To Grind or Not to Grind- Powdered vs Pelleted Food Debate

I usually get the huge bags of game fish food; much cheaper and it lasts a long time. Some foods they just don't like; you know something is bad when roaches won't touch it.

I used to offer this one kind of parrot food. One feeding day I added some to my E. distanti's food, then checked on them a week later. They ate everything (including most of the styrofoam cup I put the food in) but did not touch the parrot food. Obviously, something is just not right if roaches won't touch something. :P

 
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cindy said:
Thank you for replying on it Kyle.. The Feeder Food issue has always been of interest to me. I read this link that was from above in this post http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/feeders-food-nutrition/49403-feeder-insect-diets-gutload.html And found that the mix for Cricket/roach just seems odd to me, using all flour and some yeast. Sounds good for the bugs, but what about the animals you are feeding the bugs too? And their feeder mix.. to feed 24 hours before, with the paprika as added beta carotene just seems weird, since Paprika is technically a nut.. and nuts are bad for bugs! I dehydrate carrots for added BC.

I just don't know. I don't mind putting in extra effort and time with the food for the bugs. Actually, I enjoy it! :) So to go to great lengths to make something with proper nutrition and all that good stuff, is fine with me. Maybe I am over analyzing the entire thing, and AM doing more than I need to. I just wish there was a happy medium.. here.. use this.. this and this.. and you got the best food for feeders and for the animals you feed them too.
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you have to remember that is the gut load it's not made for the roaches it made so when the roaches get eaten the reptiles get that nutrition. also in the stuff i use i substitute the paprika (ground pepper actually)with powdered spirulina, i also actually mix in some bee pollen, powdered alfalfa and some crested gecko diet (ether Clarks or Repashy).

 
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Ozymandias said:
you have to remember that is the gut load it's not made for the roaches it made so when the roaches get eaten the reptiles get that nutrition. also in the stuff i use i substitute the paprika (ground pepper actually)with powdered spirulina, i also actually mix in some bee pollen, powdered alfalfa and some crested gecko diet (ether Clarks or Repashy).
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VERY true! I have heard of several people using bee pollen! That is good for people too. I also like to use the gecko diet (altho expensive!) and they seem to really like that stuff. I REALLY appreciate everyone's input on this subject! Thank you!

I always thought Paprika was made from a nut!!! Super interesting! After I read the Wikipedia, I realized I was thinking of nutmeg! Which (duh) is most certainly a nut! :rolleyes:

 
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no problem spiruluna and bee pollen are supposed to be some of those supper food/nutritional supplements, which might be another reason that roaches are found in bee hives some times. i know for a fact that honey by it's self will stay good for a really long time, thay have found honey in Egyptian that is reportedly still good so there might be something to that.

 
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I had just finished reading the article of Allen Repashy. Thanks to Cindy for sharing it with us.

The main concern that he had was the impact it had on their reptiles because of the accumulated uric acid that leads to gout.

I don't know if this would also affect arachnids since I keep tarantulas and scorpion. Excess calcium is one of their health problems that I know of.

The chicken pellets I have shows an 18% crude protein.

According to him, 15% and lower is the recommended level for our roaches.

So far, I noticed that my B. Dubias are alright and only has a few adult mortality.

I also give them fruits (banana,papaya,guava) together with the pellets.

I don't know maybe there are also a lot of other factors to consider too.

It is a very interesting research that they have done by the way.

 
I like to grind cat food for my roaches, mix with ground cereal, baby food,brewer's yeast and chick feed. Cat food is high in protein but when mix with other food you get lower % of protein. I don't buy cheap cat food anymore, I get those with special blend of grains, fruits. Just found out last cat food I bought was different. I give them apple or oranges, sometimes green vegetables.

 
Would like to make a note that I have observed urital pellets in my colony of Paratemnopteryx couloniana. Whether this means I'm overdoing it on the protein or the roaches are healthy and do this normally has yet to be determined.

 
Zephyr said:
Would like to make a note that I have observed urital pellets in my colony of Paratemnopteryx couloniana. Whether this means I'm overdoing it on the protein or the roaches are healthy and do this normally has yet to be determined.
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Interesting! so where do you go from that observation then??

 
I would be interested why nuts are bad for "bugs". I feed a powder mix of grains and soy flour daily along with a weekly wet mix of fruits and vegies.

 
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