Poll for that nutrition Q...

[A_Kendergirl]

Go Marcia! Go Marcia! Show your brain power!

I didn't know that about the lower grade corn. Thanks for the info.

 

[critical bill]

This thread could actually be a benefit to Wendy Collins Griffin who drop ships feeders from an unnamed source. It seems Wendy doesn't understand why I want to know where she gets her feeders from. She is more inclined to believe I wish to know such information to cut her out of commissions.

What Marcia posted is the exact reason why I want to know where anything that goes into my animals are coming from.

 

[critical bill]

NOt on the poll but I use Progeckos gutload

Great..for you...but tell me what does your supplier use as a gutload? Thats where my feeders are coming from and thats why I wanted to know before placing an order with you. I'm sure you know this right off hand being considered for the national sales rep position. Aint that so?

 

[Southwick Herps]

Cody's gutload looks great... But, I don't know if it's what Im going to use. You all see a difference in your animals weights because its full of carbohydrates... The pictures he gave as an example, especially the last one didn't help convince me either. That last male picture, where he has info about his gutload just looks like a very obese specimen. In the race to pump up the geckos, everyone has found minimum breeding weights. Has anyone found the maximum? There must be a line between healthy, and obese...

 

[YJHB]

Well, I am going to take the moderate approach and feed 1/3 Cody's mealie gutload along with 1/3 of Reptayl's roach and 1/3 of Cricketfood's roach (both corn free) gutloads and see how that goes. I don't know enough and I don't have enough geckos to experiment. The only thing I DO know is that my panther chams will not get any of Cody's gutload because I don't know how they'll respond to the corn in there.

Well, it looks like my nephew is going to name her Lilly...he needs to come over here now and take a look

 

[A_Kendergirl]

A lot of the body build has to do with the genetics of the animal in question. I'll give you some examples from my own collection. All are 100% healthy, have had the exact same care, all feed with insects gutloaded with Pro Gutload. They all come from different breeders. Bare with me here...

Ozzy has been in my care for the past two months. In that time, he consistently eats AT MOST 1 superworm every week or two. He is the fattest gecko I have, and I would venture to say perhaps a little too fat. He looks like a stuffed sausage, to the point he has nearly no neck. Yet, he barely eats. He doesn't gain weight, and he doesn't lose it. He eats as much as he wants, when he wants - and I believe he is genetically predisposed to be his size. This guy is a tank, and could go MONTHS without eating and have little effects (not that I would do that). BTW - he's not a giant.

Lost has been with me for nearly 4 months. When I got her, she was just 6g - and now she's 42g. She eat like it's going out of style - she'll devour up to 20 mealworms in a sitting. She has the strongest feeding responce of all of my gecko - she's even attempted to eat me during feeding time (the rest of the time she's as sweet as can be). She's pretty plump, but I wouldn't say she's overly fat. Because she's still pretty young, she will probably grow much larger over the next few months.

Brimstone is a lanky fellow. He's always been lanky - and he may always be lanky. He's been in my hands for the last 3 months, and has gone from 34g to 48g. Like all the others, he eats as much as he wants, when he wants. He's a picky eater, and will eat a worm here and a worm there - averaging about 10 mealworms a day (spread over the full day). In that time he's grown several inches in length. Somehow, he is about the same length as Lost, weighs 6g more than her, and he is much thinner than she is. The only thing I can see accounting for this is genetics. He's just a skinny guy. I do think once he stops growing in length he will fatten up a bit. I don't think he's too thin, but hes close to the border.

My lengths are as close of an estimate as I can get - ever try to measure a gecko? LOL

My point being - In my opinion the gutload helps them reach their full size potential, but the genetics play a strong role in how plump they become.

 

[Supahypegex]

everyone has there own opinions on gutloads I know I tried more then a few recipes.
untill I find something better or read about something better Here i'm going to keep using Mixed Grain Cereal for Baby, oatmeal and Bran I put it in a blender untill its real fine.
I also use the same mix for breeding mealworms.

 

[YJHB]

Genes do play a huge role in practically everything...a sensible, fact based argument there...

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I have used Cody's Pro-Gutload, and my feeders ate it up pretty fast! Corn-based feeds should not be a problem if they are changed regularly and not allowed to get wet. Personally, I make my own gutload because I also like to know exactly what my feeders are eating:

(from the bins at Whole Foods, all human grade)
- bulk 9-grain cereal containing: milled wheat, rye, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), oats, oat bran, corn grits, barley, brown rice, millet, flax seeds)
- Malt-O-Meal cereal
- wheat germ

add no more than 5%:
(from pet supply companies)
- Vionate (corn-based vitamin supplement)

feed freely:
(fresh produce)
- collard greens
- pumpkin and/or squash
- sweet potatoes

*Note: Soybeans are high in phytic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds. It's a substance that can block the uptake of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc - in the intestinal tract.

 

[KelliH]

My worms get oat bran with a small amount of Vionate mixed in, carrots, kale, apples, oranges.

My crickets are fed a high quality cricket gut load, kale and carrots.

 

[DontShootMe]

PRO GECKOS!!!!! love that stuff it's like juicing up the meal worms with coke then feeding them to your geckos!

 

[bro paul]

I've been real pleased with Cody's gutload also...