Cricket Feeding Confusion???

[dominicthechameleon]

At nighttime I feed all the crickets different fruits, vegetables, grains, and leafy greens.

In the morning, I shake off some of the crickets from the egg flats into a container, sprinkle them with Rep Cal Calcium (NO D3, NO Phosphorus).

Then I feed Rufus in the morning. Most of the crickets that eat the food don't go on the egg flats, they walk around on the other side of the Rubbermaid. I have 1000 crickets and they are all black crickets about 1/4 inch.

How can I make sure that all the crickets I am feeding him have been gutloaded?

 

[camaleonte82]

dont gutload them all. take how ever many he eats and separate that many and just gutload them

 

[dominicthechameleon]

dont gutload them all. take how ever many he eats and separate that many and just gutload them

Then how will the rest of the crickets survive?

 

[camaleonte82]

you feed them too. i dont feed my all the time. just enough to keep them alive and healthy that way when i gutload them they gorge themselves. so if your gutloading is their food then you need to pull some aside. feed the rest a little bit in the morning, and then before bed gutload the ones you separated.

 

[dominicthechameleon]

you feed them too. i dont feed my all the time. just enough to keep them alive and healthy that way when i gutload them they gorge themselves. so if your gutloading is their food then you need to pull some aside. feed the rest a little bit in the morning, and then before bed gutload the ones you separated.

Then what should I feed the ones I don't gutload?

 

[AngieL]

Feed the colony something small and basic. Take some crickets out the night before you plan to feed them off and put them in a tub with plenty of good stuff! If they are a bit hungry from not eating much in the big tub they will scoff the good stuff right before you feed them off. Also you don't really need to feed the colony just make sure they have water, they can survive for ages with just water

 

[camaleonte82]

anything. i give mine different stuff. so like lettuce tomorrow morning, apple the next, potato the next, then carrot and repeat... or whatever you want to do. just find what works for you.

 

[camaleonte82]

Feed the colony something small and basic. Take some crickets out the night before you plan to feed them off and put them in a tub with plenty of good stuff! If they are a bit hungry from not eating much in the big tub they will scoff the good stuff right before you feed them off. Also you don't really need to feed the colony just make sure they have water, they can survive for ages with just water

AMEN TO THAT!!! those buggers are crazy durable
but. a downside to just crix water that i have found is that the overall colony health ebbs slightly downward.

 

[dominicthechameleon]

Can I feed yellow cornmeal? The company I bought them from, The Cricket Factory http://www.cricketfactory.com/ told me to feed all of them that and then feed the separated ones vegetables and fruits.

 

[AngieL]

AMEN TO THAT!!! those buggers are crazy durable
but. a downside to just crix water that i have found is that the overall colony health ebbs slightly downward.

It's funny how they seem to live do long unattended but they also have a high death rate some crickets must have super powers lol!

If you feed them empty food like lettuce and other leaves they will jump at the chance if some nice fruit and veg when given the opportunity!

 

[AngieL]

Corn has low nutritional value and is not recommended as a gutload bit I don't know about corn meal. Alfalfa is a good filler.

 

[joemacchirella]

you feed them too. i dont feed my all the time. just enough to keep them alive and healthy that way when i gutload them they gorge themselves. so if your gutloading is their food then you need to pull some aside. feed the rest a little bit in the morning, and then before bed gutload the ones you separated.

i think im going to try this and see if it works for me

 

[SpartyTessy]

You want to be careful as to not let the colony go too hungry or they will cannibalize each other and fast. As others have said separate some out the day before and give them some good gutload. Also you can dust them before feeding with some Cricket Crack and/or DinoFuel as that stuff is loaded with good gutload. That way you are sure that they are getting the best from your feeders whether they ate or not.

I started my own cricket colony and started off with 200 adults. I now have more than 3000 baby crickets and the entire colony is healthy as I feed them colard greens, kale, sometimes carrots, cricket crack, sprinkled on top with dino fuel and other goodness. My death rate is extremely low.