Gutloading Grasshoppers

[Rst_Cham]

Hi! So, I've been feeding my CB hoppers a variety of organic greens from the store (mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, and romaine) and they are growing well on it but is this enough? They won't gutload on bug burger or the like. Is this a problem for when I feed them off to my Cham? I know crickets eat both dry gutloads (like cricket crack) plus greens but so far my hoppers will only eat their greens. Any thoughts on this?

 

[jamest0o0]

That's fine, variety of feeders is probably more beneficial than extensive gutloading anyway. Those are nutritious foods too so you're good.

 

[snitz427]

I'd stick to greens and then if you can give them some kind of grain grass like wheat, rye, or clover. Those grasses have a level of protein to them, so maybe that's how they normally get it? I just did a bunch of research on this a few weeks ago, and then I got distracted by baby goats and cows... and well, I can't remember!

 

[snitz427]

I'm going to try growing wheat grass, rye grass, and clover directly in my grasshopper cages (if I get babies)... but you could also sprout it pretty quickly, I'd think, in small containers and then just offer it before feeding them off.

 

[Rst_Cham]

Ok, thanks guys!
Definitely going to try growing some wheat grass. I have rye and barley that just sprouted.

Another question, I currently have three different ages of hoppers with a fourth round due to hatch soon. Can I combine different sizes together? I don’t really want 3-4 different enclosures of them.

 

[snitz427]

Ok, thanks guys!
Definitely going to try growing some wheat grass. I have rye and barley that just sprouted.

Another question, I currently have three different ages of hoppers with a fourth round due to hatch soon. Can I combine different sizes together? I don’t really want 3-4 different enclosures of them.

I think you can keep them together (I've found threads of other keepers who have a bunch)... they tend to travel in swarms, so I'd guess so long as there is ample food and space, they should be ok. I'm in the experimental phase, too... but I dont think I got eggs from my red legged, and def not from my differential so I only ended up with one!

 

[Kaizen]

Hi! So, I've been feeding my CB hoppers a variety of organic greens from the store (mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, and romaine) and they are growing well on it but is this enough? They won't gutload on bug burger or the like. Is this a problem for when I feed them off to my Cham? I know crickets eat both dry gutloads (like cricket crack) plus greens but so far my hoppers will only eat their greens. Any thoughts on this?

Are you using bug burger dry or wet?

 

[Rst_Cham]

I think you can keep them together (I've found threads of other keepers who have a bunch)... they tend to travel in swarms, so I'd guess so long as there is ample food and space, they should be ok. I'm in the experimental phase, too... but I dont think I got eggs from my red legged, and def not from my differential so I only ended up with one!

Did you ever see them lying eggs in the sand? They stick half their abdomen in little holes they dig. I waited 3 weeks and then dug up the egg cases, put them in fresh damp sand in Tupperware and then in the fridge for diapause.

Bummer only one differential! I think that’s what all my babies are so far.

 

[snitz427]

Did you ever see them lying eggs in the sand? They stick half their abdomen in little holes they dig. I waited 3 weeks and then dug up the egg cases, put them in fresh damp sand in Tupperware and then in the fridge for diapause.

Bummer only one differential! I think that’s what all my babies are so far.

ooo! They are legal to ship now (differentials and red legged grasshoppers were added to the usda list), so if you wanna sell some.... I'm your (wo)man!

 

[Rst_Cham]

Are you using bug burger dry or wet?

Wet bug burger.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Are grasshoppers available for sale online?
How do they stack up nutritional wise against crickets?

 

[Rst_Cham]

Are grasshoppers available for sale online?
How do they stack up nutritional wise against crickets?

So I don’t think they are currently available to order online in the U. S. I started my colony breeding wild caught individuals.

Here’s a chart I found about nutritional content of feeder insects (bottom of page).

https://www.reptifiles.com/feeder-insect-nutrition-facts-chart/

Hoppers look to be somewhat similar to crickets. I like them because they aren’t noisy or smelly, grow slower and seem to live longer. My Cham seems to think they are candy. I don’t free range crickets in my Cham enclosure but I do free range grasshoppers, Maxwell enjoys the hunt and never leaves any.

 

[snitz427]

Do you remove the rear legs before offering them? I’ve heard mixed feedback about doing so, but obviously wild chams dont mind.

 

[Rst_Cham]

Do you remove the rear legs before offering them? I’ve heard mixed feedback about doing so, but obviously wild chams dont mind.

I don’t, I’m feeding him medium-sized ones not large. He seems fine with them. Do you remove the hind legs? I really don’t want to. Grasshoppers are super cute, I’m not sure I could do it. I already tell them I’m sorry as I toss them in his cage. They don’t last long in there, it’s over for them real fast.

 

[snitz427]

I don’t, I’m feeding him medium-sized ones not large. He seems fine with them. Do you remove the hind legs? I really don’t want to. Grasshoppers are super cute, I’m not sure I could do it. I already tell them I’m sorry as I toss them in his cage. They don’t last long in there, it’s over for them real fast.

I havent fed any off as Im still on my wc generation. I think for the larger ones I would (have my husband) pull them off. The small/med differentials are just like extra large crickets so I probably wouldnt.

 

[MissSkittles]

I don’t, I’m feeding him medium-sized ones not large. He seems fine with them. Do you remove the hind legs? I really don’t want to. Grasshoppers are super cute, I’m not sure I could do it. I already tell them I’m sorry as I toss them in his cage. They don’t last long in there, it’s over for them real fast.

Aww...good to hear I’m not the only one that apologizes to the feeders

 

[ZEROPILOT]

So I don’t think they are currently available to order online in the U. S. I started my colony breeding wild caught individuals.

Here’s a chart I found about nutritional content of feeder insects (bottom of page).

https://www.reptifiles.com/feeder-insect-nutrition-facts-chart/

Hoppers look to be somewhat similar to crickets. I like them because they aren’t noisy or smelly, grow slower and seem to live longer. My Cham seems to think they are candy. I don’t free range crickets in my Cham enclosure but I do free range grasshoppers, Maxwell enjoys the hunt and never leaves any.

I live in south Florida.
Grass hoppers used to be absolutely all over the place. From small locusts to giant Lubbers.
My whole yard used to by bald, crunchy and swarming with them during Summer.
But I just don't see them much any more.
I wonder why?

 

[Rst_Cham]

I live in south Florida.
Grass hoppers used to be absolutely all over the place. From small locusts to giant Lubbers.
My whole yard used to by bald, crunchy and swarming with them during Summer.
But I just don't see them much any more.
I wonder why?

I was in Florida last spring to visit the Everglades and Dry Tortugas and there were hoppers everywhere. So they are still in parts of Florida for sure.

I’m in Colorado and there is an open meadow near me that I would go to after work with a net and pop up bug container to catch a bunch last summer.

 

[snitz427]

I live in south Florida.
Grass hoppers used to be absolutely all over the place. From small locusts to giant Lubbers.
My whole yard used to by bald, crunchy and swarming with them during Summer.
But I just don't see them much any more.
I wonder why?

I was in St Cloud in October and saw /heard plenty of them on my friend’s farm. I do see less bugs in general then since when I was a kid... I guess pest management has cut down numbers.

 

[SauceGandhi]

I hydrate them on greens and gutload them on a guinea pig diet from my local feed store. Looking at the ingredients and nutrition, I think it's the same as this one: https://www.chewy.com/oxbow-essenti...wNur-6D-fP25OF4rp1_dS2R8pu-rK2ARoCuiAQAvD_BwE

Just make sure to add water to the pellets first to expand them. The grasshoppers can't eat them in compressed form. You can let it dry for storage. Good luck!