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Post by silverphoenix69 on Apr 16, 2009 19:00:50 GMT -5
Hello everyone. Its been a while since I've been here. I have some questions on feeding bugs... I can't switch my kids right now to raw. I'd love to but I'm to stressed (and Laura and Drake will take a long time to switch) and Bandit and Drake haven't been in the best health lately (I just found out what was wrong with Bandit *sigh*). As well as Gloria and Bandit's adrenal has come back. Switching them is just to hard right now. I have put them on only Evo and Evo meaty bites. I may add Evo ferret into the mix as well, but I don't no. Anyways I just got a lizard (a Rescue/Adoption) and he eats mealworms as well as crickets. If my kids are not eating a raw diet, can I still feed them meal worms? I just fed one to Laura (!!!!) and she actually ate it (she doesn't touch raw period). How many can I feed a day per ferret? How do you feed crickets with out them getting a way? Is there any chance of the meal worms/crickets/other bugs hurting my kids, either with biting them or if they swallow them whole? Anything I should no with them eating bugs? Oh! And Bandit and Gloria will eat a mouse together and I do like feeding them mice. But if its the only raw food they get, should I be keeping Kibble (ick) away from them all for 3 hours before and after still? Or is it ok to feed them the mouse once in a while and still have food available for them, as Laura and Drake wont touch them? Thanks!
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Post by Kerit on Apr 16, 2009 20:57:36 GMT -5
I don't think there's any potential harm from feeding the usual insects. Mine get mealworms or superworms in a deep dish, and I hang around to make sure nothing gets dropped and runs away before it can be eaten. For crickets, the bathtub has worked best for me. There's a lot of slipping and sliding, so I end up catching crickets with the tongs and feeding them to the ferts one by one. The bathtub is just to minimize escapees.
I give mine five or six worms apiece maybe every week. I treat them like a snack, not a whole meal. Five or six is all mine seem interested in eating at one time, and with the number of lizards we have it gets kinda pricey anyway.
Opinions seem to differ on feeding raw with kibble. I've noticed that company websites say it's totally fine (Nature's Variety), but it's also been pointed out that raw and kibble move through the digestive system at different rates, and kibble might slow down the raw food that's meant to be more quickly processed. Totally my opinion, but if I end up giving kibble, I try to make it as far before and after a raw meal as I can, just to be safe.
Feeding worms at the same time as kibble doesn't sound like an issue to me, but I'm willing to hear what anybody else says about it!
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Post by harrisi on Apr 17, 2009 12:16:40 GMT -5
I would feed 2-4 per day maximum per ferret with meal worms, depending on the size. Put the crix in a tub in the fridge for about 10 minutes before feeding to slow them down a bit, then feed in a bin or in a bath tub to minimize escapees (the unfortunate part to crix is they can climb smooth surfaces..hense I prefer dubia roaches, they are also easier and cheaper to breed and write out all the downsides crickets have and can be fed to most insectivorous lizards (I am guessing by the diet listed that the lizard is either a gecko or a bearded dragon?) as a staple ). You can also do that for "hunting illiterate" bearded dragons hehe . My ferts used to get insects with kibble...no problemo!!
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Post by bindiferret89 on Jun 7, 2009 23:05:45 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this silverphoenix! I was wondering some of the same things as well! Is it okay to feed ferrets dead insects that are commercially sold for reptiles, such as Zoo Med's "Can O'..." foods or the Fluker's freeze dried insects? I only ask 'cause I'm curious now if my girls would eat mealworms and I happen to have a can of freeze dried ones upstairs. If not, I can get some at the pet store tomorrow. Examples of dry & canned insect foods on this page: lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/canned-food-and-diets/lizard-monitor-and-gecko-dry-and-canned-foods/
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Post by harrisi on Jun 8, 2009 7:41:45 GMT -5
The Can 'o' brands are ok but hold little-to-no nutritional value.
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Post by suds on Jun 8, 2009 18:05:28 GMT -5
The best place to feed crickets is the bath tub or a very deep plastic tub . its great enrichment for them to chase them around and kill them . just keep an eye out for escapie's it happens once in a while Mine kill them so fast now its over in before any cricket can escape now lol. If they like water you an fill the tub with a inch or 2 of water and put the live crickets in that they cant jump and will have a harder time escape but still swim and makes a great splash for the ferrets to chase and snorkle for them. Meal worms and cricket make great occasional snacks once or twice per month . As per the mice as long as you know its fresh and dont have any parrasites then there is know need to take the kibble away unless you just want to make sure they are hungry . as always if in doubt the proper time to keep kibble away is at least 4 hrs but with live healthy prey there really is no need to take the kibble away . dont some canned insects for reptiles have vitamians and stuff for mites sprinkled on them? That would be the only concern I would have and the fact that there probly is very little to no nutrician value I would stay clear of it .
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Post by sherrylynne on Jun 9, 2009 18:29:15 GMT -5
Actually, I got the canned ones for mine. They were just plain canned crickets, nothing added at all. The only reason I got canned is that hubby told me absolutely no live bugs in the house
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