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Question about feeding hatchlings

J

jordana951

New member
I've been hearing conflicting things on when to start offering food. Most hatched out completely on July 12 & 13th. I've seen a few blue phase and then clear but no one has shed yet. Do I have to wait until after they shed or can I start trying to feed now? I have 27 to feed eventually. How long would day olds last if not eaten right away? Should i do live for first feeding or can i do frozen? Their dad will eat whenever food is offered even in the middle of a shed. Mom won't eat at all from the week before turning blue. Wednesday is 10% off everything in the pet store day so I would like to go get something today even if it's just a few to start. Thanks in advance for any input!
 
Have you done anything yet? The reason you see conflicting advice is because there are a lot of different methods to start feeding hatchlings and people just do what works for them. I will list some ways I have heard of.

*keep the babies together as a group until they have shed and fed (you risk cannibalism, some say the competition encourages feeding) (I don't know many people who do this)

*set up babies right away in individual housing

*offer food right in the baby's bin

*offer food outside the bin, in a deli cup

*offer live for the first meal

*offer FT for the first meal

*offer food as soon as the baby hatches

*offer food the day of or the day after the first shed

*wait 5-7 days after the first shed to offer food

I have not tried to feed right away. I wait until after the first shed. This year I waited five days after the shed. I did not have more or less success than feeding the day after the first shed.

I offer FT reds, slit down the head and back.

I feed in deli cups, out of the bin.

I cover the deli for the first feeding, feed uncovered for the second feeding, feed unslit for the third feeding (no one has ever refused unslit after eating slit) (and then I go back to slit).

If a baby refuses, I reheat and leave him with the red overnight, in a deli. If he doesn't eat overnight, I offer again in five days. I try a variety of things if he refuses after that.
 
I've had pretty good success with more or less the same method as Nanci uses.

We wait til they shed, then offer them a small pinky in a styrafoam cup. If they refuse, the pink gets brained/slit and left over night in the cup. If they refuse over night, try again next feeding day.
 
Thanks! That is what I will try! I have been keeping them separated, I work at a deli and I was able to buy 27 large deli containers (salad bar size) for really cheap. I had read about the cannibalism. I also brought home the smaller deli containers with lids for feeding in. I'm thinking some should shed by this weekend so will try feeding then.
 
Oh ya I spent a whole day poking holes in all the containers with a meat thermometer haha! I put a paper towel in the bottom of the bigger containers they are living in. For little water dishes I went to rite aid pharmacy and got small pill bottle caps and ran them through the dishwaher on hot water to sterilize they work great!
 
Well, so far 19 have shed and 18 ate the pinkie right away. I still have 7 that haven't shed yet and one that has had food in his cup since last night but hasn't eaten it yet. Seems kind of afraid of it. So I think they have done pretty good!
 
Congratulations! You're off to a great start!! I'd just try the one that didn't eat in four or five days.
 
Will do! Ya I was surprised that so many just grabbed it right away. 2 ate it backwards (tail first) which was difficult to watch haha. And this little one seems scared if it. I'll be doing my regular feeding on Wednesday's now due to the 10% discount that day so I will try again then.
 
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