Feeding While You Are Away

[Speckles]

In the next few months we are going to be doing a few short travels, four days each time. We have someone set up to come and care for Speckles each time we are gone. In addition to feeding, they will come in once each day, clean out feces, give fresh water, mist the humid hide and check temps. We feed crickets as our main diet for Speckles with mealworms once a week and phoenix worms a few at a time with crickets following. Our care taker isn't quite up to feeding crickets. I'm thinking of leaving her with individual "servings" of worms (with gutload) that she can just dump into the feeding dish each day. I don't want it to be mealworms for four days straight so I'm thinking of ordering some butterworms and either silk worms or hornworms.

Questions: Speckles can easily eat 15-20 3/4 inch mealworms in a sitting. Is it also okay for him to eat that many butterworms or hornworms? Is it okay for him to have worms four feedings in a row? What do you all do when you leave town? I would LOVE any and all input!

 

[Amuna1225]

In the next few months we are going to be doing a few short travels, four days each time. We have someone set up to come and care for Speckles each time we are gone. In addition to feeding, they will come in once each day, clean out feces, give fresh water, mist the humid hide and check temps. We feed crickets as our main diet for Speckles with mealworms once a week and phoenix worms a few at a time with crickets following. Our care taker isn't quite up to feeding crickets. I'm thinking of leaving her with individual "servings" of worms (with gutload) that she can just dump into the feeding dish each day. I don't want it to be mealworms for four days straight so I'm thinking of ordering some butterworms and either silk worms or hornworms.

Questions: Speckles can easily eat 15-20 3/4 inch mealworms in a sitting. Is it also okay for him to eat that many butterworms or hornworms? Is it okay for him to have worms four feedings in a row? What do you all do when you leave town? I would LOVE any and all input!

I think you'll be fine with going with worms for 4 days straight. It might not be in your gecko's best interests, but I honestly dont think it would do any harm.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

In the next few months we are going to be doing a few short travels, four days each time. We have someone set up to come and care for Speckles each time we are gone. In addition to feeding, they will come in once each day, clean out feces, give fresh water, mist the humid hide and check temps. We feed crickets as our main diet for Speckles with mealworms once a week and phoenix worms a few at a time with crickets following. Our care taker isn't quite up to feeding crickets. I'm thinking of leaving her with individual "servings" of worms (with gutload) that she can just dump into the feeding dish each day. I don't want it to be mealworms for four days straight so I'm thinking of ordering some butterworms and either silk worms or hornworms.

Questions: Speckles can easily eat 15-20 3/4 inch mealworms in a sitting. Is it also okay for him to eat that many butterworms or hornworms? Is it okay for him to have worms four feedings in a row? What do you all do when you leave town? I would LOVE any and all input!

How much does Speckles weigh? Picture?

Think that since you will be gone only 4 days each time Speckles would be fine with mealworms only. Seems also that Speckles would be alright with just 2 feedings during the 4 days you'll be gone.

Hornworms either need to be kept in a picnic cooler with ice pack changes 2x daily or a wine cooler till shortly before feeding to slow down their rapid growth. Not sure yet about the details of keeping silkworms. Sometimes leos will go for a couple butterworms only. So if I were to add a 2nd feeder during your absence I would go with silkworms. Just make sure Speckles agrees :drool:.

 

[Corwin's Keeper]

When I had to go out of town with my juvenile (needed to be fed every day), I left her with my parents - who also were not a fan of crickets. I created ready to go cricket containers: an old small plastic container (yogurt containers worked well) with tiny holes punched in the sides. I put a pre measured amount of crickets in each, along with a slice of orange, and some cricket food sprinkled in the bottom of the cup, each was covered with a piece of clear plastic wrap and a rubber band.

When it was feeding time all furniture was removed from the enclosure, the cricket cup placed insid, cover removed and they pretty much hopped out on their own! Just an idea even for the most anti-cricket babysitters! ;-)

 

[Marauderhex]

On a short trip like that, I'd say just feed the day you leave and the day you come home. When on extended trips, like week long vacations, I suggest getting a friend to pet sit. Just have them swing by every other day to change the water and feed.

 

[Speckles]

How much does Speckles weigh? Picture?

Think that since you will be gone only 4 days each time Speckles would be fine with mealworms only. Seems also that Speckles would be alright with just 2 feedings during the 4 days you'll be gone.

Hornworms either need to be kept in a picnic cooler with ice pack changes 2x daily or a wine cooler till shortly before feeding to slow down their rapid growth. Not sure yet about the details of keeping silkworms. Sometimes leos will go for a couple butterworms only. So if I were to add a 2nd feeder during your absence I would go with silkworms. Just make sure Speckles agrees :drool:.

This picture was taken on Feb. 15 right after I weighed him for the first time. At this point he was 37 grams and right at 7 inches long. Theoretically, he is 13 weeks old this week (according to the age the pet store said he was when we got him). Definitely want to try some other worms for variety anyway, so will be seeing what he thinks in the next week or two with butterworms and silkworms.

Mealworms are so easy for someone else to deal with....just want to make sure he is getting good nutrition while we are away.

When I had to go out of town with my juvenile (needed to be fed every day), I left her with my parents - who also were not a fan of crickets. I created ready to go cricket containers: an old small plastic container (yogurt containers worked well) with tiny holes punched in the sides. I put a pre measured amount of crickets in each, along with a slice of orange, and some cricket food sprinkled in the bottom of the cup, each was covered with a piece of clear plastic wrap and a rubber band.

When it was feeding time all furniture was removed from the enclosure, the cricket cup placed inside, cover removed and they pretty much hopped out on their own! Just an idea even for the most anti-cricket babysitters!

I LOVE this idea...wonder if I did the same thing using old mealworm containers and nipped the back legs off if they would stay in the cup to be eaten? I worry about our caretaker having to replace cage furniture and not getting it back in the correct places. May have to try this just to see. (Sorry I don't know how to do multiple quotes!)

 

[cricket4u]

Can they at least offer fruits and gutload to the mealworms? You don't want to leave dehydrated and unfed mealworms for them to eat. I just noticed the little picture, Speckles you actually need to cut back on the mealworms(too plump). I should have asked for a side view right away when you asked.

 

[Speckles]

Can they at least offer fruits and gutload to the mealworms? You don't want to leave dehydrated and unfed mealworms for them to eat. I just noticed the little picture, Speckles you actually need to cut back on the mealworms(too plump). I should have asked for a side view right away when you asked.

So what you're saying is he could stand to go a day without a feed?! That is all crickets that he is storing up....he eats 6-8 med-large every day but Wednesday, which has become mealworm day. He also gets about 6 phoenix worms per week, randomly. Usually when he is done hunting crickets, he goes back to his cave and turns his back on us.

 

[cricket4u]

So what you're saying is he could stand to go a day without a feed?! That is all crickets that he is storing up....he eats 6-8 med-large every day but Wednesday, which has become mealworm day. He also gets about 6 phoenix worms per week, randomly. Usually when he is done hunting crickets, he goes back to his cave and turns his back on us.

His age again?

 

[Speckles]

His age again?

Supposedly he was a four week old when we got him Christmas Eve, which would make him 13 weeks this week. I'm guessing they were wrong?

Also, yes. Our caretaker would feed the mealworms for us. Forgot to mention that.

 

[cricket4u]

Supposedly he was a four week old when we got him Christmas Eve, which would make him 13 weeks this week. I'm guessing they were wrong?

Also, yes. Our caretaker would feed the mealworms for us. Forgot to mention that.

4 weeks???? More like 4 months.:? At this age I would cut back quantity fed at each sitting, instead of days fed. Keep in mind that mealworms have about 3 times more fat than crickets, so even one days worth of mealworms can add up to a lot. Honestly if it was my gecko, he would not see a mealworm for quite some time. Try phoenix worms, to see if he approves to mix with crickets. Try other insects as well for variety.

You said he was 7 inches correct?

 

[Corwin's Keeper]

I worry about our caretaker having to replace cage furniture and not getting it back in the correct places.

I took a picture on my dad's IPhone of where all of her furniture goes in the cage, I also emailed it to him, and printed a copy and taped it to the cage. :biggrin:

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I took a picture on my dad's IPhone of where all of her furniture goes in the cage, I also emailed it to him, and printed a copy and taped it to the cage. :biggrin:

Great idea...covers all bases!

 

[Corwin's Keeper]

That sounds much better than me being overly worried and paranoid. I'll take it! :coverlaugh:

 

[Speckles]

4 weeks???? More like 4 months.:? At this age I would cut back quantity fed at each sitting, instead of days fed. Keep in mind that mealworms have about 3 times more fat than crickets, so even one days worth of mealworms can add up to a lot. Honestly if it was my gecko, he would not see a mealworm for quite some time. Try phoenix worms, to see if he approves to mix with crickets. Try other insects as well for variety.

You said he was 7 inches correct?

Yep. Seven inches. Do you really think he was sold to us at four months old? That would make him about seven MONTHS old. I'll see if I can find the first picture we took when we brought him home...

There it is...One week after we brought him home.

He does like phoenix worms, so those are an easy feed. I read a rule of thumb somewhere to feed two inches of feeder per inch of gecko. Any thoughts on that? So that would mean dropping the cricket feed down to maybe 4 or 5? What if he keeps looking at us like, "More please!" after we say he's done? So hard to tell him no when he tips his head and looks to the sky, waiting for the next bite to drop So bottom line, reduce feeders and he will be fine being fed every other day while we are away...

I took a picture on my dad's IPhone of where all of her furniture goes in the cage, I also emailed it to him, and printed a copy and taped it to the cage.

GREAT idea! Thank you!

 

[cricket4u]

Giant genetics by any chance? Ask the person who sold him to you. If not he was already at least 3 months or so. Go ahead and try that so called rule of thumb and see if it works.

Tough love, sometimes you just have to walk away.

 

[Speckles]

Giant genetics by any chance? Ask the person who sold him to you. If not he was already at least 3 months or so. Go ahead and try that so called rule of thumb and see if it works.

Tough love, sometimes you just have to walk away.

Doubtful that PetCo has any real idea how old he really was, his genetic line or will recall selling him to us. They probably tell everyone that every gecko is 4 weeks old. I do know he came to us at about 3.5 inches long. Two months later he is 7 inches and 37 grams.

I am more than willing to feed him less if he is too chubby because our goal is a healthy gecko. IF he is a juvenile and still growing, is feeding less ok? I was under the impression that you fed them until they quit eating, there by self regulating. IF he is older, than HOW do you determine how much to reduce feed and still maintain health? I thought as they got older they naturally ate less. Speckles acts like he is starving every day, hunting aggressively and turning away when he is done.

I know there is no "rule of thumb." That was something I read somewhere and was hoping for a little guidance. We have never had a gecko before and our goal is to give him a long and healthy life. I come to this forum because there is a wealth of knowledge here and I find the information incredibly helpful.

To those of you who offered up great ways to have our care giver feed Speckles while we are away, thank you. To those of you who reassured that he would be fine feeding every other day, thank you.