Gut loading and feeding crickets

[Spotty the Leopard Gecko]

I was wondering what are good gut loading foods for crickets. Right now for the crickets regular diet I use carrots and apples, and I'm going to get collard greens and some adult Zoo Med Bearded Dragon food very soon. As for the Gut loading food, I used Fluker's high calcium gel and powder, and I did some more research and saw that it contained too much calcium to be a regular gut load, and now I don't know what would be a good gut load for them. I'd prefer to make my own gut load but I can't use this recipe http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...rition/49403-feeder-insect-diets-gutload.html as I can't find Brewer's yeast or soy flour anywhere. SO are there any other homemade gut loading recipes. Thank you.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Buy this one:


Does Fred Meyer's carry Brewer's yeast? They also carry many things in bulk.

Some people use "gut load" for the diet that fills the feeders', then the geckos', guts 24/7. Other people reserve that term for a special "very high calcium diet" (Mazuri Diet Hi-Ca Gut Loading formula) that insects consume 24-48 hours prior to feeding them off.

Research has shown that Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet did not make much difference with calcium.

I feed my bugs that adult beardie food 24/7 and sometimes high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, and turnip greens, and pesticide-free dandelion flowers and greens.

• For 148 click: Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......Olimpia -- August 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Lettuce (except dark, leafy greens) is just water and nutritionally irrelevant. People don't even give lettuce to tortoises and iguanas because it's worthless as food. The same could be said for potatoes. Fish flakes are very high in protein and this can lead to a build-up of uric acid in feeders/reptiles and end up causing gout. A little now and then is fine but this should never be the bulk of any gutload.

"A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."

------>"As far as how to keep crickets, a large plastic storage container will work well, but really anything with smooth sides. On a large plastic container you can cut out a panel on two sides and glue on aluminum screening (and do the same on the lid) and this will provide plenty of air flow. Bad air is the #1 killer of crickets, along with poor hydration, so having good airflow will make the difference if you start getting into bulk orders of crickets.

------>"And I just dust mine using a large plastic cup. You don't need to coat crickets in a thick layer of calcium. Just put a pinch of calcium into the cup, get some crickets into the cup, swirl, and dump. The crickets end up evenly but lightly coated and there isn't any excess calcium left over."

"Hope that helps!"

(Last edited by Olimpia; 08-21-2013 at 02:03 PM.)

 

[Spotty the Leopard Gecko]

Buy this one:
View attachment 45495

Does Fred Meyer's carry Brewer's yeast? They also carry many things in bulk.

Some people use "gut load" for the diet that fills the feeders', then the geckos', guts 24/7. Other people reserve that term for a special "very high calcium diet" (Mazuri Diet Hi-Ca Gut Loading formula) that insects consume 24-48 hours prior to feeding them off.

Research has shown that Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet did not make much difference with calcium.

I feed my bugs that adult beardie food 24/7 and sometimes high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, and turnip greens, and pesticide-free dandelion flowers and greens.

• For 148 click: Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......Olimpia -- August 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Lettuce (except dark, leafy greens) is just water and nutritionally irrelevant. People don't even give lettuce to tortoises and iguanas because it's worthless as food. The same could be said for potatoes. Fish flakes are very high in protein and this can lead to a build-up of uric acid in feeders/reptiles and end up causing gout. A little now and then is fine but this should never be the bulk of any gutload.

"A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.



------>"As far as how to keep crickets, a large plastic storage container will work well, but really anything with smooth sides. On a large plastic container you can cut out a panel on two sides and glue on aluminum screening (and do the same on the lid) and this will provide plenty of air flow. Bad air is the #1 killer of crickets, along with poor hydration, so having good airflow will make the difference if you start getting into bulk orders of crickets.

------>"And I just dust mine using a large plastic cup. You don't need to coat crickets in a thick layer of calcium. Just put a pinch of calcium into the cup, get some crickets into the cup, swirl, and dump. The crickets end up evenly but lightly coated and there isn't any excess calcium left over."

"Hope that helps!"

(Last edited by Olimpia; 08-21-2013 at 02:03 PM.)

I just got the Zoo Med Adult Bearded Dragon food and some collard greens. So should I just leave the bearded dragon food in there at all times as well as collard greens, and occasional carrots? Will this be suitable?

 

[Spotty the Leopard Gecko]

Buy this one:
View attachment 45495

Does Fred Meyer's carry Brewer's yeast? They also carry many things in bulk.

Some people use "gut load" for the diet that fills the feeders', then the geckos', guts 24/7. Other people reserve that term for a special "very high calcium diet" (Mazuri Diet Hi-Ca Gut Loading formula) that insects consume 24-48 hours prior to feeding them off.

Research has shown that Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Diet did not make much difference with calcium.

I feed my bugs that adult beardie food 24/7 and sometimes high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, and turnip greens, and pesticide-free dandelion flowers and greens.

• For 148 click: Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms......Olimpia -- August 2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Lettuce (except dark, leafy greens) is just water and nutritionally irrelevant. People don't even give lettuce to tortoises and iguanas because it's worthless as food. The same could be said for potatoes. Fish flakes are very high in protein and this can lead to a build-up of uric acid in feeders/reptiles and end up causing gout. A little now and then is fine but this should never be the bulk of any gutload.

"A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.



------>"As far as how to keep crickets, a large plastic storage container will work well, but really anything with smooth sides. On a large plastic container you can cut out a panel on two sides and glue on aluminum screening (and do the same on the lid) and this will provide plenty of air flow. Bad air is the #1 killer of crickets, along with poor hydration, so having good airflow will make the difference if you start getting into bulk orders of crickets.

------>"And I just dust mine using a large plastic cup. You don't need to coat crickets in a thick layer of calcium. Just put a pinch of calcium into the cup, get some crickets into the cup, swirl, and dump. The crickets end up evenly but lightly coated and there isn't any excess calcium left over."

"Hope that helps!"

(Last edited by Olimpia; 08-21-2013 at 02:03 PM.)

I just got the Zoo Med Adult Bearded Dragon food and some collard greens. So should I just leave the bearded dragon food in there at all times as well as collard greens, and occasional carrots? Will this be suitable?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I just got the Zoo Med Adult Bearded Dragon food and some collard greens. So should I just leave the bearded dragon food in there at all times as well as collard greens, and occasional carrots? Will this be suitable?

Finely grind the beardie food in a coffee/spice grinder first OR place some in a tough plastic bag on a firm surface and pound the food with a hammer. (I use a small Krups coffee grinder.) These pellets are too tough for crickets or dubia to eat as they come. Once the beardie food is ground or pulverized, sprinkle some on the floor of the insect container. Keep the beardie food dry so that it doesn't mold.

Chop some collards and leave in a lid or a small dish right with the insects.

Keep all foods available 24/7.

I keep egg flats vertical for the crickets. For moisture I layer 2 thicknesses of paper towels on top of the egg flats. Once daily I thoroughly moisten the paper towels under the faucet and then squeeze out excess water.

• For 112 click: Updated Cricket Guidelines II -- May 2018 update