how many?

[labomb]

I know I've asked this question before, but never really got an answer. How many crickets is normal for a young veiled to eat in a day? my guy sometimes has a bottomless pit for a stomach. I was told to feed him a dozen a day when I got him, but he easily consumes 20 or more a day. I start with the 12 in the morning and throw some more in the evening and sometimes more during the day. like today, he seems restless and hunting so I have thrown crickets in a couple extra times already. he always goes right after them. i have caught him trying to eat the fake plants and i think he even tried eating paper towel off the bottom, so i take this as a sign that he is hungry. he is growing healthy looking and pooping ok. will he overeat if I give him too many, or will he know when he has had enough? the crickets are about the size of the width of his head, so should be right size.

[Brock]

Sounds like a good system. You can also start putting a dish of half a dozen or a dozen small mealworms in there for him to turn to when the hunger strikes, that will also fatten him up a bit.

As long as you're dusting regulary, your method should work. The rule of thumb is to give them as much as they'll eat at a feeding once a day until about 6 months, then about 15-20 a day until a year, then they'll only eat about 12 a day on their own, along with a pinky mouse once or twice a month.

-Brock

[labomb]

a pinky mouse? really? I hadn't heard that before. I have hard enough time watching the crickets run frantically

[galad]

Yes, I have also heard pinkies are great for gravid chams packed full of calcium , as long as they are big enough to take them of course.
But what I want to know is how do you intise your cham into eating something that doesnt move?. As I assume we are feeding frozen thawed.
I've also read that it is better to thaw frozen meals in warm water rather then a micro wave. Something to do with the micro wave not heating it evenly.

[Diverdude1234]

also microwave ovens have a tendency to make some mice explode (water in the guts turning to steem or somthing), its happend to me

[Collide]

If i were to feed a pinky id just feed it alive, not like a pinky mouse has huge fangs, and your cham will do a good job of killing it, I wouldent suggest feeding them regularally though.

[peterm15]

i wouldnt suggest it at all unless you think he isnt getting enough calcium.. thats just out dated info.. great for gravid females.. but really i feed mine about 15 every other day and hes prob over a year by about 2 mnths.. he usually leaves about 4 till later on or the next morn ( i cup feed) but 15 a day your gonna end up with a fatty.. and that may cause many probs.. .. ok now i cant find it but on one of the forums theres an article about improper feeding of herps... it tells you the harmit can cause.. imo feeding to much is as bad as underfeeding.. if he seems to be loosing weight give him more if hes gaining give him less.. thats about it..

[Solomon]

If your cham is used to handfeeding - then feeding f/t pinkies isn't difficult at all. I've got an old female veiled that loves em' - though I only feed her one every few months.

I would have to agree with the feeding regimen Brock suggested.

[labomb]

ok, well he looks a little fat the last couple days, that was my concern was whether or not they could eat too much. I will cut back a bit but feed twice a day since he seems hungry in the evening.