Poll for that nutrition Q...

I use a mixture of Bran and Flukers Calcium cricket feed. With a carrot for moisture.

Originally Posted by g&mgeckos

I am with Wendy on this one, Cody as a great gut load. I have notice a huge difference in my geckos since swicthing over.

Glenn, you and Wendy's real life experience here with healthier geckos is invaluable; I will post pix of the gecko you are helping the minute she arrives
I'm ordering that stuff ASAP (read: NOW)

Originally Posted by A_Kendergirl

I also use Pro Gutload. That is some super stuff! The main ingredient is corn, yet my geckos are all healthier now then they were when I was using a homemade corn-free gutload.

This is odd to me with the corn being a major ingredient and all; the makers must use some special ingredient...I wonder if it is bee pollen? I am buying this gutload, and I do have pure bee pollen already on its way already from cricketfood for my chameleons' feeder gutload...Yvonne's great gecko experiment is ON!

Originally Posted by tanias16

I keep mine in rolled oats with some gutload mixed in. I also have a small tinfoil dish in the container that I put veggies in. I usually grab the worms that have been eating when its feeding time. It has worked great for me.

Yes, I have heard that keeping the hydrating stuff separate from their litter instead of pushing it into their dry litter is helpful in terms of stopping red mites. I've even heard of a "mite trap" you can make if you already have mite problems in your worm colonies.

Originally Posted by mmfrankford

I use a mixture of Bran and Flukers Calcium cricket feed. With a carrot for moisture.

Carrots are high in a lot of good things, but I'm leery of calcium supplementation for inverts...I think I saw it somewhere it's not good for them or something, but maybe that just applies to roaches.

Most cricket growers use corn-based feed such as chicken mash, and there is not a real problem unless it is allowed to get wet. Non-human grade corn products are made from crops that are sub-standard and/or have suffered from blight... a fungal infestation that comes from too much moisture in the ears of corn caused by weather or leaky holding silos.

When these corn products are used in animal feeds and are allowed to become wet and moldy, they produce mycotoxins, (or aflatoxins), more specifically Aspergillus flavus which is very poisonous. The feeder insects can consume large quantities of this toxin with no ill affects, but when the animals that eat those poison-laden crickets continually over time these toxins can build up in their bodies and eventually cause death.

Dry dog food, cat food, and ferret food are made from these corn products, as well as unpasteurized meat by-products that can become rancid and cause bacterial growth. Do not use these products as gut-load to feed your crickets and mealworms. Stick with human grade corn and other grain products, and keep them dry.

Wicked information and advice from Marcia! Thank you so much!

Oh, WOW Marcia...I had no idea. How scary; I've heard this and that about wet gutload, but nobody has said excatly WHY like you just did. You sure do know your stuff.

Your post actually incited me to go upstairs to make sure that my roach bin foods were dry (they were, but it didn't hurt to check) THANK YOU!

Thanks Marcia! Was it you that posted about the meat products or fats in the dog/cat food being bad for Leos also?

Originally Posted by groovygeckos

Was it you that posted about the meat products or fats in the dog/cat food being bad for Leos also?

Yes, it was me.

Originally Posted by Golden Gate Geckos

Dry dog food, cat food, and ferret food are made from these corn products, as well as unpasteurized meat by-products that can become rancid and cause bacterial growth.