Portion Control Over Timed Feedings?

[Striving Spark]

So, I'm trying to figure out if I can just do portion control - and put a certain amount of insects in the escape-proof bowl - over timing her eating for 10-15 minutes. The reason being that her breeder raised her with standing food always available, and as such she doesn't seem to feel any need to hurry when she eats... She'll go in, peck at a few, then go bask for a bit and come back later. It seems like she's doing a decent job of self-regulating, but... at the same time... I'm reluctant to trust a baby (2 months old) to know what's best for her? So at the very least I want to limit how much I'm putting in there...

Switching her to a timed diet would probably be better, because then I could follow the guides, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that, or if it's best for her in particular? Like, yeah, it would be more convenient for me, but if she's been self-regulating this whole time than maybe undercutting it would just do undo stress?

Any help would be appreciated...

 

[Sadie]

So, I'm trying to figure out if I can just do portion control - and put a certain amount of insects in the escape-proof bowl - over timing her eating for 10-15 minutes. The reason being that her breeder raised her with standing food always available, and as such she doesn't seem to feel any need to hurry when she eats... She'll go in, peck at a few, then go bask for a bit and come back later. It seems like she's doing a decent job of self-regulating, but... at the same time... I'm reluctant to trust a baby (2 months old) to know what's best for her? So at the very least I want to limit how much I'm putting in there...

Switching her to a timed diet would probably be better, because then I could follow the guides, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that, or if it's best for her in particular? Like, yeah, it would be more convenient for me, but if she's been self-regulating this whole time than maybe undercutting it would just do undo stress?

Any help would be appreciated...

Making sure she has a balanced diet is key- feed fresh salads in the morning along w/ a staple feeder like BSFL are great to get her to eat her salads- I used 20-25 on the salads first thing in the morning and then added dubias - mine ate around 10-15 - then I would offer afternoon dubias around 3 that was normal routine till around 5 months old or so - the afternoon feeding stopped - I was feeding dubias silk worms BSFL super worms every other day horn worms and butter worms -- all at different times - main staple was dubias - the BSFL he eventually quit eating them all together-

 

[Striving Spark]

Making sure she has a balanced diet is key- feed fresh salads in the morning along w/ a staple feeder like BSFL are great to get her to eat her salads- I used 20-25 on the salads first thing in the morning and then added dubias - mine ate around 10-15 - then I would offer afternoon dubias around 3 that was normal routine till around 5 months old or so - the afternoon feeding stopped - I was feeding dubias silk worms BSFL super worms every other day horn worms and butter worms -- all at different times - main staple was dubias - the BSFL he eventually quit eating them all together-

*Nods* I've been giving her a bowl of salad daily, and she... Sometimes eats some of it? Especially if I add some BSFL on it. So I'm still working on that...

Dubias were her staple - but she seems to greatly prefer the BSFL so I'm leaning into it. I think it's because they wriggle, while the dubias are too damn good at playing dead. She loses interest in them when they don't move, and doesn't eat nearly as many.

I'm getting hornworms so she'll have a third insect type, and I switch out what I use in her salad on a daily basis.

My main concern is less the types and more the timing, though. Because I put a bunch of BSFL in a bowl in front of her - she stared at it for a minute or two, walked up to it, gobbled up a couple, and left again. I don't think she's touched it again in the last hour. Like I said, she seems to be self-regulating - but everything I've read has always said, like, "as much as she can eat in 15 minutes" not "just let her eat through the day and she'll know when she's hungry."

At the same time, though, every beardie is going to be different and if she actually can self-regulate that seems like a good thing...

 

[Sadie]

*Nods* I've been giving her a bowl of salad daily, and she... Sometimes eats some of it? Especially if I add some BSFL on it. So I'm still working on that...

Dubias were her staple - but she seems to greatly prefer the BSFL so I'm leaning into it. I think it's because they wriggle, while the dubias are too damn good at playing dead. She loses interest in them when they don't move, and doesn't eat nearly as many.

I'm getting hornworms so she'll have a third insect type, and I switch out what I use in her salad on a daily basis.

My main concern is less the types and more the timing, though. Because I put a bunch of BSFL in a bowl in front of her - she stared at it for a minute or two, walked up to it, gobbled up a couple, and left again. I don't think she's touched it again in the last hour. Like I said, she seems to be self-regulating - but everything I've read has always said, like, "as much as she can eat in 15 minutes" not "just let her eat through the day and she'll know when she's hungry."

At the same time, though, every beardie is going to be different and if she actually can self-regulate that seems like a good thing...

Let her take the lead- it's good she's eating if she likes the bsfl better than the roaches that's fine - the bsfl are great for babies she may out grow them - offer her a variety silk worms are a great staple- see what she likes horn worms are a great hydrating worm - she may come back to the dubias eventually

 

[Striving Spark]

Let her take the lead- it's good she's eating if she likes the bsfl better than the roaches that's fine - the bsfl are great for babies she may out grow them - offer her a variety silk worms are a great staple- see what she likes horn worms are a great hydrating worm - she may come back to the dubias eventually

*Nods* The breeder said dubias were her favorite, so I'm sure she'll rediscover her love of them in time.

I might try silkworms in the future. It seems like the only way for me to get a decent supply would be to raise them myself, so... Something to consider in a couple weeks when my budget resets, I guess.