Homemade Roach Gutload/Feed: Is this good?

[Executor of Fruit Flies]

Okay, so I just got my first roaches. I was thinking of blending a bunch of different things together into a powder as a homemade roach gutload. I'm thinking rice, oats, sugar, and dry instant mashed potatoes.

I'd blend it all into powder, then moisten up a glob or two for feeding time, and supplement some fruits, vegetables, and nuts every now and then.

Is there anything I'm missing, or should avoid? I know I should avoid carrots already. Yeah, I know roaches will eat anything, but I want them at their healthiest.

 

[Reeves]

I've heard that mixing in dog and cat food works really well. I would also add some crumbled cuttlefish bone for calcium.

As far as things you should avoid, maybe carrots. I've heard carrots are toxic to mantids and shouldn't be given to their feeders. Is there any truth to this? Does anyone know? I was actually about to start a thread about it.

 

[infinity]

I heard cat and dogfood works well because it has protein BUT...

"While these products are indeed high in protein, they are also usually very high in fats, oils and fillers and can often lead to digestive issues."

"http://www.chameleonnews.com/gutload.html" - I'd assume that the same applies for both chams and crickets/ mantids (feel free to disagree anyone that uses dog food )

This site has a very thorough gutload but many of the ingredients would be rather awkward to buy:

http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/gutload.html

 

[Obie]

The blend I use is 1/3 low fat organic dogfood, 1/3 organic kitten food and 1/3 100% spiralina flake (for fish). Its a dual purpose roach feed and gutload. The roaches flourish on it and so does everything that eats them.

I decided to add spiralina to all my gutloads after talking with a professor of animal nutrition at my college. He enlightened me to the fact that most predators incude many herbivores in their diet...and the natural "gutload" present in these prey is largely vegetable matter. By eating herbivores naturally "gutloaded" with plant matter, these predators are in effect omnivores. He does a lot of work on the phytonutrient needs of carnivorous birds and mammals. He seemed to think that insect and reptile carnivores would also benefit from plant matter being fed to their prey. Pure spiralina is also very high in protein (~40%)...

 

[Ramona]

Where do you purchase spiralina?

Thank you,

Ramona

 

[Obie]

I get my spiralina here:

http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FISH_FOODS...lake_foods.html

It can probably be obtained elsewhere for cheaper, but I also breed Tanganyika Cichlid fish and they do much better on high quality food.

Obie

 

[Leah]

We sell a roach gutload that is very similar to the Adcham recipe, and includes spirulina and other plant proteins. Been using it for years..

http://www.wildeyereptiles.com/catalog/pro...;products_id=37