Ordering a Dubia Colony

[Mtnlaurel]

Seems like commercial would get crazy expensive at the rates colonies consume.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

I have been thinking that there are advantages to having a steady, large quantity easy to feed dry gutload you make up on huge batches. Then feed lots of fruits & vegetables, with the dry as your kind of baseline nutrition in the background.

 

[Andee]

That's definitely why I like makeing my own because I have complete control of my nutrition

 

[Mtnlaurel]

It seems that most are based off an alfalfa base with a variety of dry superfoods mixed in. Shooting for around 20% veg based protein, and low, high quality fat.

This could be fun.

Other important guidelines when making your own?

 

[Andee]

When using alfalfa shoot for some sort of pelleted form with no added vitamins or anything, or go for alfalfa cubes made for horses because those almost never have added vitamins etc. Trying to do whole alfalfa pretty much destroys your blender. I use certain high protein grains in small amounts that boost the protein but use it in small amounts so I don't have problems with calcium. I usually go relatively heavy on the superfoods/healthy stuff compared to the alfalfa because it is so important. But I don't use tons of multivitamins. Generally for about 6 cups of gutload I use around a tablespoon or two (depending on what multivitamins you are using) for my multivitamin added to it.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

This is great, thanks. Do you still dust w/ a multivitamin then? Maybe I'll drop that back to once/month once I'm feeling confident on the gutloading. I have 3 brands of multivitamins I'm rotating, outside of calcium.

I've got a pretty beastly food processor. Thinking it would make short work of some alfalfa cubes. My goats will love me. They'd totally love some more alfalfa around here.

So then just mix it up a little different every time you make it, for variety. I'm totally gonna do this. Thanks so much.

 

[Andee]

I do still dust regularly, but both my chameleons have problems and any new ones I get are usually rescues who have some sort of vitamin deficiency. If you gut load well and have good lighting, I also highly recommend regular outdoor time, you pretty much don't have to worry about dusting much at all. My two permanent residents have one chameleons in his senior years who is going through some eye problems but seems to be pulling out (knock on wood), and my other one is a recover victim of poor care from her old home and has severe mbd that she is doing great with.

 

[Mtnlaurel]

I can see why you do it. Outdoors is out of the question for now, but will definitely be a regular part of life once the weather permits.

I worry about oversupplementing. In general, mucking around with vitamins too much can really get you into trouble with most any animal. All things in moderation. Should be an adventure! This helps a lot.