Free range or cup feeding?

[audiorazor]

I am getting my 4 month old veiled chameleon on Tuesday. My 18x18x36 cage is all setup and ready to go. I know he is being free range fed right now but not sure if that's the way I should go with when he arrives. Should I just try dropping a few crickets in his setup and see what happens?

 

[JohnDoe]

You can keep doing the free range most people do cup feeding so they can see how much there cham is actually eating or if they have different feeders maybe like roaches. Free range triggers more of a natural feed time, but really it is preference for you. I would try the FR with the crickets and if you see crickets left or he has not eaten any you can try cup feeding.

 

[audiorazor]

Do I just drop the crickets in the bottom of his cage or try to put them up top? Just not sure how much they will look.

Thanks

 

[JohnDoe]

Well when i first got my cham i would put them in her cage some on the leafs or branches. Maybe watch them climb the cage they will eventually climb the cage. and dont under estimate your cham if he is hungry he will get them even if they are close to the bottom of the cage.

 

[armando]

I like to cup feed... that way I can control how much my cham eats, also... insects dont get lost in cage, or hides somewhere...
insects also die easier by getting drown in drops of water at the bottom of the cage..

 

[Johnny909]

Put a cup in somewhere up high in the terrarium, tilted so the crickets can climb when they are ready, they will then slowly start climbing around looking for a safe spot. Giving your animal time to hunt them down.

If you just throw them in, they will scatter around in a panic looking for the closest hiding spot.

 

[Bush baby]

I always free range.

For some reason none of the chams i've had ever got used to eating from a cup.

At the bottom of the cage i have a small flat tray with fresh veggies and cricket crack, that the crickets i release into the cage eat. I usually release about 6 to 10 in the cage at a time, after lights out, so the crickets feed over night and are gut loaded by the time the cham wakes up the next day. I do this about 3 times a week.

 

[audiorazor]

I put about 10 crickets in his cage yesterday. Saw him eat 2 but have no idea where the rest of them went. I'm sure a few drowned but have no idea where they went!

Probably find them dead under a pot when I clean....

 

[little leaf]

I feed both ways, I put 5 in the cup, and aobut 3-5 in the cage - mine would not feed from a cup for the longest time, I made one of the pop bottle ones, but I used the smaller size - I tihnk it is 16 oz? make it just like the 2 L one, but just smaller - I also glued a screen up the back so they have something to climb up , and she likes when they do that
I dont know how many of the lose ones she gets, but I like KNOWING if the 5 are gone from the cup, she ate them
CONGRATS on your new little one

 

[Ulrich]

I am a big fan of free range and hand feeding. All the big yummy feeders like roaches, worms, locust go onto (and sometimes around) the hand.

All the yucky ones like crickets are released.

As Johnny909 said, the tilting method works quite well. I tilt my cup at the lower part of the cage against the mesh screen. They soon start climbing up the screen towards warmer regions and normally right into the target of the Chameleon.

 

[audiorazor]

The tipped cup idea is great. I have only had him for a day so im not too concerned with him eating a ton yet. Saw him eat two this morning so I know he is at least munching. Just nervous with a big cage and litte crickets. Afraid he wont be able to find them or they will die/drown first.

 

[Raphael1047]

I like to hand feed or free range. I hand feed feeders that I know will just hide or stay at the bottom of the cage like roaches and most worms. I mostly just free range crickets. My chams don't like cup feeding I don't know why. This link might help you decide http://screameleons.com/chameleon-feeding-cups/