What do YOU feed your roaches?

[sixstring]

There are lots of post on the internet, and on this forum about the best foods to feed feeder roaches. I feed mine vegies like green/red leaf lettuce, green peppers, sometimes a little spinag, apples, bannana's, and cat/dog food (which is in there at all time. I keep turks and dubia's. How about you?

 

[Julio]

fish foods and different types of fruit

 

[pssh]

Homemade higher protein roach chow that is good for gutloading as well. And fresh veggies (over 15 kinds, but not all at once.)

Cat/dog/fish food is no good in my opinion. You have to take the food away, wait 3 or so months while they are feeding on gutload, and then they have less protein in them. It's better for your lizards.

 

[sixstring]

Homemade higher protein roach chow that is good for gutloading as well. And fresh veggies (over 15 kinds, but not all at once.)

Cat/dog/fish food is no good in my opinion. You have to take the food away, wait 3 or so months while they are feeding on gutload, and then they have less protein in them. It's better for your lizards.

Really? What recipe do you use for the chow? And I am assuming its available at all times

 

[sandrachameleon]

I use kelp powder, carrot, squash, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, dandelion leaves, melon, romaine, oranges, spirulina, ... essentially the same things I use to gutload crickets.

I would suggest NOT using much dog food, cat food, or fish food. I would also limit the banana and spinnach.

Dog, cat and fish foods can have high amounts of animal protein and fat, and usually contain pre-formed vitamin A and vitamin D. All of these things should be limited or controlled. Banana has four times as much phosphorus as calcium (the opposite of what you should aim for). Spinnach contains high amounts of goitrogens and oxalic acid.

You might find these links helpful:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/05JunDescamps.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/367-gutload-recipe-october-2010.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/gutloading-recipes-1803/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/nutritional-information/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...sphorus-ratios-common-good-gutload-foods.html

 

[Vegas Chad]

I feed them roach food.

 

[Ace]

I feed them roach food.

does the occassional cricket crack work or no?

i fed my dubias only veggies and some orange slices, but didnt think of adding the crix crack for my dubias as well, since i keep crix and dubias

 

[sixstring]

I use kelp powder, carrot, squash, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, dandelion leaves, melon, romaine, oranges ... essentially the same things I use to gutload crickets.

I would suggest NOT using much dog food, cat food, or fish food. I would also limit the banana and spinnach.

Dog, cat and fish foods can have high amounts of animal protein and fat, and usually contain pre-formed vitamin A and vitamin D. All of these things should be limited or controlled. Banana has four times as much phosphorus as calcium (the opposite of what you should aim for). Spinnach contains high amounts of goitrogens and oxalic acid.

Thank you for the suggestion. sounds like you really know what your talking about! Do you mix all these foods together and keep it in the fridge or feed them separately?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do you mix all these foods together and keep it in the fridge or feed them separately?

Vegetables can quickly loose vitamin potency if left in the fridge for days. So for the fruits and vegetables, I provide them fresh as possible. I usually give them one type of thing each day, and I like to switch up what I offer every day, thus providing a variety of nutrients to the roaches and thus to the chameleons. But some people do mix a "salsa" of various veggies and fruit and freeze in cubes.

For the "dry" stuff, I do premix a batch every couple months. The recipie changes a bit each time.

 

[sandrachameleon]

does the occassional cricket crack work or no?
i fed my dubias only veggies and some orange slices, but didnt think of adding the crix crack for my dubias as well, since i keep crix and dubias

I've read many people say they give cricket crack to their roaches. I bet it couldnt hurt to add to the mix

 

[Vegas Chad]

does the occassional cricket crack work or no?

i fed my dubias only veggies and some orange slices, but didnt think of adding the crix crack for my dubias as well, since i keep crix and dubias

Sure... I usually seperate a weeks worth of 'feed' roaches out of my breeding tubs 1 time a week. These roaches I feed crix crack too.

 

[sixstring]

I think I might have to give that a try. The roaches have kind of become my pets too, and are a medium to my chams. Its a complicated relationship lol

 

[pssh]

Uh, I have like 40 things in my dry gutload. It's a bit much to type. If you buy a chow, a good way to add a little protein for the roaches is crushed nuts and/or soy flour.

 

[sandrachameleon]

The roaches have kind of become my pets too

me too.
some of the hissers have names

 

[sandrachameleon]

Uh, I have like 40 things in my dry gutload. It's a bit much to type. If you buy a chow, a good way to add a little protein for the roaches is crushed nuts and/or soy flour.

while I agree nuts, soy flour and grains can be part of the mix, one has to be mindful about phytic acid. Im thinking spirulina, kelp and alfalfa may be better in terms of safe protein?
I would love to see your 40 item list, if you ever feel like making note of it and sharing. I like to see what others so, compare to what I do, make adjustments to my routine and learn from others

 

[pssh]

Oh yeah sure. I just figured it would not matter much since there's so much of it in silk/horn chow.

 

[sixstring]

this is priceless information. I need to take a nutrition class next term. To be honest I don't know half of what the terms you are using really mean

 

[pssh]

This is off the top of my head, and not in order.

Brewers yeast, barley, split yellow peas, millet, rice, oats, black eyed peas, almonds, some dried fruits and veggies (yes I know about the nutrient thing,) bee pollen, spirulina, grape nuts, raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed meal, oak leaves, vitamins, Uh... I can't remember anything else.

The fruits and veggies add like 6-12 items to my list, so I'm cheating a little.

I'm pretty sure there are more beans/peas but the names are not in my brain right now. I'll figure it out.

 

[sixstring]

This is off the top of my head, and not in order.

Brewers yeast, barley, split yellow peas, millet, rice, oats, black eyed peas, almonds, some dried fruits and veggies (yes I know about the nutrient thing,) bee pollen, spirulina, grape nuts, raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed meal, oak leaves, vitamins, Uh... I can't remember anything else.

The fruits and veggies add like 6-12 items to my list, so I'm cheating a little.

I'm pretty sure there are more beans/peas but the names are not in my brain right now. I'll figure it out.

Is there a certain amount of the different ingredients you put together (a cup x, teaspoon y, ect.) or do you kind of toss "the bag" in and call it good?

 

[pssh]

I don't measure exactly, but I have a general idea of ratios and what not. I just eye it (I'm actually very good at that kind of stuff.)