How much is too much?

[rabernet]

I read on our care sheet - 2-3 crickets 3-4 days a week. Well, I haven't quite gotten the touch of this cricket keeper where they are in the tubes and you tap out the desired amount yet.

She ate 3 crickets this morning and 4 this evening. She hasn't touched her mealies. I know that was probably way too many crickets, so when should I offer more? Tuesday? And if she doesn't eat the mealies (not sure she's checked out the dish they are in yet), should she be fed crickets each day? How many if it's daily?

I don't know when the last time she ate was, I forgot to ask, but judging by the way she went after the crickets, she was pretty hungry.

Also, should the crickets be dusted in the Leo Dust each time? The crickets are being fed Fluker's Cricket Feed, and for water - Fluker's Calcium Fortified Cricket Quencher.

[SatanicIntention]

Since she lost her tail, and is a growing baby, I'd let her have what she wants to eat, within reason Glad she's eating great for you!

[rabernet]

Since she lost her tail, and is a growing baby, I'd let her have what she wants to eat, within reason Glad she's eating great for you!

Thanks Becky - that was basically the gist of my question - do I just let her eat as many crickets as she wants to eat in one sitting? Or can you over-feed them?

[mlededee]

she needs some fattening up so she can have as many crickets as she will eat in about 15 minutes time. she probably is hungrier than normal right now. you can dust the crickets every time with the leo dust if you feed them less than 3 times per week, every other time or so if you feed them more.

you might need to show her the mealworm dish. since she is so small she may just not know they are there, not really being able to see them without climbing into the dish. prop her up on it and drop in a few worms so she can get a good view of them crawling around in there. sometimes with hatchlings i have had to drop a mealworm on the floor of the enclosure in front of the leo to get them eating the mealworms. i'll drop in about 4 or so, one at a time, waiting until the first one is eaten before dropping in another. i usually only have to do this a few times before they figure out that they are yummy and that they can just go to their dish and get them for themselves.

for now i'd give her crickets every other day and try getting her to eat mealworms on the in between days. once you know she is eating the mealworms you can scale back on the crickets.

[rabernet]

Very good - I did try to show her the mealies in her dish, but she was too freaked by this woman who was getting shed off her feet yesterday, that she dashed off. Tried to put some on the ground in front of her, but she dashed off again, and they crawled off where she couldn't see them, so I put them back in her dish again. Crickets definitely catch her attention and makes her forget I'm standing there! LOL

Oh, and is the Fluker's food and thirst quencher good to feed the crickets?

[mlededee]

ha, well right now you are pretty scary!

the flukers stuff is good.

[rabernet]

ha, well right now you are pretty scary!

the flukers stuff is good.

OK, I had an idea! LOL - she ran into her humid hide, which is just paper towel. Just enough of a lip a mealie can't get out. Put one in with her and she ate it. Tried a second, and she didn't, so put it back in its dish - hopefully she'll explore more tonight and find them on her own! LOL

[mlededee]

good deal. she's probably not terribly hungry at the moment since she ate a bunch of crickets, so she just wanted a little snack.