Determining a feeding schedule.

[extrajordinary]

Hello! The arrival of my baby veiled chameleon is getting closer and I want to be sure I'm ready. I've been doing a lot of research on what to feed a veiled chameleon and I would like some feedback on what I've been able to determine:

A baby veiled chameleon should be eating 10-15 small, gut loaded crickets daily, until s/he is approximately 6 months old.
Crickets should be dusted with calcium without vitamin D3 at every feeding.
Crickets should be dusted with calcium with vitamin D3 and a multivitamin once every 2 weeks.

I know I need to vary the type of insect I feed my veiled chameleon, but for now I just want to focus on getting the calcium and vitamin schedule right. Any feedback on this schedule would be very helpful! Thanks!

 

[ERKleRose]

How old will your chameleon be? For supplements, phosphorus free and D3 free calcium every feeding, phosphorus free calcium with D3 every 2 weeks, and multivitamin every 2 weeks

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Hello! The arrival of my baby veiled chameleon is getting closer and I want to be sure I'm ready. I've been doing a lot of research on what to feed a veiled chameleon and I would like some feedback on what I've been able to determine:

A baby veiled chameleon should be eating 10-15 small, gut loaded crickets daily, until s/he is approximately 6 months old.
Crickets should be dusted with calcium without vitamin D3 at every feeding.
Crickets should be dusted with calcium with vitamin D3 and a multivitamin once every 2 weeks.

I know I need to vary the type of insect I feed my veiled chameleon, but for now I just want to focus on getting the calcium and vitamin schedule right. Any feedback on this schedule would be very helpful! Thanks!

Your feeding and supplementation schedule is correct. A baby veild will likely eat that many crickets a day but the general rule at that age is to let them eat as much as they want. They are growing so fast they need The max amounts of nutrients as they can get.

 

[extrajordinary]

How old will your chameleon be? For supplements, phosphorus free and D3 free calcium every feeding, phosphorus free calcium with D3 every 2 weeks, and multivitamin every 2 weeks

He will be 2-3 months old.

 

[extrajordinary]

Your feeding and supplementation schedule is correct. A baby veild will likely eat that many crickets a day but the general rule at that age is to let them eat as much as they want. They are growing so fast they need The max amounts of nutrients as they can get.

Thanks! I'll start with the 10-15 and see if he eats them all. If he does I'll give him more! Should I free feed or cup feed him? He'll have a fairly large cage.

 

[nightanole]

Thanks! I'll start with the 10-15 and see if he eats them all. If he does I'll give him more! Should I free feed or cup feed him? He'll have a fairly large cage.

You could do a little of both. Babies like to hunt, but its a game of chicken to get enough food in them to keep up with the growth spurts. Remember its going to be doubling in weight at least every month. You may find you can order a box of pin head etc, and a month later the cham has grown to the point it can now eat 4 weeks olds just fine. Sort of growing the crickets with the chameleon.

Males will really eat you out of house at home once they start the teenage phase. 18 full grown crickets in a feeding is not uncommon, you will start to question where he is putting them all.

 

[extrajordinary]

Thank you! I was going to start with 1/4" crickets. Would those be too large?

 

[Deo32]

Thank you! I was going to start with 1/4" crickets. Would those be too large?

Feeders shouldn't be wider than the distance between your cham's eyes. 1/4 for a 3-month chameleon sounds completely normal.