Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am trying to decide if we want to breed hissing cockroaches or just buy them. How many would I feed a week to my sav. Right now she wants to eat a mouse or chick a day and as many crickets as i will feed her. I just have no idea how many I would need to buy for say, one month.

Thanks
Nina

I would suggest that you buy a few first and then see how your sav likes them. If he/she does, then you can breed them.

I breed them myself and had a few false starts for the first few months until I finally got the temps and humidity down right. In fact, they breed so well now, I am gladly giving them away.

Anyway, you should start with 4-6 males and the same number of females in order to get up to "critical mass" so that you have a sustainable breeding colony. You will need an 18 to 20 gallon tupperware storage contained to keep them in. Some people recommend egg cartons for housing, but I find that it gets soggy and putrid rather quickly. Instead I use layers of pvc tubing and plywood which I can clean and use over.

Hope this helps. Also keep in mind, it is possible that your sav could quit liking roaches right about the time you get your colony up and running.

Good luck. CW

Thanks! .......if she does like them, about how many do you feed at a time?
Thanks
Nina

How many depends on the size of your sav and the size of the roach. Roaches start off pretty small but growth up to three inches long.

If you sav is fifteen inches or less long, I would try four to six one to one and a half inch long roaches. I find that lizards pretty much ignore the roaches they don't want after they are full. Even though savs may each too much sometimes, if they are like my tegu, they will each a few roaches then quit.

Unfortunately, I did not have roaches when I had a sav. And, my albig ( at 68 inches and 29lbs ) just ignores them.

The roaches eat a lot of things, especially fruit and especially tropical fruit. I would recommend a steady diet of fine ground chicken mash, which can be purchased at a pet or feed store fairly cheaply. Also, give them a water bowl (small) with rocks in it (so the little ones dont fall in and drown). Temps should be around 85 to 90 degrees constant with a very high humidity.

Good luck. CW

Thanks! I just ordered five to see what the savs think of them, and what "I" think of them. I am just not sure if i am up to breeding cockroaches, I hate to have them loose in the house. The cats eat my crickets that get loose but a HUGE cockroach, not sue I want that. If they like them I might just buy them weekly.

Thanks!
Nina