Food by Age

[JoshD49]

Hello guys,

I plan to get my cham soon and want to start building up my feeding supply.

My question is at what age can you begin giving them different types of food like hornworms, silks, etc

I was thinking of starting with a supply of crickets and one other one besides roaches. Was thinking either BSF larvae, hornworms, or silks but wasn't sure if that's something you start as they get older. Was thinking it would be fine for a juvinille as long as it fits the rule of thumb of being smaller then the head is wide but wanted to see what you guys do.

 

[jamest0o0]

Yeah it's fine. Width of bug smaller than width between cham's eyes is a good general rule.

Note, not length, if you went by length any worm would be too big for a cham lol.

 

[JoshD49]

oh ok! That make a lot more sense haha. Thanks

Which of the 3 would be a good second one to start with? eventually I will try to keep more but for now.

 

[bloftis1]

oh ok! That make a lot more sense haha. Thanks

Which of the 3 would be a good second one to start with? eventually I will try to keep more but for now.

I would say IMO 2-3 mo, you could do small silks I believe and 4-5 mo, small hornworms, I'm not too sure on the size of a BSFL someone with experience with those feeders can definitely give you some information on them!

 

[jamest0o0]

Small hornworms are tiny if you get the right size any age cham could eat any of those feeders. Silkworms would probably be most nutritious out of all those. Bsfl are also very good. Hornworms are great for hydration.

 

[JoshD49]

Thanks for the information. I think I will go with silks and hornworms shortly after.

 

[Wowbango]

All of the suggestions are great, if you can get them to eat dubias, those are also great staple feeder. Some Chams don't take to them though. Careful with hornworms, don't get a large supply, they grow incredibly fast. I would stick to only feeding those as treats or if you're getting a lot of orange/yellow urates. Silkworms are very nutritious, just messy and a pain to raise from eggs. You can buy them live of course, but they tend to be pretty over priced at most places.

 

[JoshD49]

All of the suggestions are great, if you can get them to eat dubias, those are also great staple feeder. Some Chams don't take to them though. Careful with hornworms, don't get a large supply, they grow incredibly fast. I would stick to only feeding those as treats or if you're getting a lot of orange/yellow urates. Silkworms are very nutritious, just messy and a pain to raise from eggs. You can buy them live of course, but they tend to be pretty over priced at most places.

I will probably not be trying to breed them for a while if at all. I plan to buy them locally and just enough supply to feed away. I was thinking about the Dubias but again don't plan to breed them.

I just want to buy some feeders to try and get a good starter supply going while I can adjust to making my new cham happy and comfortable.

 

[jamest0o0]

I'd skip dubias and go straight to orangeheads if you have to pick. Will also never need to buy crickets. Cuts down on expenses, plus they're overall cleaner than crickets and pretty much never transmit parasites or anything problematic.

 

[JoshD49]

I am just so nervous about roaches and my wife is absolutely disgusted by them. Are orange heads much better then Dubia or are they just more enticing to chams?

 

[jamest0o0]

Yeah I get that. I was too. My wife doesnt take well to them either. They're really not that bad though and even my wife has eased up on them over the last couple years. They're more sanitary believe or not than a lot of insects. I get the stigma that the 4-5 pest species create for the other so many thousands. I held off chameleons for so long just due to not wanting to feed roaches.

Anyway, orangeheads are more active and enticing to chams in most cases. They also get meatier. Overall, the care is very similar. They don't handle large temperature swings as well as dubia though.

 

[JoshD49]

I read that they have an odor compared to dubia. I originally went into this when I first started researching saying there is no way I would be keeping roaches and I have already considered keeping dubia so I am sure I will be getting one of the 2 at some point. will probably get a couple of each and see what the cham will like or if he likes them at all and then decide from there. I really appreciate the information and guidance.

 

[jamest0o0]

The odor is nonexistent unless you overcrowd them to the extreme. I have hundreds in one bin and they dont smell at all.

Chams will eat them if you don't offer anything else. Eventually they get used to them. They can go a long time without food so they'll happily scare you with hunger strikes for whatever feeders they prefer.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

I have a BSFL colony and about a dozen 1mo veiled chams. Surprisingly they want absolutely nothing to do with the larva. But it’s a whole different story once they start flying around in their viv. It triggers something primal in them and they just go wild.

 

[Tucklander]

My guy won’t eat Dubai’s much ... only if I lay them on their backs on the bottom of enclosure, and then only sometimes, the few that have climbed the mesh he snatched right up but I cannot get many of them to climb..and then when I come home some are still laying there but crickets and super worms are gone...where/how do you get the orange heads and can they infest your house, I live in NC. I know he likes movement in his prey...and do oranges climb? Thanks if you will reply, I appreciate it.

 

[jamest0o0]

Nick barta at fullthrottlefeeders has them. They can't infest, they die a little easier than dubia even IME. They cant climb or fly. Pretty much just more active dubias that apparently taste better. Same care and all.

 

[Tucklander]

Nick barta at fullthrottlefeeders has them. They can't infest, they die a little easier than dubia even IME. They cant climb or fly. Pretty much just more active dubias that apparently taste better. Same care and all.

Thanks for the info, I went to school for business law, I’m wondering if a biology major would’ve made more sense. Ha!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Thanks for the info, I went to school for business law, I’m wondering if a biology major would’ve made more sense. Ha!

That’s the thing I like about keeping chams. Not only do you have to be an expert on chameleons, you also have to be an expert in so many other areas too!

 

[Tucklander]

That’s the thing I like about keeping chams. Not only do you have to be an expert on chameleons, you also have to be an expert in so many other areas too!

I’m learning daily...and it’s all interesting. Very much so...I love reading the information, especially when you all get technical (and I have to google what the hey y’all are talking about ) but I’m enjoying learning all these new things. A very interesting group you all are.

 

[ToxiccKiwii]

All of the suggestions are great, if you can get them to eat dubias, those are also great staple feeder. Some Chams don't take to them though.

I've noticed with my Cham in particular, the only thing that I will cup feed is Dubia, and he LOVES them! As soon as he see's the cup he can't get over fast enough! BUT, he'll only eat them if they're 1/4-3/8th in size, he'll occasionally snatch one thats a 1/2 inch, but that's usually pushing it. Because he'll only eat the small ones I usually throw some crickets in there after, but he still gets the variety which is nice.