getting babies to eat

I have had 7 babies to hatch this year but I am having trouble getting them to eat I have lost 3I have tried small mealies and small cricket maybe some one can give me a run down on proper setup for babies and help getting them to eat.

Brian

First tell us what your setup is, then maybe we can point out where the problems is and give you some pointers.

What are you keeping them in?
What are the substrates?
Temps?
Hides?
How many hatchlings to each setup?
How soon are you trying to feed them after hatching?

I have them in sweater boxes with paper towels as sub. I have two hides one with damp moss and one plain. The temps are about 84 degrees and I try and feed starting about the 4th day I have 2 per container.

I would move them to smaller tubs, 6qrt size is good for hatchlings, two are fine for a few weeks or so, in that size.

I use 6qrt, for two hatchlings, lined with two paper towels that are are folded in half and complete misted and kept moist for the first few weeks. This helps with getting them off too a great start on shedding. I use 1 deli cup upside down with a hole cut in the side for a hide at first. Warm side kept at 89-90. After you see that they have shed, a good sign is the green poop, then I feed them a few small crix, not too many as they can be a little frightened at first. I check back in about 30 min to see if they ate them, if not I remove them, and try again the next night. If they did eat them, I will add a few more, and check back. Some will eat as soon as you add the crix, some won't eat while you are watchling that's why I leave them in for a bit.

After a couple of weeks I will separate clutchmates, still keeping them in the 6qrt size. As they grow a bit, I'll change the hides to a right side up deli cup with a hole in the lid, still using paper towels as substrate. At this time I change them over to small supers and crix.

I hope this helps.

your temps are too low. I have my racks set at 90 on the warm side of there bins. sweater boxes for hatchlings is way too big, you could put in a divider. Low temps and a big scary sweater box I can see why they are not eating for you. as for hides I cut down empty yogurt cups they work well for hatchlings but they out grow them very fast. I think I'd hold off on the moss until they are older.