Feeding Advice Needed

[maven]

I'm so excited. I will be getting my first baby (4 month) panther chameleon after months of research. He will be here on Tuesday. However I'm debating about the best way to feed my new little one.

Here is my dilemma. I currently have an automatic timer set to turn on the enclosure lights at 8:00 am. Due to my work schedule I have to be out the door at 5:30 am. My original plan was to free range feeder crickets; however, I'm hesitant to allow crickets to roam the enclosure for so long without the lights being on.

I am currently debating about utilizing a cup feeding method in the morning. This way I don't have to worry about crickets harassing the poor little baby in the dark and I can better monitor food intake. When I arrive home in the afternoon, I was planning on releasing some crickets free within the enclosure to allow the baby time to hunt a little.

I was wondering about everyone's opinion on my plan? I'm open to everyone's comments and suggestions. I've done a great deal of my research through these forums and I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge all of you have given me. Thank you so much in advance for any recommendations or advice you might give!

 

[xraygirl]

I don't free range (yet), but I leave the house at 6:10 am for work. So I have the lights come on at 5:20, 5:50 the mister goes off, and at 6:00 I put crickets in the cage for him to eat and watch him for a few minutes, and he usually gets right to eating. I get home about 4:30 in the afternoon, and his lights shut off around 5. I don't give mine anything to eat after 3-4 pm, he usually has some crickets left in his cage but he doesn't seem to eat late in the afternoons, it's not good for them to eat just before lights out. With yours being a youngin, different advice may be needed! I haven't raised a young cham yet.

 

[sandrachameleon]

your plan sounds fine. use a large bowl or several smaller cups places around the cage, and the cham should fine the food no problem

 

[maven]

Thanks for your feedback guys! I was a little hesitant about cup feeding due to a few drawbacks I had read about. So many people recommend free roaming feeders, I was a little worried if cup feeding would be alright. But now I'm feeling more confident with cup feeding and occasional free roaming crickets. Time for me to look into some cup feeding set-ups! Thank you so much for your help guys! I know I would not have been able to adequately prepare for my little guy without all the help and support from this forum! I will post pictures as soon as he makes it to his new home!!!!

 

[camimom]

Id say almost all of the forum members here cup feed or have cup fed in some form or another.

 

[sandrachameleon]

there is no downside to bowl/container feeding
contrary to what some people may say, it does not make them lazy or negatively impact tongue function. But even if you believed those myths, you can avoid the false concern by occasionally free-range feeding as well, when possible

you may find this thread useful:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/sprite-bottle-insect-feeder-101782/

 

[windex]

I've always free-range fed my chameleon.. well.. I hand feed him crickets, and after he eats about 6 or so I put about 5-6 in his enclosure. super/butter/wax worms I put in a dish on the bottom of his enclosure and he eats out of that. horned worms are 50/50 free range and hand fed, but when they are free range they don't last very long

 

[Veiled chameleons121]

Also add treats

That sounds pretty good remember though to give the chameleon treats such as wax worms (NOT MEAL WORMS / SUPER WORMS because they will mess up the chameleons digestive system) When feeding wax worms coat them in calcium (obviously) then give it to the chameleon by hand to sort of tame the chameleon and get get used to your hand and understand the hand brings food!!

hope it helps

 

[sandrachameleon]

That sounds pretty good remember though to give the chameleon treats such as wax worms (NOT MEAL WORMS / SUPER WORMS because they will mess up the chameleons digestive system) When feeding wax worms coat them in calcium (obviously) then give it to the chameleon by hand to sort of tame the chameleon and get get used to your hand and understand the hand brings food!!

hope it helps

This is not accurate. Mealworms and superworms are entirely acceptable as prey choices, in moderation. Waxworms are not healthy except as rare treats, due to the fat content.

 

[NosyBe15]

I was going to start a thread on a similar issue but maybe ill just comment here. I have always free ranged fed my chams. I havent had any issues with cricket bites or anything like that..

My new issue is that I have now started a Dubai colony, and I dont want to free range the Dubai. So I am trying to put them in a cup and show them to the chams, but no luck. They just look at the dubai and move on. I have even put them on there back, still no eating. If I put a superworm in with the roaches, they pick off the supers and dont touch the roaches.

So should I free range the roaches? Or just keep them in some kind of cup (I saw the sprite bottle post earlier on this thread). Will the chams eat if they are just hungry enough? I almost feel like I just need to let them get hungry enough to see they need to eat the roaches.

 

[maven]

Thanks so much for everyone's advice and suggestions!

That sounds pretty good remember though to give the chameleon treats such as wax worms (NOT MEAL WORMS / SUPER WORMS because they will mess up the chameleons digestive system) When feeding wax worms coat them in calcium (obviously) then give it to the chameleon by hand to sort of tame the chameleon and get get used to your hand and understand the hand brings food!!

hope it helps

No worries! I plan on using crickets as the chameleon's staple feeder. However, I also plan on routinely rotating in other feeders such as superworms, mealworms, silkworms, phoenix worms, and hornworms to have a varied diet. As sandrachameleon mentioned superworms and mealworms should be fine in moderation. I don't plan on feeding exclusively crickets.

I was going to start a thread on a similar issue but maybe ill just comment here. I have always free ranged fed my chams. I havent had any issues with cricket bites or anything like that..

My new issue is that I have now started a Dubai colony, and I dont want to free range the Dubai. So I am trying to put them in a cup and show them to the chams, but no luck. They just look at the dubai and move on. I have even put them on there back, still no eating. If I put a superworm in with the roaches, they pick off the supers and dont touch the roaches.

So should I free range the roaches? Or just keep them in some kind of cup (I saw the sprite bottle post earlier on this thread). Will the chams eat if they are just hungry enough? I almost feel like I just need to let them get hungry enough to see they need to eat the roaches.

Hopefully someone else can give some insight on this issue. Since I'm only starting off with my first one I don't think I can be of much help to you. I really want to try giving my cham dubai in the future; however, my husband is terrified of roaches. I'm hoping with a little time and persuasion I can change his mind about allowing them in the house! Maybe if I show him that the dubai are in cups with no fear of escape it will be enough to convince him!

 

[NosyBe15]

Thanks so much for everyone's advice and suggestions!



No worries! I plan on using crickets as the chameleon's staple feeder. However, I also plan on routinely rotating in other feeders such as superworms, mealworms, silkworms, phoenix worms, and hornworms to have a varied diet. As sandrachameleon mentioned superworms and mealworms should be fine in moderation. I don't plan on feeding exclusively crickets.



Hopefully someone else can give some insight on this issue. Since I'm only starting off with my first one I don't think I can be of much help to you. I really want to try giving my cham dubai in the future; however, my husband is terrified of roaches. I'm hoping with a little time and persuasion I can change his mind about allowing them in the house! Maybe if I show him that the dubai are in cups with no fear of escape it will be enough to convince him!

I personally had to get over the roaches, but honestly now that I have a colony going, I dont mind them at all, there kinda like big rollie pollies. They arent like the common household roach that we all hate. And they dont smell like crickets, and dont make noise either. I just wish my chams would eat em up!! haha

 

[foilempire]

I was going to start a thread on a similar issue but maybe ill just comment here. I have always free ranged fed my chams. I havent had any issues with cricket bites or anything like that..

My new issue is that I have now started a Dubai colony, and I dont want to free range the Dubai. So I am trying to put them in a cup and show them to the chams, but no luck. They just look at the dubai and move on. I have even put them on there back, still no eating. If I put a superworm in with the roaches, they pick off the supers and dont touch the roaches.

So should I free range the roaches? Or just keep them in some kind of cup (I saw the sprite bottle post earlier on this thread). Will the chams eat if they are just hungry enough? I almost feel like I just need to let them get hungry enough to see they need to eat the roaches.

I have read that some chams just dont care about roaches. If you search the forum you will see some people that have this same issue with snails or other feeders. Since im a begginer (have One 4 year old veiled) lets wait for some experienced answers!!!

Sorry for the bad english and the autocorrect!!!!