# Feeding Dubia Roaches



## InternetReptile (Aug 2, 2008)

What's the best staple diet for dubia roachs? Preferably something that will boost the nutritional values for feeding too. 

Anyone used chicken mash? It has high protein and high calcium levels. Otherwise dog or cat food maybe? I need something cheap to feed growing colonies.


----------



## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

I use layers pellets - dried ferret food - cerials, fruit and veg - they are doing very well on it


----------



## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

as above, i use a mix. dried dog food, veg and fruit off cuts and stale cereal. m ine all seem happy, i have dubs, lobsters and turks.


----------



## LouiseK (Mar 17, 2007)

In the past i have tried:
Normal bug diet, but they went through it too quickly.
Gelatin but the heat melted it and it flooded the tub.
Various leafy veg and odd bits but it dried out before they ate much of it.
Dog food but it dried and smelt very quickly.
Dog biscuits but they didn't seem keen and they also dried rock hard in the heat. Plus dog products have large amounts of vit A which can become a problem.

So! Now i just feed them butternut squash as the main food with odds and ends thrown in. Its by far the best thing i tried...

£1 for a large squash, i cut off a slice and it is so dense it stays fresh and moist for days and the rest keeps in the fridge for weeks!

They're breeding very well.


----------



## linda60 (Jan 14, 2008)

I use a mix of ground dog biscuits,oats and weetabix (cheap stores own brand) and ground rat pellets,some green food have found things like cabbage,kale ect best as they don't dry out or go soggy very quickley.Roaches are growing and breeding well on this.


----------



## mcszot (Nov 1, 2007)

Hi, 
I can offer great stuff for roaches.
Please pm me if you interested.
cheers


----------



## Slofe (May 27, 2008)

Do you reckon rabbit food would do the trick? this has wheat, dried pees, carrots etc. Your stuff is good, mcszot, but it's a bit dear at £5 when 2 kg of rabbit food costs £1.50, credit crunch is biting and all that


----------



## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

If rat pellets are ok i'd imagine rabbit food would be fine, i'm not certain though


----------



## mcszot (Nov 1, 2007)

Sorry guys, 
I dont experience with this...
cheers


----------



## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

My Dubias get soft fruits when I feed the beetles, millies etc, and every so often, spare pinky! They race through pinks' without even giving it a chance to go smelly.


----------



## InternetReptile (Aug 2, 2008)

*Re*

Noone else used chicken food then? I decided to give it a go, they seem to love it... and you get a 20kg sack for about £8... great for gutloading mealworms too so it seems really versitile stuff. The vitamin and calcium content will hopefully be good for anything that eats the roachs.


----------



## Slofe (May 27, 2008)

Roaches will eat pretty much anything you throw in there really, they love a strawberry and last night they raced through a bit of sweet potato. I've read chicken feed is fine but I think you need to be a bit wary of it as apparently it's got lots of calcium so go easy on the supplements.


----------



## InternetReptile (Aug 2, 2008)

*Re*

Its high calcium indeed. But I was under the assumption you can't overdose on calcium alone, only vitamins. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I can't see a high calcium food being a problem to the lizards.


----------



## zemanski (Jun 15, 2008)

I use crushed dry dog food, butternut (my beardie loves that too so the roaches mostly get the rind), carrots, rabbit food and anything else I have handy

apparently they smell if you give them cat food and they shouldn't have taurine (in cat food)


----------



## Rico (Jan 5, 2007)

I use the cheap economy cat biscuits from tesco I also use porridge oats thats it for the dry food. I also use apples carrotts bananas parsnips oranges a couple of times and as a one off I gave them a slice of pizza just to see if theyd eat it and they did. With the fruit and veg I only usualy use stuff thats past its best I dont waste fresh stuff on them they seem to prefer over ripe fruit anyway.


----------



## InternetReptile (Aug 2, 2008)

I have a few more roaches for sale if anyone wants to try them out 

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/food-classifieds/186013-dubia-roaches-limited-amount-sale.html


----------



## moonlight (Jun 30, 2007)

I feed mine most things porridge oats, dry cat food, greens, most veg, bread havent tried them on chicken yet the cats never leave any lol


----------

