Peppa gained 26g this week , she's now 646g , no sign of her growth slowing much yet.

Toothless has gained 22g this week , he's finally cracked 500g , he's now 510g and his growth is still pretty constant.

No doubt about silkworms , a week of a couple medium silkworms every day paid dividents.....

 

[SHBailey]

I've been thinking about ordering some silkworms for our beardie, since we don't do superworms anymore and he seems to be having a heck of a time catching his crickets and roaches lately. It sounds like you guys have had pretty good luck with the silkworms and would recommend them? :?

 

[kingofnobbys]

I've been thinking about ordering some silkworms for our beardie, since we don't do superworms anymore and he seems to be having a heck of a time catching his crickets and roaches lately. It sounds like you guys have had pretty good luck with the silkworms and would recommend them? :?

Yep....I recommend them as great feeder insects, especially when you can get access to fresh mulberry leaves perhaps for free.

I suggest getting a few hundred mulberry leaves , blanching and freezing them , they keep great in the freezer bags.

I've giving two medium silkworms each day to each of my lizards , if I had more (mediums) I'd give them 4 mediums each per day , or if I had large silkworms , I'd give them two large silkworms each per day.

If you are patient , save yourself a load of $ by buying the silkworms as eggs (maybe 200 - 300) and hatch the eggs and raise them on fresh leaves (it's the best way , much better than using chow to raise baby silkworms).

 

[SHBailey]

Yes, I figured I'd get the eggs because they probably travel better than the live worms, and I understand you can refrigerate them for a while and hatch them a few at a time, since we only have one beardie. Not to mention the lower cost per worm, and I'm in no big hurry.

Fresh mulberry leaves are an issue -- it doesn't grow in this climate. Too far north. So I'd probably have to use the chow until and unless I could find a way to get some blanched and frozen mulberry leaves shipped, or else get some seeds and try to "bonsai" a miniature mulberry tree or two that we could keep in the house. :?

Still trying to work out the logistics, but feeling the need to get some more variety for the beardie now that we're not doing superworms anymore. Crickets and roaches seem to be the only other suitable feeder insects that we can get at the local stores, and he's been having a heck of a time catching them lately, so I'm trying to figure out something else. He has always liked worms -- they move just enough for him to realize that they're edible, but they don't run away fast enough for him to give up on trying to catch them. :roll:

 

[kingofnobbys]

Yes, I figured I'd get the eggs because they probably travel better than the live worms, and I understand you can refrigerate them for a while and hatch them a few at a time, since we only have one beardie. Not to mention the lower cost per worm, and I'm in no big hurry.
<<<< rechilling the eggs after they arrive will kill them.

Fresh mulberry leaves are an issue -- it doesn't grow in this climate. Too far north. So I'd probably have to use the chow until and unless I could find a way to get some blanched and frozen mulberry leaves shipped, or else get some seeds and try to "bonsai" a miniature mulberry tree or two that we could keep in the house. :?
<<<< I buy my leaves (can travel as far as 2000km in the express post (overnight)) and arrive in good condition
I'm sure if you ask around you'll find some mulberry trees even as far north as 50deg Latitude.
See .https://books.google.com.au/books?id=3FBGjbbMjpAC&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=latitude+range+for+mulberry+trees&source=bl&ots=Ua3moHElfR&sig=C0LVeqzDb-WUkKwRCVjqZcyeYGQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjg_8fJlKPUAhUEG5QKHSjiARYQ6AEISjAJ#v=onepage&q=latitude%20range%20for%20mulberry%20trees&f=false

Still trying to work out the logistics, but feeling the need to get some more variety for the beardie now that we're not doing superworms anymore. Crickets and roaches seem to be the only other suitable feeder insects that we can get at the local stores, and he's been having a heck of a time catching them lately, so I'm trying to figure out something else. He has always liked worms -- they move just enough for him to realize that they're edible, but they don't run away fast enough for him to give up on trying to catch them. :roll:

 

[SHBailey]

Thanks. That explains why one of the websites I was looking at said to order a cold pack if you wanted to keep the eggs refrigerated. I guess the idea is that they're designed to survive one winter and then hatch the next spring, but not repeated chilling and warming up? :?

We're at 61 deg latitude here in Anchorage Alaska, so the only chance for fresh mulberry (without having to deal with trying to ship it some long distance and pay enough to get it here fast enough to still be in decent condition) would be if someone is growing them in a greenhouse somewhere in the area. After discussing the options with my husband (reality check ), we decided that trying to get silkworms and/or keep them around just isn't a feasible option for us right now.

At least our beardie seems to like Repashy Grub Pie, so we've got something with a longer shelf life to keep around just in case we get into a situation (huge snow dump, earthquake, etc) where we can't get live bugs for him for a while -- he wouldn't have to go hungry.

BTW, I keep having to remind myself that Australia is not as far south as I tend to think it is, and that the northern part is actually up in the tropics. When I look at one of these map projections of the world, top heavy in terms of land mass and looks like the equator ought to be farther north than it really is, not to mention they usually do it by "cutting it open" down the middle of the Pacific Ocean and spreading it out in an oval, so it ends up looking like Australia is way down there halfway to Antarctica even though that's not really the case, so it makes perfect sense that bearded dragons need so much heat and light.

I grew up in this weird place called Southern California where it never snows, and I remember that we raised silkworms as a class project somewhere around 2nd or 3rd grade, and the kids got to watch them grow and make their cocoons and everything, but my husband grew up in Alaska and says they didn't do that in any of his classes when he was a little kid. Mulberry leaves were easy to get in California -- we probably had some growing right on the school grounds.

Oh well. I guess you just have to go with what's doable in the environment you live in. :roll:

 

[kingofnobbys]

Thanks. That explains why one of the websites I was looking at said to order a cold pack if you wanted to keep the eggs refrigerated. I guess the idea is that they're designed to survive one winter and then hatch the next spring, but not repeated chilling and warming up? :?

We're at 61 deg latitude here in Anchorage Alaska, so the only chance for fresh mulberry (without having to deal with trying to ship it some long distance and pay enough to get it here fast enough to still be in decent condition) would be if someone is growing them in a greenhouse somewhere in the area. After discussing the options with my husband (reality check ), we decided that trying to get silkworms and/or keep them around just isn't a feasible option for us right now.
<<< I'm 33degrees S lat, and right on the coast, never seen snow, and have to travel a hundred km inland to see frost overnight..
>>> I've kept fresh picked mulberry leaves in the crisper for up to a month very successfully.
<<< plenty of people, myself included have raised silkworms entirely on silkworm chow for their entire life cycle, you only really need fresh leaves for when they are really tiny , first few weeks , then can swap over to blanched frozen then thawed leaves or chow, if leaves are impossible, leaves are not entirely necessary.


At least our beardie seems to like Repashy Grub Pie, so we've got something with a longer shelf life to keep around just in case we get into a situation (huge snow dump, earthquake, etc) where we can't get live bugs for him for a while -- he wouldn't have to go hungry.

BTW, I keep having to remind myself that Australia is not as far south as I tend to think it is, and that the northern part is actually up in the tropics. When I look at one of these map projections of the world, top heavy in terms of land mass and looks like the equator ought to be farther north than it really is, not to mention they usually do it by "cutting it open" down the middle of the Pacific Ocean and spreading it out in an oval, so it ends up looking like Australia is way down there halfway to Antarctica even though that's not really the case, so it makes perfect sense that bearded dragons need so much heat and light.

I grew up in this weird place called Southern California where it never snows, and I remember that we raised silkworms as a class project somewhere around 2nd or 3rd grade, and the kids got to watch them grow and make their cocoons and everything, but my husband grew up in Alaska and says they didn't do that in any of his classes when he was a little kid. Mulberry leaves were easy to get in California -- we probably had some growing right on the school grounds.


>>>> here is one that grows at your latitude http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/JFE/product/ranger-kens-mulberry-tree/
Oh well. I guess you just have to go with what's doable in the environment you live in. :roll:

 

[SHBailey]

Thanks for the link. We've tabled the silkworm idea for now, but it's nice to know that if we ever revisit it, we could make do with the chow until we figure out a way to get access to mulberries of some sort. Didn't realize there were so many different varieties.

I was in the 6th grade before I saw snow on the ground (camping trip to the mountains), and I was in my 20s before I saw it fall out of the sky (another trip to the mountains in Oregon with my dad). Coming to Alaska was a big change, but it's funny what you can get used to.

Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy for trying to maintain an Australian desert environment in a little glass box in my living room in order to keep the beardie happy and healthy. :roll:

 

[kingofnobbys]

Toothless , 21 months old , 507g.

giving that silkworm that I have inbetween my fingertips a stern look ....

Peppa is 632g .

Peppa looking for mom or me to pick her up and give her a cuddle now she's had a wee roam about after her bugs.

getting what she wanted.... .... note the "happy colours" she's displaying ....

and this is what she expects now off daddy every night

.... I am not complaining .... I enjoy it as much as she does ....

 

[CooperDragon]

Are you guys following Masterchef this year? George just said something was "smack, bang, limeball" or "smack, bang, lineball". What does that mean? It seemed like a good thing. Is it a cricket reference? It sounds like line out from rugby which (I think) is bad.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Are you guys following Masterchef this year? George just said something was "smack, bang, limeball" or "smack, bang, lineball". What does that mean? It seemed like a good thing. Is it a cricket reference? It sounds like line out from rugby which (I think) is bad.

I'm not following Master Chef this year , my wife is watching it on iView on her new 16" laptop.

I think he's making a tennis or AFL or soccer reference in that statement ( " smack, bang, lineball " ) , he's Greco-Aussie so most likely into soccer.... borderline would be my interpretation.

Of the three, I like him the most.

Can't stand My Kitchen Rules .... way too much nastiness and meladrama.

 

[CooperDragon]

Ah ok thanks. I like that show best because the contestants are generally kind to eachother. I have trouble with their accents and phrases sometimes though. We got behind a bit last week and have been catching up on Tenplay over the weekend. Pretty talented group this year but we're frustrated that Ray is still in while better folks have been booted several times.

 

[SHBailey]

Looks like you have some happy healthy beardies who like their snuggles and their worms.

You guys lost me with the cooking shows, but is anyone following the 10th season of Dr Who? :mrgreen:

My nephew just graduated from high school, and plans to go into the culinary arts program at the local university this fall. He wants to be a chef. My husband half jokingly suggested that we should hire him to do our cooking for us.