I've been trying to teach my Chameleon to hand feed for the past week by only letting it eat off my hand. It hasn't eaten for a while and it's weight has dropped a little from last week I really don't want to give in and just let it bowl feed. Is there any way I could force feed it off my hand should I keep trying or should I move to bowl feeding
Hand feed
- Thread starter Uvagohoos
- Start date
I feel that if he is declining in health, you should supplement with bowl feeding, or however it was that he was eating before. Make sure the food your are trying to hand feed with is moving, like a wriggling worm, otherwise your cham may not notice it and freak out cause your hand is right there!! also, i know when my chams are getting a little skinny, wax worms (higher in fat) as well as hornworms (just like tomato worms, but only teal as tomatoes are poisonous!) are a great treat! good luck
Craigwyatt
Avid Member
I can understand why you want him to hand feed because it is pretty cool. But you starving him until he does it is just wrong. If I were you I'd just feed him like normal and just keep trying to hand feed him. Try getting one of his favorite feeders. I bet a hornworm would work.
Just try to understand that if he never hand feeds it's really not important at all. Put his health and well being above all. And please stop starving him. Your hurting his health.
Just try to understand that if he never hand feeds it's really not important at all. Put his health and well being above all. And please stop starving him. Your hurting his health.
MamatoElvis
Member
My guy is a bit choosy what he will hand feed. He hand feeds daily but not all things. No matter what he's doing when I hold out a butterworm he climbs to the front of the cage and takes it. Butterworms are a bit fatty and should be used as a treat. Maybe twice a week. Start back feeding him normally. First thing in the morning try to hand feed with the butterworm. If he doesn't go for it put the butterworm in his dish so he can taste it. Once he's tasted it only try to hand feed the butterworms. Don't put any in his dish, just other feeders. Maybe it won't be butterworms that he loves but eventually you will figure out the one he loves. I think butterworms are pretty tasty though. I tried this because someone else on this forum suggested them.
jcarlsen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Dont' compromise your cham's well being just for hand feeding. Dunno how long you've had yours, but it's taken me a couple of months just to get mine to hand feed.
Just try hand feeding the first feeder of the day when your cham is the most hungry, but don't deny it food for days to try to "teach it" to eat from your hand. Also, try hand feeding its favorite treat like a hornworm or super worm. That's what I'm doing with mine. He still gets his normal crickets, but if he wants a special treat, he's gotta go from my hand
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