Need Another Feeder

[JoshD49]

My chams have no interest in dubia whatsoever. Even my bearded dragon is slowing down but this could be weather for him.

I'm thinking about orange heads or ivory. I have searched this before but it has mixed reviews.

Right now they will casually eat a couple crickets here and there. Will destroy superworms, silks and horns in seconds. Well not my female. She will only eat crickets.

Full throttle has both roaches so I'm thinking on trying them but wanted to see what plus and minus I can see between these and dubia.

Red runners are a hard pass once I saw that the males can fly.

 

[Beman]

LOL hard pass for the red runners! I sooooooo did the same thing. Ewww hell no. I will be following this thread. I have a ton of Dubia now that Beman has no interest in at all no matter how I try to feed them to him. I am doing crickets, silkworms, BSFL, and 3 hornworms a week at separate feedings with the occasional wax worm as treats only. but I was hoping to be done with crickets and replace them with something like the dubia that were more nutritious.

 

[JoshD49]

I have heard a lot of good things about orange heads and ivory and they are more active then dubia that just sit there. Like you I don't want to jump in on another feeder just for a collection. Haha. Not sure which of the 2 has the best shot.

I know green banana and red runners move the most and they would probably go for them but hard pass on flying or climbing.

 

[Beman]

I have heard a lot of good things about orange heads and ivory and they are more active then dubia that just sit there. Like you I don't want to jump in on another feeder just for a collection. Haha. Not sure which of the 2 has the best shot.

I know green banana and red runners move the most and they would probably go for them but hard pass on flying or climbing.

Yeah I have been thinking of trying the orange heads but when he decides not to eat feeders I have nothing else to feed them to. So then I end up with pet roaches. Not that into it lol. I am from the south were flying roaches are something from nightmares so the idea of any flying roaches freaks me out completely. And one getting free in the house oh lord no. I had a hard enough time just trying the dubia.

 

[JoshD49]

Same here. When I told my wife that I had dubia roaches she was pissed because of the normal house ones are what people think of. I can feed them to my bearded dragon but still don't want to collect them since he only eats every other day at best but is broomating currently and doesn't eat much at all.

 

[Beman]

Same here. When I told my wife that I had dubia roaches she was pissed because of the normal house ones are what people think of. I can feed them to my bearded dragon but still don't want to collect them since he only eats every other day at best but is broomating currently and doesn't eat much at all.

Yeah I had to sneak the dubia in. My 14 year old about lost it when she caught me feeding one morning. My mother does not mind as long as none get out and they are hidden.

 

[timw1]

My guy does not eat Dubia, he used to. I gave away my dubias to a pet shop and started an Orange Head colony. My guy will not touch an Orange Head. I have tried starving him with only offering the Orange Heads to no avail. I do not know what to do. He will eat Silkworms, Hornworms and bsfl, and that's it. He will not touch Superworms either.

 

[Beman]

My guy does not eat Dubia, he used to. I gave away my dubias to a pet shop and started an Orange Head colony. My guy will not touch an Orange Head. I have tried starving him with only offering the Orange Heads to no avail. I do not know what to do. He will eat Silkworms, Hornworms and bsfl, and that's it. He will not touch Superworms either.

LOL well that does not make me want to try orange heads. I was hoping to just get a few to try them with him from my local shop but they don't carry them. They said they would buy the dubia so I think that is what I will do with them. He has been backing off crickets too now that he has the silk worms. Like the only thing he likes have to be worms nothing with legs now... Picky little brat.

 

[timw1]

I do not think the Chams differentiate between the Dubias and Orange Heads. I do know the Orange Heads move quicker, but my cham could care less.

 

[Rst_Cham]

I can't get my guy to eat dubia either. I've really tried and he won't even consider it. I want to try orange heads but didn't want to have to buy so many plus shipping until I got a couple to try first. But of course I can't find them anywhere local. All the reptile show had today were dubia and red runners. I hate the idea of red runners, but I got a few to try anyhow. Sigh.

 

[Beman]

I can't get my guy to eat dubia either. I've really tried and he won't even consider it. I want to try orange heads but didn't want to have to buy so many plus shipping until I got a couple to try first. But of course I can't find them anywhere local. All the reptile show had today were dubia and red runners. I hate the idea of red runners, but I got a few to try anyhow. Sigh.

Yeah I have the exact same issue

 

[SauceGandhi]

In my experience, grasshoppers get the best feeding response, so I've ditched all other feeders for them. I only have one lizard that even likes dubia, and a bearded dragon that takes them reluctantly just enough not to starve, lol. Hornworm and silkworms were also popular but they're expensive and annoying to feed unless you have a mulberry tree in your backyard.

Plus, they are way cooler:

 

[iMi]

In my experience, grasshoppers get the best feeding response, so I've ditched all other feeders for them. I only have one lizard that even likes dubia, and a bearded dragon that takes them reluctantly just enough not to starve, lol. Hornworm and silkworms were also popular but they're expensive and annoying to feed unless you have a mulberry tree in your backyard.

Plus, they are way cooler:
View attachment 224210

Where do you get your grasshoppers from? Wild caught?

 

[SauceGandhi]

Where do you get your grasshoppers from? Wild caught?

Yep, originally caught a group and started breeding them.

 

[Andee]

i find removing all other feeders in favor for another to be a terrible idea. The majority of feeders digest differently and eat different things. Please be mindful that insectivores need variety just like herbivores.

 

[SauceGandhi]

i find removing all other feeders in favor for another to be a terrible idea. The majority of feeders digest differently and eat different things. Please be mindful that insectivores need variety just like herbivores.

I should have clarified that this is about what I keep and breed at home only. I always pick up a cup of hornworms or silkworms when there's an expo. No point in feeding roaches if the animals won't take them though.

 

[jamest0o0]

In my experience, grasshoppers get the best feeding response, so I've ditched all other feeders for them. I only have one lizard that even likes dubia, and a bearded dragon that takes them reluctantly just enough not to starve, lol. Hornworm and silkworms were also popular but they're expensive and annoying to feed unless you have a mulberry tree in your backyard.

Plus, they are way cooler:
View attachment 224210

Send me some! Lol

Just to add something, a lot of people talk about how their chams won't accept dubia or <insert random feeder here>. I was one of these people too, ready to give up completely on roaches after trying all of the tricks without success. Then I realized all of my chams went through cycles of accepting and rejecting food. I don't know if it's the seasons or what, but over the course of a year they will go from not touching dubia or hardly anything, to eating 5 of them in one day. Same goes with other more popular feeders like hornworms, silkworms, etc. So just because they won't eat a roach today, doesn't mean they won't love them 3 months from now.


As for feeder options, I find orange heads to be the best staple roach. Chams love banana roaches, but they are small and don't gutload nearly as well. Ivory heads are very meaty and active, but will jump and burrow first chance they get, plus the larger ones have very spikey legs. Hissers are pretty good too, my chams tend to like them. Surinams are smaller, but active and can live with banana roaches. They can climb, but when I cup feed they never run up the sides. If you can get a snail colony going, they are very nutritious and full of moisture.

I have 20+ different feeders, so many options other than the usual dubia. I've been working on a blaberus fusca colony and they are very active and hardy, I'm sure my chams will enjoy them once I start feeding some off.

 

[JoshD49]

I would love to try grasshoppers or locust but I cannot find any.

 

[JoshD49]

@jamest0o0 thanks. I was looking to see the ups and downs of the 2. I think I'll buy some orange heads.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hope they work out well for you, good luck