what is this ooey brown thing?

[dodolah]

anybody experience with rearing silkies?
about 10 of my silkies has turned to cocoon 2 weeks ago. today some ooey
brown has come out and it's not moving at all
.

what's happening?

 

[Marc10edora]

I forgot what it is called. But I know that the moths use it to soften up the cacoon in order to help them get out.

 

[Scotty]

The moth is about to emerge....get ready!

 

[VerteX]

It's called meconium. Please read http://wormspit.com/bombyxsilkworms.htm for more info. I'd start moving to moths together so they can start making love.

I forgot what it is called. But I know that the moths use it to soften up the cacoon in order to help them get out.

Marc10edora; do you mean cocoonase? It is a fluid secreted by the moth's head to partially dissolve the cocoon to help with the emergence.

 

[VerteX]

The moth is about to emerge....get ready!

The moth is already out and happily camping at the bottom of the carton.

 

[dodolah]

wow you are right.. i thought he/she still trying to get out.
when i get a closer look, it was already at the bottom straightening its wings.
now..
how long does it take be4 they die?
the other cocoons are not yet hatched (this first one is a bit faster than the others)

I believe it turns into a cocoon about a week earlier than the others.
I wonder if i should just feed it to my 4 months old cham.
I don't want it to die in vain waiting for its mate to hatch.. at least, if i fed it to my cham, it can serve a purpose

 

[dodolah]

yayy! another one hatch.. and what a perfect timing it was.
The first one turn out to be a male. and the 2nd one is a female moth.
My plan was to put the female up high while she's drying her wings.

But, the male gets excited suddenly, squirt some brown liquids all over, and start flapping his wings...
and by the time i return (which is about 2 minutes), i was too late..
the nature has found its way.

Now they are inseparable (their bodies are locked to each other).

Dang.. that was exciting for me!
If it is this exciting (and it's just silkies), I wonder how much excitement that
I would get from looking at chameleon hatching from eggs.

 

[lonomac]

They only last a few days average before they die. Also if you see the brown stuff coming out of the cacoon you can cut it open if they look like they're having trouble getting out

 

[bg77]

Can I get a pic. of your enclosure to see what it looks like? I see they are in toilet paper rolls. Did you take out the silkies and put them in a different container/rolls at a certain time or what? I really want to try this again, my first time was a bust(of coarse I had no idea what to do)

Thanks for any help you could give me.........

 

[dodolah]

Can I get a pic. of your enclosure to see what it looks like? I see they are in toilet paper rolls. Did you take out the silkies and put them in a different container/rolls at a certain time or what? I really want to try this again, my first time was a bust(of coarse I had no idea what to do)

Thanks for any help you could give me.........

Unfortunately, I already tear my enclosure settings apart to prepare them for mating and eggs laying process.

But, i can help you describe what i did:

Basically i use the large cricket's container.

I took my silkies out when they stopped eating and start wondering all over the place.
Some silkies will raise their heads and start doing a figure "8" movement.
The best absolute way to know is by looking at their frass.
Usually their poops are black/ dark green and dry.

When they are ready to turn into a cocoon, they poop a light green or whitish
frass. and It's real wet! lots of liquid (waste).
If you see one that do that, put it into the container.
(make sure the container is very clean) and also put it in a closet or a room that doesn't get sunlight. They're like little vampires . they hate lights.

Have tissue paper rolls laying around.
and it will travels on its own and once it found the place it likes, it will start spindling its thread.

during this moment, it's imperative not to touch anything or move the container.
Any slight disturbance will cause the silkworm to stop the process and find another secure place. If the caterpillar still has enough enzyme to create the cocoon, then there's no problem.. but if it ran out of it, then it will create a cocoon and simply die halfway.

Once you can no longer see the caterpillar inside of the cocoon (usually take about 2/3 days for sure), you can GENTLY lift the toilet paper so you see the holes from the top (just like my pic). I secure it with tape or paperclip two or three rolls together to make it stable.

and put some card board or paper or whatever you want your moth to lay its eggs on at the bottom of the container.
within 2 weeks, they will start hatching into moths.

The male is smaller than the female.
the female will immediately release her pheromone.

The male will get so excited and start squirting some brown liquid
and flapping his wings.
He WILL find his way around and get attached to a female for 2-3 hours.
After that he will release himself (and he is good for mating another one or two female moth)
Don't bother them during this..

soon, the female will lay her eggs on the cardboards.
--------
after this stage, it is a pure knowledge without a first hand experience (obviously cause my moths haven't laid eggs yet)

the egg's color will be golden yellow at first.
but soon turn darker and black if it's fertile.

Refrigerate the fertile eggs (put the cardboards in a zip lock bag)
put them on the refrigerator door; not in the freezer and in the middle of refrigerator.
I hear they don't hatch if they are not refrigerated.
Some says they will but it will take a year to hatch.. i don't really know.

and then when you want it to hatch, take it out in springs season.
they should hatch into tiny silkies.. and the cycle repeats.

OF ALL the importance, there are 2:
-Less light exposure is good
-CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN and DISINFECT any tools and hands be4 handling them.
use alcohol hand sanitizer (the one without the perfume or hand moisturizer)

Hope that helps

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Thank you VerteX for a good laugh. I've got 3 males hanging around now, waiting for the females to hatch out.

 

[bg77]

Sounds great.... Thank you