silk worm gut load??
- Thread starter watersam
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pigglett79
Avid Member
Silk worms absolutely have to have mulberry either fresh leaves or chow as part of their diet. You can also feed shredded carrot and greens, but they wont always eat it. they are basically gutloaded on mulberry and if you can get them to eat other items that's great.
werecat
Established Member
What pigglett said is correct. I just wanted to add that although mulberry leaves or chow must consist of at least 50% of the silkworm diet, I have devised a way to gutload with only fresh veggies right before I feed the worms off. What I do is select only the worms I am going to feed off that day and place them in a little tub with fresh greens (like romaine) and carrot shavings. I wipe a very thin amount of mulberry chow on the fresh veggies and off they go, munching it all up! I give them an hour or two of doing this (I shower/get ready for the day), then I feed to my cham, loaded with fresh veggie puree.
One important thing to note about this technique is that the worms become very juicy and may be more prone to "squirting" when the cham chomps down. *I've been squirted in the face.
One important thing to note about this technique is that the worms become very juicy and may be more prone to "squirting" when the cham chomps down. *I've been squirted in the face.
xraygirl
Established Member
What pigglett said is correct. I just wanted to add that although mulberry leaves or chow must consist of at least 50% of the silkworm diet, I have devised a way to gutload with only fresh veggies right before I feed the worms off. What I do is select only the worms I am going to feed off that day and place them in a little tub with fresh greens (like romaine) and carrot shavings. I wipe a very thin amount of mulberry chow on the fresh veggies and off they go, munching it all up! I give them an hour or two of doing this (I shower/get ready for the day), then I feed to my cham, loaded with fresh veggie puree.
One important thing to note about this technique is that the worms become very juicy and may be more prone to "squirting" when the cham chomps down. *I've been squirted in the face.
LOL!! Ok, I'm not laughing at you, but I'm laughing with you on this one.... I gave chief a fat hornworm yesterday and he chomped down and nasty juice got all over the place, including my face!! Oh yuck. Haha
Psychobunny
Avid Member
Besides their mulberry chow, I have not had any luck getting silkies to eat anything else except Romain.
I also noticed that I can delay their growth by regulating the amount of food I give them. Once they are the perfect size for feeding to my chams, I feed them less, and they stay that size much longer.
I have over 100 little ones, most are 1/4'', and I have to put them directly on top of the food, because they will not find it otherwise.
I am going to try one more time to raise these guyz, my past luck has been hit and miss (mostly miss!!).
But if I can just get the hang of it, I could save a lot of $$$$
So I just keep trying
I also noticed that I can delay their growth by regulating the amount of food I give them. Once they are the perfect size for feeding to my chams, I feed them less, and they stay that size much longer.
I have over 100 little ones, most are 1/4'', and I have to put them directly on top of the food, because they will not find it otherwise.
I am going to try one more time to raise these guyz, my past luck has been hit and miss (mostly miss!!).
But if I can just get the hang of it, I could save a lot of $$$$
So I just keep trying
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