Little tip about B.Giganteus diet

[Keith]

I read somewhere that it is essential that you feed your B. giganteus roaches cooked hamburger meat (plain) as part of their diet to prevent lack of protein which causes wing biting and sometimes cannibalism.

I feed mine cooked hamburger meat once a week, and not one has ever been bitten.

So I think feeding them meat as part of their diet is a good idea.

After all in the wild they eat bat carcasses, that is meat which gives lots of protein.

I also feed mine fresh fruits/vegetables, dog or cat kibble, and sometimes as a treat white bread.

[Slizarus]

Haven't kept B. Giganteus but as I don't see them as being particularly carnivorous, they're likely getting substantial amounts of protein from the dog/cat food you're already giving them.

[Keith]

That is true, but meat is softer than than dry cat food and it has more protein than cat food, which is mostly corn meal and chicken.

[Severus]

That is true, but meat is softer than than dry cat food and it has more protein than cat food, which is mostly corn meal and chicken.

It is all in what you buy. All dog/cat foods list both the ingredients and the percentage of fat, moisture, protein and other things that are necessary(I need to find my notebook on that to remember what is ideal). Most store brands are crap, even for dogs and cats, you are right: Mostly corn and chicken meal which is just by product, like bones and ick. Very little actual chicken. Just pay attention to lables. I am more picky over the lables of my dog food than I am of the crap I find myself eating.

The really good dog/cat food will often get pretty pricey, too, so it might actually be cheaper to just cook hamburger, if of course you don't have a dog or cat.

Now what some pet food companies say is that plant protein is the same as animal protein, which is why you see more vegetables and plants being added to a diet for our household carnivores. I personally don't think so.

Either way, thanks for the tips. I wonder, though, what are some other ways to get protein to your colonies? I read somewhere that "the occasional cricket" is a good source. I assume dead crickets.

[Keith]

Now what some pet food companies say is that plant protein is the same as animal protein, which is why you see more vegetables and plants being added to a diet for our household carnivores. I personally don't think so.

Actually, the reason they are adding more fiber (and I know this for cats) Is because unless you have an outdoor cat that kills and eats animals, they get little fiber from their food indoors. So they add garden greens (like what would be in the stomach of their prey) to make up for it. And fiber also helps get rid of hairballs and aid digestion. (hence why cats eat grass and vomit up hairballs within a day if they have any)

Either way, thanks for the tips. I wonder, though, what are some other ways to get protein to your colonies? I read somewhere that "the occasional cricket" is a good source. I assume dead crickets.

Yeah I heard the can-o-crickets are also good protein, but they are pricy too.

[Matt K]

Mine only get fruits/veggies, and occasionally a bit of fish food. They are doing great and look spectacular....

[Severus]

I was thinking about using fish food. I'll get my first roaches next week. What kind of fish food do you use Matt?

[Matt K]

I was thinking about using fish food. I'll get my first roaches next week. What kind of fish food do you use Matt?

It varies. I try to buy the least expensive largest container I can find, which may be a big jar of goldfish flakes, a 2 kilo plastic tub of floating pond sticks, or whatever (usually the biggest tub of floating pond sticks get you the most for the money). I am going to the feed store today to see if they have "fish chow" available in 50 lb. bags. I have heard there are people in my area with stocked ponds of catfish, bass, and trout that get bulk food for 20 bucks a bag. If I find it I will try it out, though the pond sticks have worked out pretty well for the most part.

[RosenKrieger]

I was thinking about using fish food. I'll get my first roaches next week. What kind of fish food do you use Matt?

If you don't have a massive amount of roaches, you can jsut go down to petsmart or whatever and get a can of fish flakes. The tropical flakes usually have more protein than the goldfish flakes. I keep fish along with roaches, and I use the TetraColor fish flakes, they are cheap and have like a 48% protein content.