Strictly Silkworm Diet?

[Mael]

I've got myself a ton of silkworms for my veiled. I heard they were good and great in terms of nutrition but have also heard about issues with a strictly silk diet. Can I get some solid info on this?

 

[jannb]

Your cham needs a variety of different types of food. Silkworms are good but throw in a little something else, too. Jann

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I believe they do need some chitin in their diet.
Superworms are a great addition, and your chameleons will appreciate the variety.
Ideally, you would have crickets and roaches in there too

-Brad

 

[Chuck G]

Variety,variety! They would never be regulated to one insect in the wild.

 

[Mael]

Okay, that's what I thought. I didn't explain that well enough I suppose. How many silkworms is too much? Can they be used as my staple feeder with a mix of insects thrown in once every two weeks or so, or is the chitin in the crickets bodies all that important?

I remember someone writing that a diet of strictly superworms was deadly to their cham and I want to avoid that.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I personally dont like the idea of a staple, regardless of what it is. I fully agree that variety is healthy for your chameleon. My chams get a different feeder option at each meal, three meals a day, and I do my best to change up the menu from day to day. But, that said, you could try to at least offer something different a couple times a week. Crickets, roaches, butterworms, kingworms, moths, stick insects, wood sows,...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Do you really feed your chameleons three times a day?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do you really feed your chameleons three times a day?

Yes, most days. Used to aim for smaller amounts 5 times a day, but that was when I worked across the steet from where I live, and worked fewer hours. Now it's not so easy! But I think three is enough.
Why - what is normal?

 

[dodolah]

Anything with the word "strictly" is not a good idea.
It's true to life in general.

Imagine if you get fed tofu every day...
Where you gonna get the other nutrition you need to survive?


Balance and variety is the key to successfully raise your cham.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Yes, most days. Used to aim for smaller amounts 5 times a day, but that was when I worked across the steet from where I live, and worked fewer hours. Now it's not so easy! But I think three is enough.
Why - what is normal?

I feed between 3 and 7 feeders per chameleon, every other day.

-Brad

 

[Cainschams]

I ranout of crix and it was when I wasnt using raoches. I used silkies for quite a few days in a row and all my chams where cruzing down the hershey highway if you know what I mean. I dont know if it was really discomforting but After I got more crix the runs stopped.

 

[SoCaliSon]

Is Canada hiding all the silkies????

 

[Cainschams]

Is Canada hiding all the silkies????

Im wondering the same thing. I have about 15 or so cocooned right now but it takes at least a month of diapause after they are laid before you can hatch them out. ARRRRG.