Gut loading vs. Just feeding bugs

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm still a bit confused.
I have a constant supply of crickets. (and soon Horseshoe crab roaches)
I feed them Repashy bug Burger, bee pollen, carrots, greens and fruit, etc every day.
I do not do this just before feeding them to my chams.
The only thing I do right before feeding them to my chams is dust them with Calcium, Calcium with D3 or Multivitamin.
The insects always get eaten immediately.
Am I missing something?

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

I do the same thing, I keep bugs fed everyday all day, some people go the extra mile and feed them right before being fed off so they are guaranteed full

 

[kinyonga]

I've always just fed my insects a good nutitious diet. I always say feed/gutload when I talk about it on the forum because people are always talking about gutloading. To me, if we do feed them something different just before they are fed to the chameleons, it would only be useful to the chameleons if the chameleons could digest it themselves... or if it was fed to the insects long enough ahead of them being fed to the chameleons that it was digested by the insects when the chameleons ate the insects. It's of no use the chameleon if it can't digest it and the insect hasn't had time to.
Just my opinion.

 

[Gryllidae Per Kcal]

For me gut loading is feeding the bugs a diet that will help increase their calcium to phosphorus ratio 1:1 within 48 hours before being dusted and fed to the reptile. Feeding the feeder is to use a diet that’s safe for the insects to eat in the long term because of the lower calcium levels.

 

[TinyDiamond]

I just put kale, bok Choy, carrot, apple, sweet potato, kiwi.... i think that's it. In my feeder bugs cage. Only crickets and meal worms in Hawaii. They are always eating good so they are always ready to be consumed. The only down fall is they grow so fast cause the eat so good and my little chameleon can't eat the bigger ones so they get a pass on life lol. And all fruits and veggies are organic in my house.

 

[suprdude]

It's a good question. Chameleons in the wild don't always get a bug who just ate. I say just keep your bugs with food at all times...why not?

The thing to avoid is to buy bugs and just put them in a container for a week with no food.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I'm still a bit confused.
I have a constant supply of crickets. (and soon Horseshoe crab roaches)
I feed them Repashy bug Burger, bee pollen, carrots, greens and fruit, etc every day.
I do not do this just before feeding them to my chams.
The only thing I do right before feeding them to my chams is dust them with Calcium, Calcium with D3 or Multivitamin.
The insects always get eaten immediately.
Am I missing something?

IDTS. It sounds like feeding & gut loading are the same thing to you as they are to many of us—no difference.

A healthy bug about to die horribly by being eaten alive is a happy bug about to die horribly by being eaten alive.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

IDTS. It sounds like feeding & gut loading are the same thing to you as they are to many of us—no difference.

A healthy bug about to die horribly by being eaten alive is a happy bug about to die horribly by being eaten alive.

Crickets, goldfish, mice, chickens, cows are all just feeders

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Crickets, goldfish, mice, chickens, cows are all just feeders

Yup, that's the food chain!

 

[JacksJill]

When you keep large numbers of insects it can be more cost efficient to keep the bulk of them on a simpler diet and only feed the time consuming $ gut load to those near to being fed off. Unless you have bins and bins of insects just feeding them gut load daily makes perfect sense.

 

[MissSkittles]

I keep all of my feeders well fed so the odds that they have something nutritious in their bellies when being fed off is pretty good. I don’t specifically separate the doomed feeders and give them anything different just prior to meeting the chams. Going by cricket longevity and roach breeding rates, my bugs seem to be quite healthy. Going by my cham’s health, they are obviously getting good nutrition from their food.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I keep all of my feeders well fed so the odds that they have something nutritious in their bellies when being fed off is pretty good. I don’t specifically separate the doomed feeders and give them anything different just prior to meeting the chams.

Every meal could be their last!

 

[MissSkittles]

Every meal could be their last!

Aww...poor little buggies. I don’t feel bad about the crickets, but I am fond of my roaches. All the babies in the baby roach bin freak out whenever I open the lid...and they don’t even know why some of their pals disappear and are never seen again.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

All the babies in the baby roach bin freak out whenever I open the lid...and they don’t even know why some of their pals disappear and are never seen again.

I think they're more likely just skittering away from the additional light/commotion—as roaches are wont to do.

If they jump up and break into a song & dance, let me know...

 

[MissSkittles]

I think they're more likely just skittering away from the additional light/commotion—as roaches are wont to do.

If they jump up and break into a song & dance, let me know...

You’ll be the first to know!

 

[Scoobysnak]

I just put kale, bok Choy, carrot, apple, sweet potato, kiwi.... i think that's it. In my feeder bugs cage. Only crickets and meal worms in Hawaii. They are always eating good so they are always ready to be consumed. The only down fall is they grow so fast cause the eat so good and my little chameleon can't eat the bigger ones so they get a pass on life lol. And all fruits and veggies are organic in my house.

I like using kale cus my chameleon loves it. So I give him the leafy part and the stems go to the crickets. Carrots are their staple though because they get the least moldy. I tried using fruit as feeder before but it just smells too bad and spoils fast.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I like using kale cus my chameleon loves it. So I give him the leafy part and the stems go to the crickets. Carrots are their staple though because they get the least moldy. I tried using fruit as feeder before but it just smells too bad and spoils fast.

Carrot is great.
My superworms, crickets and roaches eat them

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Carrot is great.
My superworms, crickets and roaches eat them

I like them ("baby" carrots) for convenience and that they seldom last long enough to rot. Drop one (or a few) in, and in a couple of days...

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

I like them ("baby" carrots) for convenience and that they seldom last long enough to rot. Drop one (or a few) in, and in a couple of days...

yes my crickets will eat those over night