Misleading info on staple feeders

[Pistachiochameleon]

Okay I have tried to do research on this site for what the best staple feeders and occasional feeders should be for my juvenile Cham. The pet store didn’t tell me jack. I have found thousands of posts and Caresheets but they all contradict each other? Are crickets ok as a staple food? What about super worms? what are your guys feeding routines? Thanks!

 

[Zilla23]

what kind of cham do you have?

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

what kind of cham do you have?

Sorry; I left that out. I have a female veiled chameleon. I think she is about 4-5 months old. Currently feeding her as many crickets as she wants (12-18) and (4-5 super worms) all gutload and supplemented.

 

[Thehippie]

superworms should be a treat like hornworms

Silkworms, helix aspersa, roaches like ivory's orange heads and dubias, bsfl, bsf, bbf, waxworm mothes and mantids are a good place to start.

mealworms and wax worms are usually a big no no as waxworms are too fatty, both don't carry much nutrients and mealworms can cause impaction

crickets are a good staple as long as you give variety.

feed in the morning so it gives her time to digest and now is a good time to start cutting back to maybe like 8 or 7 crickets in the morning.

what is your supplement schedule like?

maybe @Beman or @Brodybreaux25 could chime in with one of those wonderful graphics!!!

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

superworms should be a treat like hornworms

Silkworms, helix aspersa, roaches like ivory's orange heads and dubias, bsfl, bsf, bbf, waxworm mothes and mantids are a good place to start.

mealworms and wax worms are usually a big no no as waxworms are too fatty, both don't carry much nutrients and mealworms can cause impaction

crickets are a good staple as long as you give variety.

feed in the morning so it gives her time to digest and now is a good time to start cutting back to maybe like 8 or 7 crickets in the morning.

what is your supplement schedule like?

maybe @Beman or @Brodybreaux25 could chime in with one of those wonderful graphics!!!

Why would I want to cut back?

 

[Char333p]

Im on the fence about superworms... i understand they dont gutload well but ive read a bunch of places they can make a good staple... but its also all about varying their diet as well

 

[jamest0o0]

Staple is a bit misleading in general, we should try to constantly vary the diet. I'd worry more about what shouldn't be fed too often than what should be fed the most. Mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and butterworms should probably kept at a minimal. Waxworms and mealworms as just a few a month if you want and I like to keep superworms at about once a week. Butterworms I don't buy often, but if I do I keep them at about the same frequency as superworms.

 

[Thehippie]

an over weight cham is just as bad as a starving cham, you want to make sure that shes not becoming obese, adult chams usually only eat around 6-8 crickets every other day and mine is still on the "bigger" side. for the first 3 months its typical to feed as much as possible when possible because they need it but as they reach that 4-5-6 month mark you should start cutting down to some a day and at the 9 month to year mark cut down to every other day.

 

[Beman]

Here is the feeder sheet and the gutloading sheet.

 

[Char333p]

Just throwing this out there, would anyone be interested in free dubias? Just shipping fee? I just cleaned my tub out and i have SO many now. I kept them at room temp i cannot believe they bred so much lol

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Just throwing this out there, would anyone be interested in free dubias? Just shipping fee? I just cleaned my tub out and i have SO many now. I kept them at room temp i cannot believe they bred so much lol

@Pistachiochameleon maybe? They are a great staple feeder!

 

[Andee]

You cut back early with females because of egg laying issues. The more you feed the larger the clutches they have and females can produce clutches as young as 4 months. So 7-8 feeders around the correct size for her is all you want and then at 8 months I think, depending on what feeder it is you can cut back more.

I wouldn't suggest feeding under 4 different feeders and preferably 6. I feed over 8.

 

[Andee]

Just throwing this out there, would anyone be interested in free dubias? Just shipping fee? I just cleaned my tub out and i have SO many now. I kept them at room temp i cannot believe they bred so much lol

I am interested if OP isn't. I am looking to bulk out my second colony of Dubia.

 

[ALLIEGATOR]

Just throwing this out there, would anyone be interested in free dubias? Just shipping fee? I just cleaned my tub out and i have SO many now. I kept them at room temp i cannot believe they bred so much lol

I just ordered some 2 days ago. But when I run out, if you still have them I'd be interested

 

[Pistachiochameleon]

I am interested if OP isn't. I am looking to bulk out my second colony of Dubia.

My Cham didn’t touch a single Dubia when offered. All yours

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

My Cham didn’t touch a single Dubia when offered. All yours

Mine had Dubias for the first time 4 days ago. Ate all 6. Tried again 2 days ago with 6 more. Took him awhile to eat 1 then refused the rest. So I fed them to the Leopard Gecko garbage disposal that she is. Yesterday I tried mixing Dubias with crickets thinking I could fool him... Nope he only ended up eating one dubia on accident because it was stuck to a cricket lol. He picked off all the crickets and left the Dubias

 

[insectovore]

My experience is most lizard species in general do well with crickets but they should be gutloaded and supplements used. I feed a little bit of everything but crickets and roaches are what I feed the most of.