POOR crickets..

[Hoj]

so i have had to adopt quite the routine for my little guy now, as he has no tounge and cannot hunt the same. so every day at least twice i have to goto the crickets shake a few into the dusting container, and then the torture starts, first they get shook all around banging off the sides, then they into the fridge for 3min, out they come they its cuttin time, i use cuticle scissors and cut off their jummping legs, any wings, and thier anteni. so now the cold, dust chocked, cut up crickets make it to the glass where i end up grabbing the little thing and holding it helplessly out for death, by my little Camo. seems very mean but its what has to be done to feed my little guy. the dusting container looks so erie with a bunch of cricket legs in there, makes me wonder what they think when they first get thrown in. LoL

 

[Julirs]

Have you tried a feeding cup or just letting them lose? Many of them without tongues or the ability to shoot can learn to chase them down.

 

[laurie]

Hoj just admit you like to have a reason to abuse crickets. lol That is just you getting even for me over the number of escaped crickets in my house.

 

[Maurer3D]

Watch out PETA is on the way....(being sarcastic)...LOL

 

[Stanly]

I liked crickets as a kid, but knowing what they eat (they'll eat anything) and how dirty and stupid they are I do not feel the lest bit bad about feeding them the max.


I have thought about feeding him praying mantises, but I'm not sure I could be so crule to them (they're just so cool)

 

[mardithepanther]

people feed their chams pinkies

 

[Elizadolots]

Hoj, I was ripping hopping legs off for Spike before he died and I know what you mean about the dusting bag... I will say the crickets don't seem to feel pain. I've gotten crickets from the store that were missing just about everything past their thorax..yet, they were walking around like it was all just fine.

 

[Ekproject]

that is quite the abuse jeez. lol. my gf gets upset if im not "gentle" with the bag the crickets are in when i buy them. lol.

 

[laurie]

I really don't care about crickets as long as they are gutloaded and eaten by my chams.

 

[junglejoe]

i have a male panther with a tounge issue myself.. he shoots his tounge but its way off of his pray.. i was hand feeding just like you.. but without all the cricket abuse..lol...i finally got tired of it.. and put in a small tub/feeding tray.. he goes right to it when its feeding time.. he has no problems eating them from tub.. even ocasionally gets the loose ones,in the corners.. praying mantis are big and quite slow.. my chams love em.. you can buy ooths.. and just incubate them yourself.. good luck

 

[Hoj]

oh many more will suffer if its what i takes to make my guy happy!!!!

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

cricket feeding

Hi, my problem seems to be store bought crickets don't eat like the ones from feed supppliers. But only having one Cham buying 500 at a time is alot, any help?

 

[Buttercup]

i am not a cricket fan but i do feel guilty pulling off legs and that egg layer thing... so i switched to roaches -

 

[AMGChams]

Hi, my problem seems to be store bought crickets don't eat like the ones from feed supppliers. But only having one Cham buying 500 at a time is alot, any help?

Might want to look into roaches ... start up your own colony its much easier. At least I think so.

 

[Necorawr]

Ohh, roaches gross me out so bad.
Even moreso than the cannibalistic creeper crickets that bite.

 

[Elizadolots]

Ohh, roaches gross me out so bad.
Even moreso than the cannibalistic creeper crickets that bite.

Yet another feeder rendered too iky for me.....

 

[Mr Wilson]

Yet another feeder rendered too iky for me.....

I felt the exact same way. But once we started using roaches (Sean talked me into getting them at a reptile expo) I don't even want to go back to crickets! No more disgusting, stinky, dead cricket smell. No more CONSTANT cleaning up. And we are starting our own colony, which is so easy it should be a crime. You may spend a pretty penny on your first colony, but once you pay that small sum, it's totally worth it. We actually bought a case of 20 to feed off right away and a case of 20 breeders (10 males, 10 females) at a reptile expo for pretty cheap. Every time I look into the breeder bin, there are more and more!!

 

[sagemoon2004]

My veiled came to me with a tongue that does not shoot. ( Craig's list purchase, never informed of any issue!) After 3+ months of correct gut-loading and supplements, nothing improved. I made a feeder container out of a gallon milk jug with top removed, it hangs in the cage, Saki can climb right in and catch the feeders. Still let a few loose in the cage to make him hunt, but the feeder container works the best. Use to cut the legs off the crickets, too, but found it kind of gross.. Hornworms work good for the tongue issue chams, and i can put one on a branch and he can usually get it pretty easily. The faster feeders go into the container, though.