Home made gutload?

[chameleoman]

hey everyone can i use chereos and other cereals and sunflower seeds with the shell and from the package and smash them all up and what else can i use i would buy some but id rather make my own
thanks

 

[Olimpia]

No, no cheerios, they're probably all sugar and not worth much. But you can get some ideas on how to make a dry gutload from this blog: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

The dry portion (the lesser portion) of a gutload can include (blend/grind fine with a coffee grinder or food processor): spirulina; dried seaweed/kelp/dulse; bee pollen; dried alfalfa; organic raw sunflower seeds; sesame seeds; flax seed; hemp seed; poppy seeds; dehydrated cranberry powder; beet powder; zucchini powder; kale powder; dried Mulberries; fig powder; ground dried hibiscus; ground almonds; small amounts of ground brazil nuts; small amounts of ground/chopped beechnuts; oak leaves; small amounts of quality whole grain cereal /oats / cracked rye /wheat germ / stabalized rice bran/quinoa; small amounts of quality monkey, avian or ignuana food (read the ingredients, be cautious of too much Vitamin A or animal fat).

Limit your use of grains, beans, and other items higher in phosphorous than calcium (a little can be very good, a lot is not unless you compensate to fix the ratio).

Avoid dog food, cat food, fish food and other processed "foods" that are major sources of animal protien and fat and may provide excessive preformed vitamin A and also D (a little now and then is okay, but too much can lead to gout and other issues). Similarily avoid meat, eggs, etc.

It should give you several ideas of ingreditents to add to your gutload. If you look through Sandra's other blogs it'll give you more ideas and info. You don't have to use all her ingredients but be smart with what you buy, read the labels and think of them on a "how nutritionally VALUABLE is this food?" basis. Does it have more sugar than anything else? Is it high in calcium and vitamins? That kind of thing.

 

[bigcappa]

Check out Sandrachams blog out on gutloading! https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/394-dry-gutload-recipe-january-2010.html

 

[Olimpia]

Bigcappa, great minds think alike

 

[chameleoman]

i know i looked through every blog 5 min ago and i was gunna go buy some seeds but there all salted so any way i thought chereos were like super healthy and had like no sugar

 

[bigcappa]

I guess so, you were just quicker

 

[chameleoman]

i looked chereos have 1 gram of sugar and the special k has 4 grams of sugar and the quaker oats has 1 gram of sugar

 

[sandrachameleon]

Cereals alone are insufficient. And of your cereal choices, Cheerios are exactly a good one. Cheerios are made primarily from oats and corn, neither of which are good gutload choices. After those two ingredients comes sugar and salt. Again, not good gutload choices.

You gutload needs to provide complex carbs, vegetable source protein, vitamins B, E, K...etc etc magnesium, calcium, iron, iodine... etc etc
The majority of your gutload should be made up of vegetables, a few fruits, a few nuts and seeds (raw unsalted) all in a combination that supplies the nutrients you want the bugs to pass to your chameleons. Check out this blog entry: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
also, https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/425-may-2011-gutload.html
and this website article:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/05JunDescamps.html