Free ranging silkworms?

[Steve A]

Success! So this little guy is funny. He skipped over the first tray that had silks and a hornworm.

He went to the cup that normally has his bsfl. Sat there for at least a minute staring at the silks, probably hoping the bsfl would just appear lol. Finally ate one. He was done after one though and has gone back to his basking area. He typically eats a little, Basks, eats a little, Basks, Eats a lot, Basks,then explores. Then goes to his resting area.

So I'm gonna go add some crickets and bsfl now that he's eaten a silk for me. I think he's just being stubborn

I snuck in there and grabbed a pic real quick while he was walking away from eating lol

 

[snitz427]

I sometimes put a dab of silkworm chow on a branch with them if I dont think they’ll be eaten right away.

 

[Steve A]

I sometimes put a dab of silkworm chow on a branch with them if I dont think they’ll be eaten right away.

I actually did this on Friday when I was using a plastic leaf/dish thing that I have. It did keep them separated (and mostly in the dish, except 1 lol) but he never ate any so I had to remove them when it was time. I use the cheese grader so the food is super small but enough for them individually to hang out like that. Great idea! I think I am gonna stick to this dish I am using now. But if worse comes to worse I'll put that food on branches and set them in there.

 

[Steve A]

Just finished putting in his crickets and BSFL and before I could even get away from the enclosure, he ran straight over there about as fast as I've seen him move and now he's housing down crickets

 

[Steve A]

What do you guys think of me lowering the amount of crickets I am offering him? Right now I am offering him approx 2 dozen crickets (along with over a dozen BSFL, 3 silks, and 1 hornworm). What if I dropped the crickets down to just 1 dozen, and see if that entices him to eat the silks/horn worms? Or is it better to keep offering him as much as possible?

I am wondering whats more important: the balancing of the variety of his diet, or making sure he's eating as much as possible (at this age...obviously this changes drastically when he gets older).

 

[Beman]

What do you guys think of me lowering the amount of crickets I am offering him? Right now I am offering him approx 2 dozen crickets (along with over a dozen BSFL, 3 silks, and 1 hornworm). What if I dropped the crickets down to just 1 dozen, and see if that entices him to eat the silks/horn worms? Or is it better to keep offering him as much as possible?

I am wondering whats more important: the balancing of the variety of his diet, or making sure he's eating as much as possible (at this age...obviously this changes drastically when he gets older).

Right now he is new to his home... I would keep offering what you are with the crickets. You need his food intake to be on point. This is an important growth period for him. Give him a few weeks to settle in. Then you can always add switch up amounts and see how he reacts. He is getting a variety so you are good there.

 

[Steve A]

Right now he is new to his home... I would keep offering what you are with the crickets. You need his food intake to be on point. This is an important growth period for him. Give him a few weeks to settle in. Then you can always add switch up amounts and see how he reacts. He is getting a variety so you are good there.

I figured that but I was just curious. My mind keeps going with all of this lol I will continue to feed him how I am, and give him time to adjust. Thank you!

 

[Beman]

I figured that but I was just curious. My mind keeps going with all of this lol I will continue to feed him how I am, and give him time to adjust. Thank you!

No worries. Your in the over stimulated and over think everything phase of being a new keeper. It is pretty normal and honestly this is how you learn by asking questions.

 

[Steve A]

No worries. Your in the over stimulated and over think everything phase of being a new keeper. It is pretty normal and honestly this is how you learn by asking questions.

oh definitely lol I am reminding myself of this throughout each day

 

[Beman]

oh definitely lol I am reminding myself of this throughout each day

You are doing a great job.

 

[Steve A]

Update: I was trying to get him to feed on the silks from a dish and he just wasn't having it. So this morning I went ahead and put some on branches for him. He's so funny.... He literally walked right over one, gripping it with his hand as he was walking towards the BSFL/crickets lol. But eventually he went ahead and ate one There are 2 more for him to get so hopefully he eats those. But I'm glad he went ahead and ate at least one from the branch. I put a little dab of food for each so those silks are just hanging out where I put them.

Worse comes to worse I'll remove them when he's done for the day when I'm home. Now to just get him to eat a darn hornworm!

 

[elizaann2]

Update: I was trying to get him to feed on the silks from a dish and he just wasn't having it. So this morning I went ahead and put some on branches for him. He's so funny.... He literally walked right over one, gripping it with his hand as he was walking towards the BSFL/crickets lol. But eventually he went ahead and ate one There are 2 more for him to get so hopefully he eats those. But I'm glad he went ahead and ate at least one from the branch. I put a little dab of food for each so those silks are just hanging out where I put them.

Worse comes to worse I'll remove them when he's done for the day when I'm home. Now to just get him to eat a darn hornworm!

Thats what I did with my silks for Bilbo. I'd free range 5 and remove the left overs at the end of the day...if there were any....

 

[Steve A]

Thats what I did with my silks for Bilbo. I'd free range 5 and remove the left overs at the end of the day...if there were any....

He tricked me. I thought he ate all 3. Turns out he only ate 1 lol. The other 2 I found hiding on the side of a branch out of his normal view in a corner of the enclosure. But that's ok. I know he ate 1. I'm not overly concerned. It's just you hear all this "No feeder should be 40%+ of your chameleons diet" and it just kinda worries me. He is really ONLY eating crickets and BSFL for the most part. But he eats those very well. Hopefully soon he goes back to eating his silks at least on a regular. They were his favorite with his breeder! So it's wild to me that he doesn't just go for them. when I first got him he would eat 5 immediately as I laid them on the branches.

Think is I can't just put them in there WHEN he is eating. I have to be at work by 8am (7am in spring/fall), so I gotta be out of the house by like 7:45am. So I have to set all his food up before I leave for the day. And I guess they just don't interest him really when they're just sitting there for a while. He will literally STEP ON them to get to the crickets and BSFL and ignore them lol...

 

[elizaann2]

Just keep offering him different feeders. My veiled grew up on only crickets and she is fine. My Jackson's eating like an 80% diet of only crickets even though, like you, I am offering him a wide range of bugs. Eventually he will be open to more feeders but that will take time.

 

[Steve A]

Just keep offering him different feeders. My veiled grew up on only crickets and she is fine. My Jackson's eating like an 80% diet of only crickets even though, like you, I am offering him a wide range of bugs. Eventually he will be open to more feeders but that will take time.

Yep that's the plan. I will keep offering them and just hope he takes them! Thank you for sharing that. It helps me to know that others went through the same/similar things and that it's really okay and it just kinda is what it is. I need that lol

 

[elizaann2]

Yep that's the plan. I will keep offering them and just hope he takes them! Thank you for sharing that. It helps me to know that others went through the same/similar things and that it's really okay and it just kinda is what it is. I need that lol

Totally. I actually JUST got Bilbo to eat about 3 wax worms for the first time. Its just a slow process. Fun and slow

 

[Steve A]

Totally. I actually JUST got Bilbo to eat about 3 wax worms for the first time. Its just a slow process. Fun and slow

I love watching him eat lol its so cute. I'll literally eat lunch at work and just watch him eat while I'm eating It's like we're eating lunch together, he just doesn't know. He will go to either the cup, or the cricket feeder and will tilt his head like we were talking about before for a few seconds and choose one carefully then go to town lol I really have to get video. My cam will take a card but I have to see if I have any that are free of space that I can insert that's the right size. I'll look tonight

 

[elizaann2]

I love watching him eat lol its so cute. I'll literally eat lunch at work and just watch him eat while I'm eating It's like we're eating lunch together, he just doesn't know. He will go to either the cup, or the cricket feeder and will tilt his head like we were talking about before for a few seconds and choose one carefully then go to town lol I really have to get video. My cam will take a card but I have to see if I have any that are free of space that I can insert that's the right size. I'll look tonight

So cute! I sit at work and rotate between watching my 3 chams. Then at night I watch my gecko jump around his enclosure.

 

[snitz427]

I actually did this on Friday when I was using a plastic leaf/dish thing that I have. It did keep them separated (and mostly in the dish, except 1 lol) but he never ate any so I had to remove them when it was time. I use the cheese grader so the food is super small but enough for them individually to hang out like that. Great idea! I think I am gonna stick to this dish I am using now. But if worse comes to worse I'll put that food on branches and set them in there.

If they are size small or larger, they’ll eat a surprising amount of food. I put a dab about the size of a pencil eraser for those that I think might not be eaten immediately, and that will last a single silkworm only a few hours! If there are a few, consider putting a larger chunk in the dish and just letting them stay there until the next day (so long as it doesn't flood).

 

[Steve A]

If they are size small or larger, they’ll eat a surprising amount of food. I put a dab about the size of a pencil eraser for those that I think might not be eaten immediately, and that will last a single silkworm only a few hours! If there are a few, consider putting a larger chunk in the dish and just letting them stay there until the next day (so long as it doesn't flood).

hmmm ok.. I had considered this but I thought to myself "What if Spike accidentally eats this!?" I mean I know it's basically just mushed up mulberry leaves... but is there any danger to that? I could do that and stick them back on the leaf looking tray I have. ty!!