Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can mealworms and crix be fed dog food? will the dye hurt them and hurt my leo?
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1.0 BP

The best and easiest food for meals/crickets is probably also the cheapes. Go to a coop (agway here in the northeast) and ask for non medicated egg layer mash chicken food. basically the same stuff the pet store will sell you for $2-5/lb but the coop sells it for as little as $0.14/lb.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

>>The best and easiest food for meals/crickets is probably also the cheapes. Go to a coop (agway here in the northeast) and ask for non medicated egg layer mash chicken food. basically the same stuff the pet store will sell you for $2-5/lb but the coop sells it for as little as $0.14/lb.

You know, it is funny, but I have awful luck with chick mash as food for crix. It works for roaches and mealies but the crix would start dying a couple days into using it. I tried it twice with the same results. So, when I do have crix (gotta love roaches) I feed them baby cereal, cheerios and even dog kibble with good results.
I am careful not to get the food wet but wondered if something fermented or mildewed in it faster than other foods. Goodness knows it doesn't last long enough in the roach and worm bins to go bad! Go fig
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Sonya

1. in a 3 drawer bin(like you see at wally world) can 500 mealworms be kept in one bin?
2.if i was to crush the dogfood, and the crix ate it, then later they were to drink so water, the wouldn't explode would they?

Thanks
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1.0 BP
0.1 Leo

I keep up to 1000 mealworms in a shoebox. never fed dog food.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

>>1. in a 3 drawer bin(like you see at wally world) can 500 mealworms be kept in one bin?

I have a couple three thousand in a bin that size.

>>2.if i was to crush the dogfood, and the crix ate it, then later they were to drink so water, the wouldn't explode would they?
Uhmmmm...No. They are fine with it and I leave it whole kibble and let the bugs chew it off. They don't seem to suffer from the work.
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Sonya

I keep my crickets on it for up to 2 weeks with no issues. Just put it in a dish, and use the gel water in another dish. That is interesting that you have had such an issue with it. I have friends that use the same exact thing and have success with it. that is odd.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

>>I keep my crickets on it for up to 2 weeks with no issues. Just put it in a dish, and use the gel water in another dish. That is interesting that you have had such an issue with it. I have friends that use the same exact thing and have success with it. that is odd.

I thought so too, that it was odd. Being a former farmer I was totally willing to go with the chick mash but not for crix.
I don't use gel for water. I use those green scrub/scrunge pads that are about 1/4thick, not with sponges attached. Cut them to fit a plastic jar lid and the silly bugs can suck water and not drown. They wash out easy and last a long time.
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Sonya