Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I raise my own crickets and feed them Layena Gamebird crumbles for laying hens, which I grind to dust in a blender so the crix can eat it even when they are just hatched. I put two cups of crumbles into the blender and add five beta carotene capsules from a health food store. I grind about 25 pounds of crumbles at a time, mixing crumbles and capsules as above.

I end up with a bucket of cricket food that is rich in beta carotene and convenient to use. It lasts for weeks and the crickets get so much carotene their droppings are orange. I also note that when any of my crickets drown, such as when they are in a frog tank and don't get eaten in time, the crickets turn bright red like a cooked lobster. The same thing happens when wild grasshoppers and crickets drown.

Beta carotene brings up color in Collared Lizards and other animals as well. I once mentioned my interest in adding carotene-rich foods to my herp vet and he suggested offering small bits of Dandelion leaves to my vestigium. He said that Collared Lizards often eat bits of dandelion leaves when offered. He told me that Dandelion leaves are rich in carotene. I tried it and my vestigium's color popped within a few days. That lizard went from pale to vivid in no time.

On another note, here is a pic of a wild male Collared Lizard looking like a king. I love the yellow socks.

He's really something awesome to feast your eyes on :0) great shot! As far as the crumbles, I do know others who have used laying mash, pellets, starters. I had read about the crumbles and pellets by layena, on the purina site, but don't seem to be able to get them in anything less than a 50 lb bag where I have looked. The shipping for that size bag is as much as the bag itself. :0(

I will have to look some more. I have over the years used Spirulina also.
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PHEve / Eve

As Eve mentioned...Spirulina is a good one. I have also used color enhancing fish food with often includes caretenoids as well as Astaxanthin. I used to supplement with yeast cells containing the astaxanthin, but honestly did not notice any significant change in my lizards. I have also read before that some color enhaning supplments for birds (Nekton-gelb)can bring out the greens and yellows.

I do remember when I raised a lot of crickets...the hatchings would be so gutloaded with the astaxanthin, their bodies would be swollen red.

J

Every community has feed stores somewhere. I have not been much of a livestock person so I was a little surprised to learn that most places have a feed store tucked away somewhere, but once you get out of a metropolitan area, you leave behind the zoning that prohibits keeping chickens, button quail, that sort of animal, and there are actually tons of bird hobbyists who keep quail and chickens, so there might be some Layena around that you do not have to ship. It's so good for crickets that I think it's worth some effort. If you just can't find any at all, I can make you up a sample and send it so you can try it out. You have a lot of lizards and I bet you go through a lot of crickets. I'm not sure it would make sense for you to raise crix if you need lots of them. It is important to remember that insects do not replace cells once they mature, and there is very little sequestering of nutrients after an insect completes its final molt (when it gets wings). Thus it's essential to get nymph crickets and feed them for a few molts on the good diet to ensure they take up carotene and other useful nutrients. I don't believe much in the practice of "gut loading". I doubt that vitamin deficient crickets with a grain of healthy cricket food in their intestines become good food. For what it's worth, even though it's not very scientific, I do believe I noticed improved health in my animals when I started feeding crickets and mealworms a better diet. I still supplement with vitamins but less frequently than some keepers. In reptiles, the condition of hypervitaminosis is a concern.

I agree on the over doing the vitimains is a problem (or can cause problems.
I do not use vitimins. I used to spend a fortune on Nekton, but I began to notice some things that made me back off. They are great vitimins, just don't believe they all need them if fed a nutritious diet. (Just like us) I also start all kids off on GREENS, carrots, they love them and grow to love them through adulthood. I have some that RUN to the side when they see the greens/ shredded carrots, coming.

I do dust of course with a good calcium dust with minerals, but as far as vitties, I too try and feed my insects a good diet. I try and tell people, Eve's motto, lol, your lizard is only as healthy as the bugs you feed them .

Thanks, we probably have many livestock feed stores near me I'm in NJ, and there are farms scattered around here and there.

YUMMY

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PHEve / Eve

As far as feeding my feeders, I just provide a healthy diet of those fruits and veggies that are lizard safe to my crickets and mealworms.

i was just walking on this old bridge and these 2 busted out of the bushes in what was about a 10 foot chase for the side blotches doom. was really cool to watch

You had to Summon ME to see the poor blotchie get it, now I will feel bad the rest of the night Dang Joe why do things around YOU always BITE ???

How is the finger?
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PHEve / Eve