Adding Vitamins to Cricket Food???

[nellie]

I thought I read somewhere that if you add vitamin powder to cricket food, it is better than " shakin' & bakin' ". The reason was that if the reptile didn't eat them right away, the powder comes off.
Did I read that here? If so, can someone send me that post? It was very interesting.
Does anyone have any insight on this subject???

PS I finally convinced my husband that we HAD to buy 2 leopard geckos this weekend and the show in Columbus, OH!!!!!!!!

[Trace]

Hello Nellie!

I "gut load" all my feeder insects before I give them to my Chameleons. I use carrots, collards, fish flakes, oatmeal... basically any nutritious foods in my fridge at the time. I use a little of those commercial insect foods as well. I figure if you start with healthy bugs, you will have healthy lizards. Sometimes I think I spend more time feeding my bugs, then I do feeding my animals! LOL

That being said, I will still shake and bake my crickets with calcium/vitamin mix once a week to ensure my chams are getting the proper nourishment.

I'm not sure as to the "dusting" regime for leos, perhaps others can give you insight on how often to do this for those guys.

Congrats on the upcoming new arrivals! :D

Trace

[Scotty Allen]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM, "Fish Flakes". Are they better than Raisin Bran?

[nellie]

So, no one has read anything about adding reptile vitamins to the veges, fish flakes, etc, etc?????
Does any one think this would be Harmful? Beneficial?

[Linds]

Vitamin supplements aren't necessary if your feeder insects are gutloaded prior to feeding. Calcium/d3 supplements however are necessary regardless. Sometimes I make my crickets a "mash" using a variety of grains and mix in vitamin powder. I do not know how beneficial, if at all, this is. I don't know how much of it the crickets can absorb, or how much the my leos and frog get out of the entire deal. It can't hurt, but I'm not sure if it helps all that much either.