Crickets for cage with built in free range?

[kwengkynator]

I always offer variety for my chams but lately I've been hesitant on getting crickets. I used to breed them but not any more couldn't stand the noise and smell. I have my dubias (staple), super ( mixer) and mealworm (rarely) breeding grounds right now. Those are doing me just fine along side with online bought treats. I have been avoiding crickets recently cause Ive moved to a bigger cage a 24x48 cage for both my chams. Back then I usually have a separate smaller cage where I would release a variety of feeders (crickets included) and put my cham inside. They would have a feeding frenzy and I'll take them out when they have their fill of food. (One at a time of course)

Now I upgraded my enclosure I attached the smaller screen cage on top on the big one and left the top door open for a little free range. Will it be okay to just release the crickets inside the cage? You think I would have plenty of escapees? Hows your experience on free ranged cage feeding? I stick with a feeder bowl usually. That doenst work on crickets in most cases. I want my chams to hunt the crickets down. I think they are bored with bowl feeding. Will this work?

The pics of the cage is in this thread

 

[kwengkynator]

Heres the thread mentioned... https://www.chameleonforums.com/almost-done-stacked-screen-cages-137822/

 

[Solid Snake]

Wanting to encourage hunting is great. I think most feeders should be hunted by the animal.

That said, in a free range setup, you are going to have lots of escapees if you go about it by just releasing the feeders across the free range, or if they have any chance of getting out of a cage really.

There are certain techniques that allow for hunting, as well as being low-risk when it comes to escaped feeders.

Im talking mantids, and grasshoppers that have been cut at the "knee".

Mantids tend to stay in the foliage you place them on, or at least in a small area, and at least long enough to be hunted down.

Grasshoppers will do the same, if they cannot jump, most of the time. I have had some make like a scared chameleon, and simply decide to plung themselves off whatever they are on, especially if they are under attack.(Example, multiple missed tongue shots at them)

Free ranging is not easy to pull off correctly, and I would recommend leaving the majority of the hunting to be done, inside an enclosure of some sort. That said, having a whole room to hunt in, is in my opinion a much better experience for the animal, as it does not have the confinement advantage of a 2x2x4 enclosure. The animal has to be stealthy, thoughtful, and quick, if it does not have a corner to back the food into. This is much more realistic. These feedings should be done one feeder at a time, with observation, from as far away as possible. (to let the animal focus) This will allow you to recoup any escapees, and monitor if the food is getting eaten.

You can see an example of how stable, and manageable hoppers are when they have been snipped here:

 

[Carlton]

I always offer variety for my chams but lately I've been hesitant on getting crickets. I used to breed them but not any more couldn't stand the noise and smell. I have my dubias (staple), super ( mixer) and mealworm (rarely) breeding grounds right now. Those are doing me just fine along side with online bought treats. I have been avoiding crickets recently cause Ive moved to a bigger cage a 24x48 cage for both my chams. Back then I usually have a separate smaller cage where I would release a variety of feeders (crickets included) and put my cham inside. They would have a feeding frenzy and I'll take them out when they have their fill of food. (One at a time of course)

Now I upgraded my enclosure I attached the smaller screen cage on top on the big one and left the top door open for a little free range. Will it be okay to just release the crickets inside the cage? You think I would have plenty of escapees? Hows your experience on free ranged cage feeding? I stick with a feeder bowl usually. That doenst work on crickets in most cases. I want my chams to hunt the crickets down. I think they are bored with bowl feeding. Will this work?

The pics of the cage is in this thread

I free ranged my melleri for years so loose feeders were a problem. Some feeders I would hand feed directly, but I also left some available during the day. I got a larger plastic storage box...about 1'x1' size, that was fairly deep so the crickets weren't as likely to jump out (tip...if you gently pour some into the box, leave some fresh gutload in the box, and don't bother them much they don't tend to jump out). Drilled some holes in the rim of the box and hung it from a sturdy branch with light wire. The box should be placed below a branch that the cham can get to and within tongue reach, but far enough away that the cham has to work to aim and shoot at the feeders. Either by climbing to the rim of the box or on a close by branch.