cockroaches .. pix added on page 2

[equine623]

Monkey biscuits, also called monkey chow, is a product made by Mazuri (if I remember right) for zoos and lab animal facilities. I'm not sure if/where you can get it in small quantities, although probably somewhere you could.

I don't mind insects....but to me the hissing roaches have the worst smell!

Not sure why....and it wasn't from food or an unclean cage.

 

[dbunni]

I haven't noticed any smell. But we keep them fairly clean and on chips. I remove any uneaten feed on a daily or so basis.

As for male ... waiting to see what the baby grows up to be. Although I think it may be a she by the body shape. We had 1 regular hisser survive in the baby pack brought in(had 2) and of the 4 hybreds, 3 are still growing strong. So ... may be looking for a "bucky" to go with the regular hisser ladies. It's a small but happy pack. Do you have problems introducing a new roach into the herd?

We use crumbles for most of the chickys. But the buns are on pelleted feeds. And we have dogs & cats ... and ducks ... and turkeys ... and ... and !! Oh ... goats ... Goat feed has molases (sp) ... thoughts? It's a semi pellet with grains. Also have all sorts of grains for the angoras (barley, oat, blk sunflower, safflower, sunflower hearts)

Thank you for the info ... will try to get a pix tomorrow!

They are neat kids. The oldest lady is past the hissing stage when you handle her. The youngs are not big enough to have sounds yet ...

 

[Kassaundra]

I have b. dupia, and am no expert at all, our colony is just about 5 months old now. I have kitten food in the container at all times for them to eat. I put what ever fruit or veggie I have available, mostly oranges, apples, carrots, alvacodos, and recently banana's. With the foods more suseptable to mold I just put smaller amounts in and have had no trouble. For water I use the crystals. At first I used a heating pad under the aquarium, but switched to a 25 watt red light, they go through water faster but the temps stay warmer and fire danger wise I am much more comfortable w/ a light bulb in a glass aquarium then a heating pad on all the time.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

I've wanted some Hissers for a while now. Can't seem to find any around here

Anyone wanna ship me a few?

 

[Sumatra503]

Quote:
I may be able to ship a couple to you. I'd have to look into how to ship them, though.

I can't quite use a flat rate priority mail box. I think that's illegal, but a hisser with a heat pack would do great in one inside a yogurt container.

 

[Sumatra503]

Anybody know where to find Stick Insects? Just wondering, since I'm looking for them.

 

[dbunni]

Sticks ... Now those are really neat!

 

[Ento890]

I've kept my extremely small colony of hissers for a little over 2 years. They are kept on peat moss with some paper towel tubes and vaseline smeared around the side so they can't climb out. My roaches are pampered in no shape or form, I throw food in there maybe once or twice a week. I work with crested geckos and other Rhac. species and the left over Crested Gecko Diet by Repashy is thrown into water bottle cap dishes in the roach's cage. They are licked clean by the next morning. I throw lettuce in every now and then, grapes, dog food cat food, even chicken layer pellets.

I just ordered my first colony of dubia roaches this week and should expect them next week. The hissers are slow producers, so I almost can never feed them to my herps. But the Dubias are supposed to be fast producers and very easy to care for.

I have also worked with stick insects in the past although I do not currently keep any. I kept mine at room temp in a 10 gallon tank and tons of branches and fake plants. Misted him in the morning, fed him romaine, apples, bananas, some native plants around here. I didn't purchase him though. At the time I was working in a pet store and in Jan. someone brought him in. If he was released he'd die of the freezing temps, so I took him in.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
I am brand new to raising insects and found the dubia's to be very easy. They seem very prolific, I started w/ a small colony so haven't started feeding them to my chickens yet, I will start this winter when they don't have any insects to eat, by then my colony will be a year old.

 

[dbunni]

So the Dubias (sp?) are feeders for larger animals and the Mads & Hybreds are just for fun. Neat animals. I see that they require special diets for the dubias to make them better for the iguanas. Just goes to show ... you are what you eat!

Okay here are a couple pictures.
In this first one ...these are both Juveniles. Born within days of each other (the smaller one is older!). The small guy is the Mad, the other the Hybred.

This pix is of the Female Mad and one of the Hybred Juveniles.