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Drayko is eating these silkies i'm getting like they aren't fazing his stomach at all. The ones i'm getting have been from silkwormfarm.com and he could literally eat more than 400 a week. They are so small.... I ordered the larger ones up and they were MASSIVE. I couldn't feed those to him.

Does anyone know a place to get some medium size ones or am i going to be feeding him 40 silkies each sitting. thanks!
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Nick and Drayko

www.Mulberryfarms.com has more than two sizes, I believe. But what you can do is buy twice as much as you normally use up and some silkworm chow, and grow them. As the silks get bigger you feed less. Even if you wind up with a bunch of silkworms that are two big, they are very easy to breed and hatch out.
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PHLdyPayne

thanks. Looks like they are about .05 more expensive but if i'm getting ones that are a little bigger thats ok. I mayb give them a try and see how they are. Do you use them?
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Nick and Drayko

I would recommend http://www.geocities.com/thelizardlunch/silkies.htm

Its a realitivly new site but but the lady who runs it is fantastic to deal with and the prices are nice too.

Mullberryfarms and California silkworms and have had good service with both.

Silkies grow pretty fast. You can feed them twice a day to speed things up a bit or feed every other day to slow them down.

These guys are pathetically easy to breed...let around 10 or more cocoon (to make sure you have males and females) (Put eggcrates in with the worms to cocoon on.) Place cocoons in clean container an they will emerge in a week or so at room temp and when they emerge they automatically pair up. Place the joined pair in a small paper lunch bag. The female should lay her eggs the next day. Give the moths to your beardie for a treat--moths do not eat or drink--just mate and die.

Once the eggs all turn dark place them --cut around the eggs--in the frige for a few weeks in a ziplock bag.To hatch place eggs in a clean dish--cover lightly--and place in a warm spot (I set mine on my UVB fixture). The eggs should hatch in a week. Feed them chow (see mullberry farms web site) and in about 2 weeks you will have feeders.

I hatched about 100 out today...and will set out more eggs this weekend.

HTH
DM

i tried silkworms and they were great feeders but had a problem with them dying off fairly quickly. they'd turn black and then ooze. i probably lost between 25-30 percent or more.

www.badassbeardies.com

Ive had that occasionally. if it happends within a few days of delivery I'd call the company you got them from...I've had orders that died off replaced before.

Silkies are sensitive to bacteria and mold. I had a container la couple of weeks ago that started to die off...I switched them to a clean container lined with a paper towel and then washed them off gently and patted them dry. I actually had real mullberry leaves that week and fed them those...once they molted again the mold/fungus was gone and they were healthy. I have better luck if I keep them in an uncovered rubbermaid container--or one covered with waxed paper.

I have an established colony going and haven't purchased them in about a year.

If you are feeding yours chow then make sure you do not overfeed. 2 small portions grated over them a day is better than one large feeding ...the extra food can mold. Feed only what they can eat in an hour--or remove any uneaten food after that period.

HTH
DM

Hi Nick,

silkwormfarm.com has 3 sizes as most any place does (mulberryfarm, california, etc.): juvi, sub and adult. I raise mine but if I have a bad hatch I will sometimes order them. For Darwin I would get the sub-adults and let my little hatchlings grow in the meantime. I don't recall how big Drayko is now, but remember, since silkies are so softbodied the length/head width rule does not apply. Darwin was eating some pretty hefty ones with no problem. And, as has been mentioend, if these are going to be a regular feeder just get in to raising them.

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

anyone have pics of their beardies eating a silkie? I'd like to see the size of the ones you are feeding compared to the size of the beardie. thanks!
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Nick and Drayko