Feeding Amount
- Thread starter xxcham
- Start date
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
I fed my little one as much as he wanted to eat until about 6 months. They can eat A LOT at that age. We want them to grow big and strong, so feed away. My guy would eat about 30 small-med. crickets a day at that age. Now he is about 6 months and eats roughly 10 large crickets a day. As he continues to grow, I will continue to reduce the feeders.
xxcham
Member
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
That is great and she is a great source for info. I am just sharing what I do and works for me. Bottom line is, if your cham is happy and healthy, keep doing what you are doing. I personally feed more right now, as my guy is growing fast, and eats a lot.
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I would suggest slowly cutting back on amount of feeders. Imho, it’s crazy to jump instantly from all they can eat to 10.
At three months I am still feeding about 25 feeders a day. 4 months I curb back to 20 a day. When they hit about 5 months I start curbing back to 15 a day. By 6 months they are eating about 10 a day. Then at 7 months I go do every other day 10 feeders to work into every other day 5 feeders at 8 months. Then at 12 months I reduce to 3 every other day.
I want to add this is very individual to each cham. Rate of growth differs I have found. So I weigh mine to know what the weight gain is. This is also what I do for Male Veileds. Females I would approach differently since food intake directly impacts egg production.
I want to add this is very individual to each cham. Rate of growth differs I have found. So I weigh mine to know what the weight gain is. This is also what I do for Male Veileds. Females I would approach differently since food intake directly impacts egg production.
NashansCamos
Chameleon Enthusiast
At 4.5 months old my baby male is eating about 10-15 a day and doing fine. Gradually cut it down to 3-5 every other day once they hit 12m old
exactly...
NashansCamos
Chameleon Enthusiast
ill follow you on tiktok! lol
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Then they don't self-regulate, cutting themselves down when they reach full size?
Some seem to to some extent...but they are opportunists so IMHO they are are advantage of it.
PetNcs
Chameleon Enthusiast
I see the most parts of the debate is actually pointless.
Any advice on number of “bugs” is absolutely irrelevant if you do not define what a “bug” is, as there is no unit called “bug” that is measureable.
Same as some stated already , there are hummongous differences amongst “bugs” in size and in nutritional value, so to feed 30adult Hornworms is a completely different story than 30fewshly hatched dubia roaches despite both are technically “bugs”.
Any advice on the number of undefined feeders I strictly advice against and recommend to ignore, as the size of the feeder and its nutritional value must be in relation with the SIZE and MATURITY LEVEL Or REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE of the chameleon and makes sense only in putting it in the exact context. Any debates about NUMBER OF BUGS fed to a chameleon of a certain AGE is a Nonsense.
The volume and nutritional value of the food is the name of the game and not number of bugs. Yes
The SIZE of the chameleon is decisive and NOT AGE.
The understanding should be spread, that the main
Concern is getting the RIGHT AMMOUNT OF FOOD and prevent both starving as well as overfeeding.
NO RISK OF OVERFEEDING:
1. Juveniles till reaching the lower margin of the adult
Size (in Yemen cham males it is eg around 40cm) because they invest all energy intake into GROWTH
2. Females during gravidity, as they invest every
Energy intake into the eggs
Implication: feed as Much as they can eat and do not
Care for Any pointless recommendations cutting step step the number of feeders. It is a breeders latin, with no research and no real experience base,
Just imagination and playing smart.
Risk: none
RISK OF OVERFEEDING:
All adults after reaching lower Limit of adult maximum size
Implication: feed so that they keep the weight same or increase only if they still grow in length
Risk: obesity
Creating ugly and pitiful monsters which become ill
And die young on organ failures
Any advice on number of “bugs” is absolutely irrelevant if you do not define what a “bug” is, as there is no unit called “bug” that is measureable.
Same as some stated already , there are hummongous differences amongst “bugs” in size and in nutritional value, so to feed 30adult Hornworms is a completely different story than 30fewshly hatched dubia roaches despite both are technically “bugs”.
Any advice on the number of undefined feeders I strictly advice against and recommend to ignore, as the size of the feeder and its nutritional value must be in relation with the SIZE and MATURITY LEVEL Or REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE of the chameleon and makes sense only in putting it in the exact context. Any debates about NUMBER OF BUGS fed to a chameleon of a certain AGE is a Nonsense.
The volume and nutritional value of the food is the name of the game and not number of bugs. Yes
The SIZE of the chameleon is decisive and NOT AGE.
The understanding should be spread, that the main
Concern is getting the RIGHT AMMOUNT OF FOOD and prevent both starving as well as overfeeding.
NO RISK OF OVERFEEDING:
1. Juveniles till reaching the lower margin of the adult
Size (in Yemen cham males it is eg around 40cm) because they invest all energy intake into GROWTH
2. Females during gravidity, as they invest every
Energy intake into the eggs
Implication: feed as Much as they can eat and do not
Care for Any pointless recommendations cutting step step the number of feeders. It is a breeders latin, with no research and no real experience base,
Just imagination and playing smart.
Risk: none
RISK OF OVERFEEDING:
All adults after reaching lower Limit of adult maximum size
Implication: feed so that they keep the weight same or increase only if they still grow in length
Risk: obesity
Creating ugly and pitiful monsters which become ill
And die young on organ failures
PetNcs
Chameleon Enthusiast
Why? What is the rationale behind? Insee it as
a Blank statement
If not explained and justified
PetNcs
Chameleon Enthusiast
This often means too fat,
Most keepers
Do heavily overfeed their animals
How will you define the Standard when almost all pictures in the media are too fat?
PabloTheCham
Chameleon Enthusiast
and how do you define too fat?
Pearl Fields
Avid Member
yes i would like to know that too... just to be able to make sure mine isnt fat
