Oregon Silkworms

[OrangeJuice]

Hello friends, considering getting a LOT of horn worms/ silkies. Just wondering, have y'all ever bought from Oregon Silkworms? I'd love to hear some reviews. Also just To clear up my suspicions, hornworms are NOT a staple feeder, are they? I keep seeing people post on Facebook about how their staple is hornworms? And they dust theirs with calcium every time, even though horns are loaded with calcium? Also, how are silkies for staples? Do you dust those guys too? Thanks

 

[NickTide]

I've talked to a lot of people who use silks as staples including a successful panther breeder. Horn worms are expensive and very high in water. Not familiar with that supplier.

 

[ChamLB]

Hornworms are a useful feeder but we don't use them as a staple feeder, meaning 40% or more of the diet. Silkworms make a good staple but are pricey compared to crx and dubia.

 

[Andee]

I personally would not use either for multiple reasons. Hornworms I would use less the silks, but silks I would still use less than a staple.

 

[ChamLB]

What's your reasoning?

 

[Andee]

Technically you want a staple feeder to be able to be gutloaded on multiple things for various reasons. Mulberry leaves though the silkworm gets a good and healthy diet from it, it doesn't give the chameleon or reptile everything they need. Also anything with as high as water content as them and since they have almost no chitin to offer going up to 40%+ of the diet without using high chitin feeders (which means low quality food usually, such as mealworms and usually supers on a regular basis) mean you will likely get watery feces. The only reason I can think of offering them that often is if you aren't offering enough water to drink regularly.

 

[OrangeJuice]

Ahhh I see. I was considering breeding them to sell to my local exotic pet store, and giving them to my chams every so often. Idk if selling them is worth a lot but to be honest I'd just like some experience breeding buggies

 

[OrangeJuice]

Plus I usually switch up their diets a lot, crix, dubias, (staple) and then give my male greens since he eats them. For treats I do horn works, the occasional waxworm, occasional superworm, and butterworms. I never see my female drinking water, though her urate looks fine. Still it'd take a lot off my mind knowing she's getting water

 

[ChamLB]

What percentage of the diet do you think needs to be gut loaded and chitinous?

 

[Andee]

Percentage that should be gutloaded and chitinous should be 70% as long as you are misting and providing water like should be for any species, and there are lots of insects that fall under that category. And then otherwise have so much fun with extra 30%