Locusts vs Crickets

[petkel]

Hi..i am deciding as to feeding crickets or locusts as a stable diet for my 8 week old veiled chams..i am looking for info on nutrition for locusts compared to crickets..info appreciated..petkel..

 

[CarlC]

That will depend on what the breeding facility is feeding them. Use them both. Feed one thing in the morning and the other in the afetrnoon.

Carl

 

[Miss Lily]

I found that once you start feeding locusts, they won't eat crickets anymore, and locusts are really expensive! Tommy has only eaten 1 cricket and I've had him since November, lol! He loves his locusts silkworms (when I can get them) and waxies. Amy will eat pretty much anything but isn't too keen on crix - she was raised on the but since I intriduced locusts she prefers them.

I also read in one of my books that in the wild locusts are a chameleons main source of calcium. You can grow wheat grass to gutload them with and it kind of follows the same principle as cows, lol. All that grass and they produce calcium rich milk!

Having said that, offering a good variety of insects is always better, provding that they will eat whatever is offered! Amy loves her dubia roaches and her fave is a newly moulted super (Morio) worm!

 

[joeandsoph]

Tilly has locusts and crickets. She loves both. In fact she loves anything. She even likes fruit and veg. So bascially she just love food!

I find locusts are the same price but you don't get as many, but the ones in my pet shop are generally bigger than crix.

 

[Miss Lily]

Tilly has locusts and crickets. She loves both. In fact she loves anything. She even likes fruit and veg. So bascially she just love food!

I find locusts are the same price but you don't get as many, but the ones in my pet shop are generally bigger than crix.

Yeah, I didn't explain too well, lol! They are the same price here too - £2.00 per tub. With extra large locusts you only get about 10 whereas the medium/standard silent crix you get loads in a tub! If you buy the adult locusts (with wings) then you only get 5! So I always buy extra large and then wait for teh final instar when they have wings. Tommy loves the big ones with wings! Yummy! (not!!)

 

[joeandsoph]

Yeh we give Draco adult ones with wings. Gross!!!! Not for Tilly though...way too big

 

[dreamforthedead]

I agree with tiff, you start chameleons on locusts there is no going back, lol. My cham would rather starve then eat crickets, she hates them. When i got her she was eating crickets then i bought her some locusts she couldn't wait to get them she would help her self to the locusts soon as i opened the box. I buy bulk bags to feed my reptiles now which you save money on if you buy the locusts that way. Before i started buying bulks it would cost me £2.20 for 15 medium locusts when i could of got a box of like 40 crickets for the same price.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hi..i am deciding as to feeding crickets or locusts as a stable diet for my 8 week old veiled chams..i am looking for info on nutrition for locusts compared to crickets..info appreciated..petkel..

IMHO, Better off NOT having a staple at all, but rather offering a variety of feeders. such that any one feeder doesnt become more than 25% of the chameleons diet.

Loctus Nutritional Value:
Moisture % 62.3
Fat % 5.25
Ca Ratio % 1.7
Protein % 20-41

Black Field Crickets:
Moisture % 66.7
Fat % 12
Ca Ratio % .82
Protein % 15.8

Brown House Crickets:
Moisture % 70.7
Fat % 4.4
Ca Ratio % .68
Protein % 19.8

see also:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/nutritional-analysis-2522/#post171073
http://chamownersweb.net/insects/nutritional_values.htm
http://www.phish3r.com/feederinfo2.htm