Question - just got the worms - now what?

[Cmoore]

O.k. peeps - Spike's 100 small silkworms and 150 small phoenix worms just arrived. I have yet to find on here how many of those I should feed my 2 mo old veiled cham. I would like to feed him these exclusively or mainly for the next few days while they are tiny and I won't waste so many. Is that an advised option? From everything I have read both these worms are good for chams so I would think that would be fine. He has been on dubia's and small crickets the past couple of weeks since he's been with us. Of course if he does not like them, then I'll go back to the others but I'm thinking he will. He's been a good eater so far Right now he's eating about 25-30 1/4" crickets and 3-5 little dubia per day. I've been giving him up to, but no more than 5 meals worms per week by hand just to get him use to me. He took to cup feeding like a pro, so it's very easy to keep track of what he eats. Also since the phoenix worms are high in calcium, should I dust them? Do I dust the silkworms? Your advice is invaluable! THANKS SO MUCH! Cheryl

 

[natureboy86]

From everything I've read, the rule of thumb is to feed the little guys as much as they want. 25-30 crickets plus 5 roaches seems like an aweful LOT though for your little guy, but maybe he's just going through a growth.

Phoenix's do not need to be dusted with calcium. As you've said they are very high in calcium content naturally, and IMO, natural vitamins are always better (if the feeder provides it). I would definitely dust the other feeders though.

I'd maybe divide his feedings into two sessions. One in the AM and one in the PM. Maybe give him 10 or so worms in one session, then crickets and/or roaches in another. Just my two cents, because I'm not a fan of giving my cham worms all day.. I sort of like to treat them as a dessert, mainly because he doesn't have to work for them, while with the crickets/roaches, he gets exercise and works on his hunting skills.

 

[Calypso]

I usually just let them decide. Only enough crickets for them to take out the majority in an hour or so, and then I just hand feed as many worms as he'll eat. He usually gets bored pretty fast once he's full.

 

[Cmoore]

Thanks Natureboy - I do feed him in 2 sessions. I feed him 10-15 in the a.m. and 10-15 in the late afternoon when I get home from work. They are always ALL gone. I clean his cage completely out every Saturday or Sunday and have found some of the roaches left crawling around, but never any of the crickets and they are very small. With cup feeding he's not working for his food now anyway, but when he gets older, I'll change that and free range. It's just right now I leave so early in the am - he's still sleeping when I put his food in and I don't want the little bastards running around chewing on him! Aslo his cage his filled with plants and vines and I would never find the leftovers without taking it all out and totally disrupting Spikes space. I'm trying to keep him as low stress as possible and what I'm doing seems to be working well. He's only been held twice and that was during a good cleaning of the cage.

 

[natureboy86]

Thanks Natureboy - I do feed him in 2 sessions. I feed him 10-15 in the a.m. and 10-15 in the late afternoon when I get home from work. They are always ALL gone. I clean his cage completely out every Saturday or Sunday and have found some of the roaches left crawling around, but never any of the crickets and they are very small. With cup feeding he's not working for his food now anyway, but when he gets older, I'll change that and free range. It's just right now I leave so early in the am - he's still sleeping when I put his food in and I don't want the little bastards running around chewing on him! Aslo his cage his filled with plants and vines and I would never find the leftovers without taking it all out and totally disrupting Spikes space. I'm trying to keep him as low stress as possible and what I'm doing seems to be working well. He's only been held twice and that was during a good cleaning of the cage.

No prob.. Sounds like you have a good routine then. I know what you mean about all the plants and vines and the possibility of all the feeders hiding. One idea to get him accustomed to hunting, which is a method that I use to avoid the feeders getting away, is to put the feeders on the screen of the ensclosure so they crawl upward towards my little guy's basking spot.. I know you said your AM session you put them in the cup because your guy is sleeping, so maybe try this in your pm session. I just throw the feeders in a cup with a lid, dust them lightly and shake, then take off the lid and put the cup against the cage so they'll crawl up on the screen. They don't stand a chance Of course, we're talking about crawling/climbing feeders though like crickets and roaches, not worms. Sorry for getting off topic a bit haha