What do you do with all those babies?

[ChameleonClem]

So i dont even have a chameleon currently, but breeding chameleons in the future would be an absolute dream.
What do you do with the babies?
How do you sell them?
How do you keep the babies before being sold? ( like enclosure wise)

This is just a thread to what you as an individual do.
Also another question, do you think chameleons imprint on the first rhing they see like birds? Do you think they get attatched to a specific person? (I certainly do)

 

[JaguarShark]

I have only had one clutch of babies, but even before they were bred I spoke to local pet shop owners about taking them. When they hatched I mentioned it again and made sure they would take them when they were ready.
You need a LOT of tiny food items (fruit flies are great early on). Things like 'pinhead' crickets etc.
I was breeding my own crickets and locusts and fruit flies and mealworms at the time so it just meant increasing that for a few months.
They are usually kept all together in a big plastic box to start with.
Some people will sell them one by one online (this forum has a classified section). I think if you can do it in bulk to pet shops its much easier. probably get a little less money for it, but it's not about the money (really, it's a lot less profitable than you would imagine).
You have to keep them for 3 months before selling them, and that is a lot of time and care and insects (I was a student during summer break at the time so I managed it ok).
Chameleons do not imprint, but they will get used to people they see often.

 

[ChamLB]

It takes a lot of work and a lot of very tiny feeders!
We start our panther hatchlings in glass viv's to better control UVB, heat and humidity. We separate them from there by sex and size to prevent injuries. After 2 months they get separated again into screen cages.

 

[kinyonga]

If you decide to breed, be prepared to keep the babies for 3 months before selling them.

This might help...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html


Re: imprinting... in the wild, they are born and never see their mom so there is nothing to imprint upon. I do think some recognize their keeper and look at them as a source of food and a safe place to sit....but that's about it.

 

[ChameleonClem]

I have only had one clutch of babies, but even before they were bred I spoke to local pet shop owners about taking them. When they hatched I mentioned it again and made sure they would take them when they were ready.
You need a LOT of tiny food items (fruit flies are great early on). Things like 'pinhead' crickets etc.
I was breeding my own crickets and locusts and fruit flies and mealworms at the time so it just meant increasing that for a few months.
They are usually kept all together in a big plastic box to start with.
Some people will sell them one by one online (this forum has a classified section). I think if you can do it in bulk to pet shops its much easier. probably get a little less money for it, but it's not about the money (really, it's a lot less profitable than you would imagine).
You have to keep them for 3 months before selling them, and that is a lot of time and care and insects (I was a student during summer break at the time so I managed it ok).
Chameleons do not imprint, but they will get used to people they see often.

I dont want to do it for profit i just think itd be really cool. A couple years ago a page said that theyll imprint, but it didnt seem like a very reliable sorce thats why i wanted to know.

It takes a lot of work and a lot of very tiny feeders!
We start our panther hatchlings in glass viv's to better control UVB, heat and humidity. We separate them from there by sex and size to prevent injuries. After 2 months they get separated again into screen cages.

Do ypu mist your babies in your viv or do you use a fogging machine? Ive heard of people using both in vivariums. (Im going to get a misting system for my chamleon/s)

If you decide to breed, be prepared to keep the babies for 3 months before selling them.

This might help...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html


Re: imprinting... in the wild, they are born and never see their mom so there is nothing to imprint upon. I do think some recognize their keeper and look at them as a source of food and a safe place to sit....but that's about it.

Thanks for the link! Ill definitely prep to keep them for three months.
Thanks for your answer about imprinting, chamleons are so unsocial i couldnt see why it would be useful to the but anyways as i said above a site said that a few years back but it didnt seem very reliable. Especially since they claimed the camouflage myth way true

 

[Andee]

Depending on what species you do, they either do better by themselves or in smaller groups compared to all together, even when straight out of the egg. When they are babies they usually do better when kept in a slight solid sided enclosure. Start breeding your own feeders before even thinking of breeding babies. I would be one of the people who would only breed if I could breed one of the species who does not have a great captive bred population and could help make a difference with the wild caught stress. So *shrugs* otherwise I am doing as much rescuing with my chameleons as possible.

 

[alphakenc]

U need lots free time n dedication,pretty much sacrifice ur own freedom to bring them into this world .

 

[Chatjagz]

Does it save a lot on cost of breeding if you breed your own insects? I feel like that's the most expensive part.

 

[alphakenc]

Yes and raising baby chams its all about the daily bug care.

 

[JacksJill]

Don't forget extra cages, lights, misters and/or nozzles, supplements, gut load, utilities and potential vet bills when you add up the cost.

 

[ChameleonClem]

U need lots free time n dedication,pretty much sacrifice ur own freedom to bring them into this world .

Sacrifice you own freedom lol! Painfully true, but luckily i love my animals so i dont mind.

 

[ChameleonClem]

Depending on what species you do, they either do better by themselves or in smaller groups compared to all together, even when straight out of the egg. When they are babies they usually do better when kept in a slight solid sided enclosure. Start breeding your own feeders before even thinking of breeding babies. I would be one of the people who would only breed if I could breed one of the species who does not have a great captive bred population and could help make a difference with the wild caught stress. So *shrugs* otherwise I am doing as much rescuing with my chameleons as possible.

I plan on keeping vieled chameleons if i get really into it i might keep jacksons, but that'll definitely be a while. And i do want to breeed my own feeders, especially since i want to move to wyoming where they have harsh winters i dont want to risk my beloved pets going without food.
Recusing chams would be really cool its good to hear youre thinking about the captive bred populations and things. If i did breed chameleons id only want to do it once or twice. Perhaps if i do breed them i should just try do an egg at a time that way if i hatch them i only have one so i can keep the baby.

 

[kinyonga]

So you'd throw away all the eggs but one and let the babies in the eggs die?
Why not give the rest of the eggs to someone?

 

[Andee]

And if you plan to do this with Jackson's that definitely won't work they only give live births. Jackson's are one of the more complicated babies to raise passed 3 months and most good breeders of captive Jackson's don't sell them until they are passed 5 months old

 

[ChameleonClem]

And if you plan to do this with Jackson's that definitely won't work they only give live births. Jackson's are one of the more complicated babies to raise passed 3 months and most good breeders of captive Jackson's don't sell them until they are passed 5 months old

Wow i didnt know that, well i knew some chams had live birth but i didnt know jacksons do. Obviously i dont know much about jacksons but id definitely do tons of research before i got one. All the research ive done was about vieled's.
Ive heard jacksons are a little more difficult to care in general as compared to vieleds.

 

[ChameleonClem]

So you'd throw away all the eggs but one and let the babies in the eggs die?
Why not give the rest of the eggs to someone?

Many people throw out unfertile chamleon eggs. Let alone chicken eggs, then again we can eat chicken eggs.... (If the chameleons growing process in the egg is different than a bird forgive me i dont know) anyways , Giving the eggs to someone is a great idea.
Are they already embryos when she lays the eggs? Or just like a birds egg?
Didnt mean to upset anyone it was just an idea.

 

[kinyonga]

I wasn't talking about infertile eggs...of course someone would throw them away.
I don't know much about chicken eggs but don't they only lay one egg at a time? They don't mate for every egg do they??

Chameleons mate and depending on the time in the cycle they will produce a clutch not fertile eggs or a clutch that has some fertile eggs or a clutch that is completely infertile.

You may want to read this...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/03JulLeBerre.html

Sounds like you have quite a bit more to learn before you attempt mating chameleons!

 

[ChameleonClem]

I wasn't talking about infertile eggs...of course someone would throw them away.
I don't know much about chicken eggs but don't they only lay one egg at a time? They don't mate for every egg do they??

Chameleons mate and depending on the time in the cycle they will produce a clutch not fertile eggs or a clutch that has some fertile eggs or a clutch that is completely infertile.

You may want to read this...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/03JulLeBerre.html

Sounds like you have quite a bit more to learn before you attempt mating chameleons!

I definitely have tons more to learn before i even think about trying it i just thought this would be a fun thread to make to see how others do it. If i ever bred chameleons if would be at least a few years from now, aka plenty of time for me to research (obsessively) lol).

Chickens lay one egg a day (except in winter). And they lay eggs weather they mate or not.
A hens eggs can be fertile for 2-3 weeks after one breeding. When she lays then theyre just the normal yolk (all that you see in store eggs). When the egg is kept warm it starts to become a chicken and not just slime. I wasnt sure if fertile eggs are already forming chameleons before she actually lays them. (I havnt read that link yet, ill read it right after i finish writing this).

 

[Andee]

I think the thing is about chameleon eggs and a reason why I wouldn't want to throw any fertile ones out (because they aren't already forming baby chameleons as far as embryo stage, but very quickly the veins will start) is because each laying is extremely hard on chameleons. Since most people don't eat chameleon eggs... I don't even know if it'd be worth eating XD... I would feel like a fertile clutch would be such a waste if I just threw them out especially since it could easily kill the female in the process of laying. But these are just my weird feelings XD

 

[ChameleonClem]

I think the thing is about chameleon eggs and a reason why I wouldn't want to throw any fertile ones out (because they aren't already forming baby chameleons as far as embryo stage, but very quickly the veins will start) is because each laying is extremely hard on chameleons. Since most people don't eat chameleon eggs... I don't even know if it'd be worth eating XD... I would feel like a fertile clutch would be such a waste if I just threw them out especially since it could easily kill the female in the process of laying. But these are just my weird feelings XD

I dont think your thought process is wierd at all, i just thought of chameleon eggs like one would a chicken egg, something that has been an everyday part of my life since i was young. Youre right though, its more risky for chameleon than a chicken.
And eating chameleon eggs would be like eating peas lol! Though chameleon eggs do seem more precious now, after reading all this about it