dubia grains for gutload

[chris]

so im trying to compile good list of animal(reptile) friendly ingredients for a super healthy gutload so far ive looked at bee pollen,kelp,oats,wheat bran and thats about it seems boring what other grains or products other than animal protein do people use ?

[wojcik49]

Spirulina and chlorella..massive amounts of protein. I started giving them some the other day they seem to love it so far. I tried it, thought it was sickening. Power to the people who can actually drink it though lol. It almost made me vomit.

[Keith]

How about iguana pellets, there is protein and fruit in them and you know there safe for reptiles. Of course dog or cat kibble is fine too as well as the occasional bits of cooked burger meat.

[chris]

yeah i use dog food as of now now im trying to cut cost while improving on quality and staying all natural i was thinking of maybe some wheat bran and maybe a few other small things but there isent really a set list

what kind of oats do the dubia seem to prefer im assuming there all cut from the same cloth or machine in this case..

[AlexS]

I've been mixing vitamin supplements and gutloads for a number of years now, although I've yet to settle on a final recipe even after all this time. Two grains that are worth looking at, but which aren't as widely available as others, are Fonio and Teff. Fonio is especially popular amongst bird-keepers, and if you've ever seen a flock of birds decimate a cup of Fonio seconds after it was introduced into their aviary you'll understand why it's so popular amongst aviculturists. Fonio has tonic properties, and it's generally well accepted by roaches and various worms (I've also had good success feeding it to locusts, but I don't think they're widely used as feeders in the US.) Teff is generally regarded as the most nutritious of all grains, and has the higher calcium content than other grains I believe. Apart from Fonio and Teff, I mostly use the sprouted forms of other grains, they have a higher protein content than un-sprouted grains, and the sprouting process itself lowers the level of phytic acid found in the grains. I use: Amaranth Sprouts; sprouted Barley (brand name Activated Barley); Buckwheat Sprouts; Chia Sprouts; Flaxseed Sprouts and Sunflower Sprouts (which contain all known vitamins). These provide good levels of Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, Fibre and a range of B vitamins. If you really want to up the protein content you can add Brown Rice Protein and Hemp. Rice has a strongly negative Calcium: Phosphorous ratio though, so you want to add some high CA foods to offset this. Nutritionally Hemp is very good but it isn't always that palatable, so I only mix in small quantities. I also mix in Carob powder because of it's high Calcium content.

In addition to the aforementioned seeds and grains, I use Spirulina and Chlorella, as well as Hydrilla and Dunaliella algae. Hydrilla has one of the highest levels of Calcium you can find in any food and Dunaliella is known as the richest source of carotenoids. Sometimes I mix in small quantities of Barley Grass and Wheat Grass; nutritionally these are very good, but you have to be careful because they are also very rich and can cause digestive upset if too much is fed.

Other foods that I include regularly are: Goji Berry powder; Hawthorn Berry powder and Cayenne Pepper, these two food together increase circulation and enhance the availability of all other foods they are mixed with; Jarrah Tree Pollen and Noni Fruit, which acts as an enzyme activator and will increase assimilation of other foodstuffs.

Kindest regards,

Alex

[ZOO CENTRE]

You can mix brewers yeast,wheat germ and seaweed - this is a nutritional bomb.