How to prevent MBD in Hatchlings?

Originally Posted by Cat_72

Uh, I'm not a "cham person", but I DO know you have to be very careful to get NON-MEDICATED chick starter if that's what you feed your crickets....the majority of the chick starter/grower feeds are medicated.

Just my quick $.02 ....

I really do appreciate your comment and I will never use it again ! I was not aware that they medicate this product.

Originally Posted by JasonDescamps

I'll add a few things to Dave's posts.

First, the liquid calcium in the water is a nice supplemental source of calcium but in most cases the actual intake of calcium will be pretty low. You can indeed dust pinheads if you use a finely ground supplement like Rep-Cal in the pink jar. The added D3 in the Rep-Cal will also help with calcium absorbtion and utilization.

Carrots, potato, and chick starter is what cricket suppliers use when mass rearing crickets. It is not a gutload on any level. Try using a quality gutload product like the ones found at www.wildeyereptiles.com or www.cricketfood.com or the DIY mix at www.adcham.com. Dark leafy greens such as romaine, collard and mustard greens are a great source of extra calcium, vitamins and minerals and should absolutely be a part of any gutloading regime.

Jason, thanks for replying

So using the liquid calicium would be a waste of time to use? If I am hearing you correctly.

Also I will look into geting a finer calcium supplement, although I do have Miner-all, would that be sufficient? I use that on my older chams.

Also, I wanted to say that, when I asked my cricket supplier about gutloading with dark leafy greens I was told that it was best not to use them because it gave the crickets diarrea. But since I know you are experienced with Chams alot more then I am I will start using that as a supplement for gutloading.

Originally Posted by Chamco

Shari,
Try Citrical powder. So far, results with calcium citrate are better than with some of the commercial calcium dusts. You can also buy calcium citrate on-line. Its pricier than calcium carbonate products, but also finer ground. I think Ronnie at Cricketfood can hook you up with all. Also, using chicken mash, especially that designed for "chicks" is a giant no-no. Medicated is to put it mildly, as many contain growth hormones (not on label) that go right through your crickets and into your chameleons. And they work, except that the downside of having some chameleons reach adult size in four months (no joke), they will have enormous bone problems. I did this to about 200 chameleons once, and I know. Switch to the gutloads recommended. Also, you can feed larger crickets than what is pictured, fully up to a length equal to the distance across the top of the head of the chameleons, or roughly twice the size of the crickets pictured. Insect feeders that you cannot gutload are of little value, especially fruit flies. If ever you get into raising mealworms, they and crickets are plenty. Good luck!

Thanks for the info about Calcium carbonate products, I will check into that as well.

As for the chick mesh, like I said I will never use that again ! Also, I already do breed mealworms and I have been feeding the babies small mealworms.

I just wanted to appologize to everyone for not responding sooner, I usually get an email with your response, but I didnt for some reason.

I really do appreciate all of the input that I received from you guys. This is my first time having baby chams. I had 54 babies total and 100% hatch rate, although it took a month for all of them to hatch. I did loose some, about 10, due to lack of food and my stupidity. I forgot to order the week of thanksgiving and it took longer then usual to get their much needed food.

I have noticed that the MBD i noticed have subsided and is only visable to a very minimal.

I will be trying my hand at breeding again this season, my male has already been very eager to get with my female, as the first time I put them together it took him less then 2 minutes to mate with her. I left him in there with her for like two days and she gave him a nice nip on his tail and foot overnight, so I have put him back in his own cage again.

I have one question, once the female lays eggs, is it recommended to put the male with the female again to breed that way the next batch of eggs are fertile? Because last year I didnt and all the other clutches she laid were not fertile.

Thanks again.