Ran out of food

[Beman]

Thank you for adding to this thread! The reason why I have kept Carly on the every other day schedule was for these reasons
1. No increase in weight or size
2. No eggs laid or being in the process of egg-laying

I went to feed her today after 3-4 days of not feeding her, I understand they are gutz, but it truly looked like she was absolutely starving.

I will be sure to keep an eye on her weight and size, also the process of egg-laying. But for now, seeing the way she reacted after no food for days, was upsetting.

So this is where you have to put aside your human emotions. I know it is hard. Beman is on an even more reduced diet then yours. But I stick to it because if I add even one feeder to the 3 days he gets fed he starts gaining weight. I need him to stay a stable weight and or lose weight. So I deal with his eagerness to eat the 2-3 feeders he gets. I deal with him wanting and thinking he will get more food when I open the door. I suck it up because if I gave him what he wanted then he would become obese rapidly. And then he would live a very short unhealthy life.

Yes, it is upsetting to see them acting as though they are starving but they are not like dogs or cats. They are not actively burning calories running around. They eat, bask, move around a bit, drink, bask, go to sleep, and repeat. They really are not starving.

And what we are saying is to put her on a 3 days a week schedule. This is not going 3-4 days without feeding. This is feeding Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Your skipping a day between feedings during the week and only skipping 2 days on the weekend.

 

[DeShawni Green]

I don't feed my cham outside bugs for literally one reason...parasites.

Toxins and harmful environmental substances are not my main concern.

 

[DonKeesh]

I don't feed my cham outside bugs for literally one reason...parasites.

Toxins and harmful environmental substances are not my main concern.

Point well taken and yes I agree much more of a real world concern. However annual fecal exams have never shown any parasites. There is some speculation that a parasite from north America is not adapted to a malagasy host. Another reason I'm confident in the safety of wild feeders is because our fearless leader Bill Strand allows his chams to feed on wild prey. He attracts wild fruit flies in his outdoor baby cages and also installs larger mesh on outdoor cages to allow wild prey and pollinators into the cages.

 

[Beman]

My only reason for not feeding wild feeders is due to the area I live in. If you have land that you can go catch feeders on and do not have neighbors spraying pesticides and god only knows what then you are good. My neighborhood they seem to spray everything from weed killer to bug killer. So I would never feel safe giving anything caught outside.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Dubias, Supers & Giant Mealworms are on the FedEx truck for today.

Bugz iz heer. All God's chillin' got bugz. Everybugz iz happee.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

My only reason for not feeding wild feeders is due to the area I live in. If you have land that you can go catch feeders on and do not have neighbors spraying pesticides and god only knows what then you are good. My neighborhood they seem to spray everything from weed killer to bug killer. So I would never feel safe giving anything caught outside.

Bingo. Environment in question. Same here.

 

[Fchamel]

So this is where you have to put aside your human emotions. I know it is hard. Beman is on an even more reduced diet then yours. But I stick to it because if I add even one feeder to the 3 days he gets fed he starts gaining weight. I need him to stay a stable weight and or lose weight. So I deal with his eagerness to eat the 2-3 feeders he gets. I deal with him wanting and thinking he will get more food when I open the door. I suck it up because if I gave him what he wanted then he would become obese rapidly. And then he would live a very short unhealthy life.

Yes, it is upsetting to see them acting as though they are starving but they are not like dogs or cats. They are not actively burning calories running around. They eat, bask, move around a bit, drink, bask, go to sleep, and repeat. They really are not starving.

And what we are saying is to put her on a 3 days a week schedule. This is not going 3-4 days without feeding. This is feeding Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Your skipping a day between feedings during the week and only skipping 2 days on the weekend.

Thank you for explaining why this is nessacary. I will switch to 3 days a week in July. They have tiny brains, and don't know when enough is enough. Food is always on the brain.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Thank you for explaining why this is nessacary. I will switch to 3 days a week in July. They have tiny brains, and don't know when enough is enough. Food is always on the brain.

Common in animals who live in environments where they may not know when or where their next meal is coming from, and try as we might, we can't free them of that programming.

Sometimes I'm amazed if/when we can convince/teach them that we're not going to EAT them!