what age? worms & crickets

[bubbajay]

What age is a good age to add worms in the mix with feeding time. My guy is eating tiny crickets right now about 20 a day broken up into breakfast and dinner. But i like variety i tried veggies and greens a bit of fruit hut he had no intrest and i didnt think he would. I want to place and order for some worms though i just want to make sure he is old enough. also its been so long since i ordered worms what is a good site when it comes to variety? I would like to order different worms but from the same place...

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, truly he can have appropriate sized mealies anytime. I would recommend only feeding a few at each feeding. Basically used as snacks at the end of a feeding, in between meals, on there greens or when you handle them.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

I don't use or recommend mealworms with BD , you cant gut load them among other bad things with them, they are a useless treat. I much prefer butter worms as they are chocked full of calcium and or Phoenix worms. Staple foods I prefer are gut loaded Dubia Roaches and gut loaded super worms. I also give horn worms every now and then.

 

[bubbajay]

Ok awesome. i too never used mealies for my other beardie i really liked the phoenix worms they are the perfect size i believe i may stay away from horm worms until he is older since those worms get huge like overnight it seems.
Thank u both for taking the time to answer im so happy to be back on this wonderful forum

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

You can put horn worms in the refrig for 24 hrs to slow down their growth. Horn worms are a good way for your Dragon to stay hydrated.

 

[bubbajay]

Yukismom thank you i did not know that about slowing their growth i may get some then since my little man(?) Isnt interested in his water which i know is normal.

 

[bubbajay]

Quick question bubba jay is eating upwards of 25 crix a day split between bfast and dinner is the enough or to much? Im just asking cause when we got him apparently he was only eating 10 a day thats what the petstore lady said.

 

[Germ]

25 appropriate sized Crix a day is a good decent appetite, some will eat more, others less. I used to limit mine to 30-35 a day, if they wanted that many. The old rule of thumb - 'As much as they will or want to eat in a 10-15 minute period per feeding' is a tried & time tested method that has worked very well for decades, since the start of the Hobby.

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

I honestly quit feeding crickets due to Reptiles getting pinworms from them. I actually just got a new Beardie and vet visit showed he has Giardia....talk about pissed! How do you guys gut load your super worms? I am at the moment using cricket crack but I was wondering how the water supply is offered through these feeders?

 

[Germ]

Using worms as a staple diet is not recommended, most worms generally have a much higher Fat content & some, like superworms for example, are a little harder to digest, so your temps should be 'spot on' if using them. Worms should be more as treats, than a staple diet. Crickets or roaches as the staple live prey is a much better choice. If it has been 'PROVEN' that the crix are the original source of the pinworms, which I really doubt that they are, find another feeder source that takes better care of their stock .

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

I have no problem using just Dubia Roaches as a staple diet and actually I just ordered more of them. The cricket situation is iffy and I have ordered from a few suppliers of crickets and most of the time been disappointed. My Chameleon refuses crickets and only will eat horn worms or silkworms and he is 2 plus years old and I have had him that long and he is as healthy as an OX. Mealworms are hard to digest and is why I do not feed them, I never heard that super worms are hard to digest but I am certainly not doubting you but probably need to do more research on them as my exotic vet recommended them along with Dubia.

 

[bubbajay]

Ok awesome i honestly believe he would eat more but i hate to put to many in cause he is still nervous and digging through his cage to get the leftovers out cant really be good. Crickets will always remain his staple diet i was just planning on the worms as a treat and to use in helping him trust me more but i guess just feeding him will do that....his appetite his good he hasnt refused a meal yet other than the salad but he also has never had one before i got him so i ordered phoenix worms they should be here tomorrow ill mix them with the salad so the salad "moves" he is very much visual when he eats
Also and this is just funny but when i dump in his crix some of the calcium powder falls out and he will litteraly attack the powder he scratches at it and will attack it for hours after he is done eating i actually had to take out his carpet and shake it off one night cause he was at it for upwards of two hours what is his obssesion with the white powder?

 

[Germ]

[quote="Yuki'sMom, post: 72106, member: 4156"not doubting you but probably need to do more research on them as my exotic vet recommended them along with Dubia. [/quote]I did not say not to feed Supers, I said they are a harder feeder to digest so temps should be spot on & that like most worms should be served as treats. Superworms are quite high in fat, compared to crix & roaches.

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Ghann's Cricket Farm​

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http://www.exotic-pets.co.uk​

http://www.floridaherps.com/live-phoenix-worms/​

http://www.georgiacrickets.com/​

http://www.phoenixworm.com​

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http://www.grubco.com/nutritional_information.cfm​

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In response to your last comment, over the last 11 years of caring for BDs, I have done extensive research. It is a well known & proven fact that Superworm's shell does consist of a somewhat harder chitin than many other usual feeders, making them a little harder to digest feeder. My comments were not that they were a bad feeder, but that they should be used in moderation because of this, their fat content & with stricter husbandry care particularly in the basking temp area.​

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Vets quite often have the knowledge & equipment to check out problems, but there are very few & generally hard to find any that are really different species specific knowledgeable on each different species specific aspects of husbandry needs. You may possibly be one of the lucky ones & found a better one. My question is, did your Exotic Vet specifically say to use Superworms as a staple food? If this is the case, I question your vet's knowledge of feeders.​

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I am glad that your Chameleon is quite healthy, but this is a BD Forum & they are 2 altogether different species of reptiles.​

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Good Luck​

 

[gilliesexotics]

I have no problem using just Dubia Roaches as a staple diet and actually I just ordered more of them. The cricket situation is iffy and I have ordered from a few suppliers of crickets and most of the time been disappointed. My Chameleon refuses crickets and only will eat horn worms or silkworms and he is 2 plus years old and I have had him that long and he is as healthy as an OX. Mealworms are hard to digest and is why I do not feed them, I never heard that super worms are hard to digest but I am certainly not doubting you but probably need to do more research on them as my exotic vet recommended them along with Dubia.

Chameleons typically will refuse crickets when worms have been abused. Using them as a staple and then trying to go back to crickets...

I would like to know how you are pointing a finger at your cricket supplier for giving your animal parasites. Did you have your crickets tested? You can float the material from a cricket is just as easy a feces. If you dont wash your veggies and fruits well enough which most people dont. These also can harbor parasites.

I dont believe super worms are any harder to digest than and adult dubia. However like germ said they are high in fat. Im speaking from opinion here...Insects high in fat fed as a staple have to take its tole on the kidneys over time (im not talking about leopard geckos here). Animals in the wild have ways of dealing with stored fat. When bug sources are low due to seasonal conditions. the animal is forced to use reserves. Then to replenish when the getting good. Now, in captivity we often dont replicate these conditions and we often cause fatty liver disease and other issues due to improper diet

I would strongly recommend the op to sticking with the tried and proved crickets or roaches as a staple. If you wish to use mealies or super worms be sure to gut load them as you would your crickets. they will eat everything a cricket will including the fresh veggies and fruits. Only use these worms as "SNACKS"!

Good luck with your kid.

 

[bubbajay]

Just making sure that everybody knows the one who started this post (me) isnot the one talking about not feeding crix
Thank you germ for answering MY question but maybe the other topic should be started else where cause this isnt really fair i dont have any issues with feeding bubbajay crix just for the record

 

[Germ]

The hazards of forums . When an issue arises, we often stray to clarify or elaborate on comments made. I am sorry that you feel that your thread has been hi-jacked because all the posted replies were not directed to you personally, it is after all, about providing accurate info. Other members comment & often need to to be recognized. Your questions have not been ignored & have been well answered .

Your thread has been about feeding worms & Crickets, so it has not stayed far.

On that note:

I don't use or recommend mealworms with BD , you cant gut load them among other bad things with them, they are a useless treat.

I would like to invite Yuki'sMom to take up the ...
Mealie Basher 'Challenge'

If she can ... As it seems that by her statements, she may have some info that should be heard ... Always open to new info & learning. Also, another question for her, since when, can you not 'Gutload' Mealworms?

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

My new Dragon came to me with Giardia. So far the week he has been here he has refused to eat any veggies. I feed Organic veggies and fruits and I wash the in veggie wash and rinse really well in a veggie spinner. My vet let me look in the scope to see how infested the dragon baby was with Giardia parasites and it was bad. My vet said my Dragon had to have had Giardia from where he came from. Yes I went on Fauna Boards to get reviews on breeders and these folks passed so I had no concerns.

 

[bubbajay]

Im so confused my posts keep getting deleted did i upset somebody i really never meant to and i do apologize

 

[Germ]

Other than you deleting your own post tonight, 4 minutes before the post directly above this one, none of your posts have been deleted , so I am unsure why you are saying that they keep getting deleted.

 

[Augie]

I feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone, but with a touch of drama.

Hehe just kidding. I've been reading forums for years and this type of debate can be healthy. I do want to chime in and say I agree with Germ 100%, and had a nice chuckle when he was told to do more research (I'm ashamed to say I looked forward to his response).