how many crickets to give????

[rockysmom]

How many krickets should I be feeding my juvenille male vield chameleon?

I started with small krickets...8 in am and 8 in pm. He was going after them all sooo fast I felt he was not getting enough to eat. So I started feeding him med sized 4-5 in am 4-5 in pm. (I am gut loading them before hand and dusting them with calcium vite d at each feeding) I also give him a bowl of greens and some mealy(3) worms every day

 

[carol5208]

So you are feeding 10 med crickets a day. That is a good amount along with the greens a few mealworms. You should however be dusting your crickets with plain calcium-no d3 at every feeding. Then use the calcium with d3 twice amonth and also get a multi vitamin to use twice a month also.

 

[rockysmom]

how many do I give my new pet?

how many krickets am I supposed to be feeding my juvenille?

 

[rockysmom]

sweet!

thank you for responding I am brand new and dont knwo if I am doing this computer forum correctly cuz I was not getting a responce. Ok on the dusting powder...I thought they needed the vite d??

 

[jonr]

how many krickets am I supposed to be feeding my juvenille?

Just start by feeding him around 10 or so and if it eats all of them i would add tell he is stuffed

 

[carol5208]

Absolutely they need d3. But they will produce it from the UVB that they get so you don't want to overdo it. You have a UVB light right? By giving it to them a few times a month you will ensure they are getting some. So just get yourself a plain calcium and use that. Do you gutload your crickets? Meaning, do you feed them well, like fresh fruits and vegetables?

 

[Ekproject]

So you are feeding 10 med crickets a day. That is a good amount along with the greens a few mealworms. You should however be dusting your crickets with plain calcium-no d3 at every feeding. Then use the calcium with d3 twice amonth and also get a multi vitamin to use twice a month also.

what is the difference between no d3 and with d3..i dont mean the obvious answer that one has d3 and one doesnt..i mean what are the effects of using the one with d3 every day as opposed to without d3?

 

[carol5208]

well when a chameleon is exposed to uvb lighting whether natural or artificial it allows them to produce their own d3. If you are giving it to them every day on top of the uvb then you could over dose them Over supplementing of d3 can cause health issues such as damage to organs over a period of time.

 

[kinyonga]

D3 from supplements builds up in the system and leads to health issues...D3 produced from exposure to UVB should not build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB as it wants to.

Here's some information you might find helpful too......
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/