Lightly dusting.... How?

[ZippiesPal]

My litttle guy (girl) doesnt eat right away. I have never actualy seem him (her) eat a cricket.
He (she) did eat a few mealworms and even a waxworm, all from my hand (not in the same feeding session). The only evidence I have that the cham eats crickets is that there is always fewer of them in the cage after a day or two. We get a nice big cham turd every couple of days to prove that some eating is going on.

My question is really about the technique of 'dusting' the crickets so that they can transfer the suppliments to the cham. So far, I have just put the crickets into a baggie with some suppliment and done the ol' shake-N-bake. They come out of there looking like ghosts. After a while the powder seems to wear off or somehow get removed. By the next day those crickets look completely clean, (but there ARE fewer of them). I have been gutloading also. So far, its been some raspberry, and some potato for gutloading the crickets.

I have a little feeder dish, but I think its volume is only about a half cup. Someone here mentioned a gallon milk carton cut in half. A gallon is 16 cups, so I guess the half milk carton is about 8 cups in volume.

Should I starve my cham for a day or two and then put some freshly dusted crickets into a half milk carton? Starving the cham would cause it to want to eat immediatly, while the crickets are still dusty. The larger feeding bowl would keep the crickets contained better.

Now, all I need is a better method for dusting. ... and confirmation on my thoughts about motivating my guy (girl) to eat sooner and the size of my feeding container.

Any ideas???

I have a six month old Ambilobe Panther Cham.

 

[skully23]

They come out of there looking like ghosts. After a while the powder seems to wear off or somehow get removed. By the next day those crickets look completely clean, (but there ARE fewer of them). I have been gutloading also. So far, its been some raspberry, and some potato for gutloading the crickets.

I have a little feeder dish, but I think its volume is only about a half cup. Someone here mentioned a gallon milk carton cut in half. A gallon is 16 cups, so I guess the half milk carton is about 8 cups in volume.

Should I starve my cham for a day or two and then put some freshly dusted crickets into a half milk carton? Starving the cham would cause it to want to eat immediatly, while the crickets are still dusty. The larger feeding bowl would keep the crickets contained better.

Few things caught me.
First your crickets should never look pure white(ghosts) I just use my thumb and index finger to pinch alittle and put it in the bag. They should look more like a very light fog.
Will post picture when I go to feed mine.

Second why are you leaving crickets in the cage? Your only suppose to leave them in there until its time for lights out. If crickets escape they could harm your chameleon. and since dusting is a must I would do what I suggest at the bottom of this post other wise your losing dust. Leaving crickets in a cage until the next day or until their eaten is bad. Those crickets are not being able to reload themselves.

Third, How many crickets are you feeding and are you giving a choice of greens?

Fourth, you should gutload better. There are some members on here with cricket crack(dry food) and you should use alot more veggies or fruits. Make sure you supply clean water.

I have a feeder cup, 2inches tall. I hold it up to my chameleon with crickets in it.

He (she) did eat a few mealworms and even a waxworm, all from my hand (not in the same feeding session). The only evidence I have that the cham eats crickets is that there is always fewer of them in the cage after a day or two.
Those really are not the best kinds of worms to feed and crickets in the cage after a day or two...bad, should never leave them..Always supply different crickets after the ones are not eatin, they need to re gutload.

 

[ZippiesPal]

Bad bad bad wrong wrong bad

Ok I get it, well, not yet.

I have gotten the impression that lots of folks free range their crickets in the cage and the chams 'hunt' the crickets.
That is why I have put crickets in with the cham and he eats what he hunts down for that day, and leaves the rest. Should I go digging around the cage every night before bed to recapture all the wayward crickets?

As far as the dust goes, I have huge amounts of it and I dont mind losing a bit. What iis important to me is that there is always some for my cham.

I estimate that I put in about six or ten crickets a day. I have only been in the cricket feeding business for a couple of weeks.

I guess I never asked. Silly stupid silly stupid me!!
How many meals a day do a dozen or so crickets eat for good gutloading? I have only had my cham for two weeks. The first batch of crickets (during the first week) got some raspberry, wich they did not finish and the second batch of crickets during the second week) got potatos. Are these crickets needing a fresh raspberry and a potato and a collard green each day? It never occured to me to ask how to feed the crickets, and for that I am begging your forgiveness, and your mercy. Please dont beat me for my ignorance, I will try to do better, if you will only guide me in the right way that I should go. a little over the top I think

I have a very small feeder cup too. But when I hold it up to my cham, he just turns his head and hisses. He has only been with me a couple of weeks.


But seriously....
Be nice to the newer people (people like me). Your acting like a real a$$ $kully23. I AM trying my best to do the right things for my cham. I am doing that because I care, just as much as YOU do. Save your attitude for people who keep their chams in glass tanks under heat lamps.
Tell me what, and how to do it right, not all that I am doing wrong.

 

[skully23]

I'm not being an a$$..If you read it that way then sorry. You asked and I am only trying to help you. One minute and I will post another thread on your post.

 

[skully23]

Ok I get it, well, not yet.

I have gotten the impression that lots of folks free range their crickets in the cage and the chams 'hunt' the crickets.
That is why I have put crickets in with the cham and he eats what he hunts down for that day, and leaves the rest. Should I go digging around the cage every night before bed to recapture all the wayward crickets?

As far as the dust goes, I have huge amounts of it and I dont mind losing a bit. What iis important to me is that there is always some for my cham.

I estimate that I put in about six or ten crickets a day. I have only been in the cricket feeding business for a couple of weeks.

I guess I never asked. Silly stupid silly stupid me!!
How many meals a day do a dozen or so crickets eat for good gutloading? I have only had my cham for two weeks. The first batch of crickets (during the first week) got some raspberry, wich they did not finish and the second batch of crickets during the second week) got potatos. Are these crickets needing a fresh raspberry and a potato and a collard green each day? It never occured to me to ask how to feed the crickets, and for that I am begging your forgiveness, and your mercy. Please dont beat me for my ignorance, I will try to do better, if you will only guide me in the right way that I should go. a little over the top I think

I have a very small feeder cup too. But when I hold it up to my cham, he just turns his head and hisses. He has only been with me a couple of weeks.


But seriously....
Be nice to the newer people (people like me). Your acting like a real a$$ $kully23. I AM trying my best to do the right things for my cham. I am doing that because I care, just as much as YOU do. Save your attitude for people who keep their chams in glass tanks under heat lamps.
Tell me what, and how to do it right, not all that I am doing wrong.

OK so yes many people free range crickets but if you want to do it that way then free range the crickets the days you dont dust. Saturdays are the only days I can free range them otherwise I would have to everyday make sure the dust stays on until he eats them. But thats how I do it, my information is based on what I do and what I have learned. You can free range still but thats if you notice atleast some dusts is staying on for your cham. and free range crickets can help exercise your cham so do it once in awhile if you stop

Yes you should take all the crickets out before night.

If you don't mind losing then its find with me

I feed my 4month old male veiled 10 crickets a day by holding the container, your feeding fine

I buy 150 crickets at a time and have them in a big plastic tub with a screen lid. Fresh food at all times helps them whenever they want to eat and fresh water too.
Try gutloading with carrots, apples, oranges, collard, mustard, kale, dandilion leaves, other fruits and veggies. and a dry food from store or from a member here.

Mine has never refused a feeder cup by holding it up. I'm sure if you work with it..it should start feeding from it. I only do it because crickets can hide in the cage and I don't feel like searching to take them out


Sorry if I do sound like an "A$$" to you, but I am not meaning to at all. I am trying to correct
Good luck

 

[skully23]

Btw I noticed you called it a he (she), guy (girl).. Does it have little bumps on the back of its hind feet? (Where the two feet join together)

 

[pssh]

Use a pinch if dust for crickets, feed the appropriate amount in whatever way you feel works (cup, free range, etc.) and remove any free crickets at the end of the day. Crickets should be gutloaded with fresh greens like kale, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and endive. Fresh fruit and other veggies like apple, oranges, carrots, squash, and blue/straw berries should be used. I use one or two types of veggies and fruits every week and switch to something new every week or so. I replace food every to every other day. You also should use a dry gutload which you can buy or make.

Skully, it's a panther and the info you're giving is misleading.



Edit: also, chameleons don't have two feet. They have a single foot that branches off with two toes on one side and three on the other.

 

[ZippiesPal]

gutloading

How do you handle your gutloading?

Do you cut up a little of each of those veggies, carrots, apples, oranges, collard, mustard, kale, dandilion leaves, other fruits and veggies. and a dry food from store or from a member here, and put it all in with the crickets?

I just bought about three dozen crickets and cut up a small chunk of potato and put it in with them (this was last week). I did see some of them eating at the potato as well as the raspberrys. For water, I just squirted some water in like I do when I mist Zippys cage.

The pet store where I get my crickets seemed to imply that the crickets would not live much longer than a week, so I should come back for more.

Are the crickets left in the cage at night a hazard to the cham? I had a praying mantis that I liked. One time I put a bunch of crickets in with it and the crickets ate my poor mantis. Would the crickets attack my cham?

I looked for spurs, but didnt see anything. We have a vet appointment on the fifth of Feb just for general health check up. Ill have him (her) sexed then for sure.
My cham is pretty young and shy, so the cup feeding thing will be a struggle. That is why I was asking about starving for a day or two.

It helps me when you tell me how to do things right, but pointing out wrong without clear corrections... well, you know. Nuf-sed...

 

[pssh]

Yours is a female. Panthers don't have spurs. At six months is extremely easy to sex by color.

Again, I use one or two types of veggies or fruits a week and use that same type of veggie or fruit for the entire week, but I change it so it won't get moldy. I buy crickets every two weeks and hardly have any die off.

Crickets can and possibly will bite your Cham while it sleeps, that's why it is recommended to remove the crickets at night.

 

[ZippiesPal]

I use one or two types of veggies and fruits every week and switch to something new every week or so. I replace food every to every other day. You also should use a dry gutload which you can buy or make.
I remember I also used an orange slice too. Pssh, I have been doing this, just as you suggest.

My general approach is to put in a new gutload fruit or veggi every few days or so. I can do it more often if that is better.

Should I create a situation where the cham can only eat from the feeder cup, and if it does not eat from my cup, it goes hungry until it DOES eat from my cup? This way, I could offer freshly (lightly) dusted crickets for every meal and therby gain more control over the diet.

 

[pssh]

In the wild they would not be confined to such a small space. You can do whatever you want, I'm just telling you what I believe works best. If you can free range then do it.

You do whatever you feel is best. If you want to cup feed then starving may make her more willing, but if she's anything like my panther girl and won't, then try the milk carton feeder method. I free range as much as possible, but on busy days I cup or hand feed all food so I don't have to take it out.

 

[skully23]

Then sorry to try to help? Anyway here is how I handle my gutloading or is how you should from others telling me

Every week you should switch up the food. Like one week greens with one fruit and the next with fruits and one greens. always include water and dry food.
Um this is my crickets home atm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44910169@N07/4305162762/
(may look like no crickets but they are hiding and sorry if it seems blurry..camera is not the best.)

The blue and white thing is an aqua pillow. Holds water for days and safe. In the middle is my mixture of greens and fruits with a dry gutload. I use cardboard egg cartons and a cardboard tube. Gives them places to hide.
Thats one way to take care of crickets.

Sorry If I did give any wrong information Pssh.
I also forget about the whole panther. Would have changed things then

 

[ZippiesPal]

Thankyou

Thanks for all the great replies. It has made a difference.

What I have changed to, is that now I put six or seven crickets into a zip bag, then I add a pinch of suppliment to the bag and give it a little shake. I found an old plastic cup that is about 6" deep, and maybe 4" diameter at the bottom. I dump my crickets into that cup and hold it out in front of Zippy. Zippy is a cricket eating machine now.

Zippy seems to accept the larger cup and has no trouble eating anymore. I suspect that when I tried to cupfeed the first time Zippy had been home for only a few hours. It wasnt the cup that stopped her, it was the entirely new environment. Now that she is more used to her living at my house, she is eating better.

Im gonna continue to gutload my crickets like I have been.

I also got some sand and put it into a bin for laying eggs.