Hazelnuts? Other nuts? Feeder Help

[MadSince95]

Are Hazelnuts and or other nuts okay to feed crickets? And how much of whatever your feeding them do you feed them? In chunks, slices, smashed? And how do some of you keep your crickets I'd like to know how to keep them from escaping using juvenile ones.

 

[Solid Snake]

Here you go!
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/
Nuts are a good thing. I change what I feed them, and the amounts constantly.
Diversity is great.

 

[sandrachameleon]

nuts can be a very good addition to a varied gutload.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/501-filberts-hazelnuts.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-nuts-seeds-healthy-part-perfect-gutload.html
try cup feeding

 

[Undertow11]

This is a little random, but you might also consider putting a little bit of color-enhancing fish food in for your crickets to gut-load with (it is available at any petsmart, be sure to grab the "color-enhancing" or something along those lines, not just regular fish food).
This will help to provide Vitamin A, which helps with eyes and skin.
Vitamin A (beta carotene) is a key component to chameleon health that is often overlooked. Vitamin A can also be provided through dusting/powdering, but it can be dangerous for the chameleon if too much is given. By gut-loading your crickets with a source of Vitamin A or a Vitamin A equivalent, you can provide the necessary amount without having to worry about overdosing...
Sweet Potatoes are also a good source.

 

[MadSince95]

Thank you I am also wondering if 8hours from feeding time is too long after gut loading?

 

[sandrachameleon]

fish food is generally NOT recommended as a gutload, colour enhancing or otherwise. Now and then wont do any harm, but the ingredients are usually not beneficial in the longer term

keep food with your crickets (gutload) constantly. The longer they are eating good food before being fed off to the chameleon the better IMHO

 

[MadSince95]

Okay thank you

 

[Undertow11]

fish food is generally NOT recommended as a gutload, colour enhancing or otherwise. Now and then wont do any harm, but the ingredients are usually not beneficial in the longer term

keep food with your crickets (gutload) constantly. The longer they are eating good food before being fed off to the chameleon the better IMHO

I probably should have stated more clearly that fish food alone does not constitute a gut-load. Other gut-loading items will still be needed (fruits, vegetables, etc.). However, fish food does provide a good source of beta-carotene (which serves as a vitamin A equivalent) and it does help to mix some in from time to time. And here's why I recommend it:
Vitamin A serves an important role in chameleons, as it pertains to the health of skin and eyes. You don't read as much about Vitamin A as you do about calcium, Vitamin D, and some other things, but it's no less important. Healthy eyes are very important to chameleons, since chameleons are heavily (if not solely) reliant on eyesight when it comes to feeding/hunting. You can avoid Vitamin A deficiency (and in turn, help to avoid eye issues) by offering a steady source of Vitamin A. But, as with all things, it must be done in moderation. Vitamin A is easier to overdose on than some of the other vitamins, and the consequences are severe. To correctly measure Vitamin A supplement amounts for a chameleon (using a powder, even one like repashy's vitamin A formula), one would have to possess a gram scale and be very diligent about measuring things out properly, per chameleon, based on gram weight. This may not be an issue for experienced keepers, but for a regular hobbyist (and especially a new owner), this may be out of their comfort zone and expertise. And considering the consequences if too much Vitamin A is given, I would recommend that most keepers avoid trying to adjust Vitamin A levels altogether (because, just for the record, a Vitamin A overdose can cause a chameleon's skin to fall off, and it will most likely be fatal and irreversible, even if you visit a vet).
So, what is a keeper to do? Well, fortunately, the answer is pretty easy... although it's easy to overdose when using any form of concentrated Vitamin A (a vitamin A specific powder, an injection, etc.), it is almost impossible to overdose when using a regular ingestible form (especially when it's used as a gut-load). This means that a keeper can provide healthy Vitamin A levels without hassling with precise measurements and supplements by gut-loading with good sources of Vitamin A (or beta-carotene)... Fish food happens to be a good source of beta-carotene, and because of its wide-spread availability it is an easy item to recommend. Sweet Potatoes are a great source as well. And, nuts (as mentioned in the title of the thread) can also be a good source of Vitamin A, which is why I replied to the thread in the first place... because fish food can in fact be used as a substitute for nuts because both will provide Vitamin A, though I wouldn't rely solely on either one as a "complete" gut-load. Both nuts and fish food are best used in conjunction with fruits, veggies, and other munchies.
Vitamin A is but one in a long list of nutrients that reptiles need, and I would recommend that every owner be conscious of all of them, but since plenty has been written about calcium and the other vitamins already, and since the thread is about nuts (insert laughter here), I felt it was a good place to give some props to Vitamin A...
That's just my opinion, but it's one that is shared by several zoos and vets that I work with and it has successfully avoided Vitamin A deficiencies in everything from turtles to geckos to chameleons.