Would YOU pay a premium for these? (Pre gutloaded roaches) gut

[Franquixote]

I am attaching an info sheet for an idea I have to sell pre-gutloaded or I guess just gut loaded roaches really just to my local reptile store but maybe in the warmer months to others as well.

My ambilobe panther seems to be healthy just eating maybe 2 medium sized roaches a day supplemented whenever possible by other feeders but these are definitely his main staple. I do dubia and orange head roaches, although I am thinking about cutting out the orange headed roaches because I don't think that they are that much different nutritionally, and they have an odor plus are much faster and harder, seem to shed less often (I like feeding newly molted roaches though I don't think the chameleon cares either way), and are less prolific than the dubias.

The info attached is not BS, I really do feed the roaches and gut load them with a ridiculous variety of foods, plus they get pigment enhancers and the other things mentioned. I have also been putting each feeder in a convenience store large size soup cup and rinsing them off before offering them so that the chameleon is eating a freshly washed bug. Mainly because he doesn't really eat them from a cup feeder (I have one of Nick Barta's from Full Throttle) and my custom enclosure isn't 100% escape proof for feeders regardless of how many times I try and address the places they can escape from.

I was thinking that I personally would pay maybe 30% more for feeders that I know were gut loaded to this degree but I also recognize that some people don't know or care about gut loading and that it might even be the case that due to the way roaches metabolize food gut loading them this way might not even be all that different from just doing a standard gut load of fresh produce plus a quality blended premade blend like the pre made "cricket crack" or "bug buffet".

Any feedback appreciated- check out the info and your thoughts appreciated.

 

[Goose502]

Sounds very interesting, but they are only properly gut loaded for a few hours. Once they are sold, if the purchaser goes a day or more before feeding, they are no longer gut loaded. This would nullify the premium price. But I am not an expert on roach digestion, maybe they hold the nutrients longer? Interesting idea, love to hear others opinions.

 

[Franquixote]

Yes, but what they have eaten becomes part of them too. They retain vitamins, pigment, minerals, moisture, probably other nutrients too like fats, amino acids, etc. Also probably fewer unhealthy things like bacterial, viral, and parasite loads since a well-fed insect has a stronger immune system, etc.
People pay extra for grass fed beef for the same reason, right?

 

[Andee]

roaches of different species, not sub species, are completely different in the way they absorb nutrients and what they provide. therefore orange heads and dubia provide different things.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Yes, but what they have eaten becomes part of them too. They retain vitamins, pigment, minerals, moisture, probably other nutrients too like fats, amino acids, etc. Also probably fewer unhealthy things like bacterial, viral, and parasite loads since a well-fed insect has a stronger immune system, etc.
People pay extra for grass fed beef for the same reason, right?

Pigment?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Yes, but what they have eaten becomes part of them too. They retain vitamins, pigment, minerals, moisture, probably other nutrients too like fats, amino acids, etc. Also probably fewer unhealthy things like bacterial, viral, and parasite loads since a well-fed insect has a stronger immune system, etc.
People pay extra for grass fed beef for the same reason, right?

@Motherlode Chameleon @ferretinmyshoes @Chris Anderson

Have an opinion on the matter?

 

[Goose502]

Yes, but what they have eaten becomes part of them too. They retain vitamins, pigment, minerals, moisture, probably other nutrients too like fats, amino acids, etc. Also probably fewer unhealthy things like bacterial, viral, and parasite loads since a well-fed insect has a stronger immune system, etc.
People pay extra for grass fed beef for the same reason, right?

I’d love to see the science behind that retention. I have no idea if those statements are true or not, but it does make sense. As far as grass fed beef being more healthy, that’s completely untrue. Every study I’ve seen debunks this idea. Were the cows happier before slaughter? Maybe.

 

[Lennoncham]

I’d love to see the science behind that retention. I have no idea if those statements are true or not, but it does make sense. As far as grass fed beef being more healthy, that’s completely untrue. Every study I’ve seen debunks this idea. Were the cows happier before slaughter? Maybe.

I would think grass fed beef is better since corn has absolutely no value to anyone and cows are naturally supposed to eat grass. Similar idea to how hunters say bear meat is better when they are eating blueberries.

But those are mammals not insects so I’m not sure how an insect would abosrob nutrients.

 

[Lennoncham]

From the orkin website.

“Inside their bodies, cockroaches contain a white substance known as fat bodies. Similar to fat stores in humans, fat bodies allow cockroaches to store energy after nutrients have been broken down.”

But who knows how long they store those nutrients.

 

[Andee]

when i say i provide pregutloaded animals i ship them with my homemade gutload and a sweetpotato or squash. But i dont require a premium to be paid for that.

just so you know roaches and feeders do show a much healthier life span and expentancy from my experience when fed healthy foods through out their entire lives. i have had female dubia produce up until they are 4 years old and some live past that. my adult males sometimes live to be 3.