Those with new baby tegus...

[slideaboot]

So, have any of you had any luck getting your new little guys to eat in a feeding bin? My new giant will eat in his cage like it's going to be his last meal, but still won't eat in a bin--which I kind of expected at this point.

If he was a bit bigger and had some meat on him, I'd ONLY offer him food in a tub until he ate, but I'm nervous he won't put on enough weight before hibernating so I'm caving in and feeding him inside his cage.

Any of you guys having any luck?

On a side note: this guy's SUPER tame once I get him out of his cage--and even when he is in his cage and I'm trying to get him out, he just runs away--no open mouth or whipping. He just chills on my lap or shoulder while I read--cool stuff. He's definitely grown just the tiniest bit, too.

 

[tora]

I was worried I would have trouble since I've just been putting mine in a bathtub (since it's huge and he's tiny), but I put some crickets in there and turned the lights off (my light has an auto-fan and I think it was unnerving him a bit) and let him be and he ate fine. Now I can stay in there and watch and he doesn't care. Mine's a little more feisty, but in no way aggressive. There's some slight whipping when I get him out I think just because he feels a bit insecure still. It takes a real warm & comfy spot (and a full belly) to get him to nap on me, lol. I can definitely tell he's growing like a weed already.

Anyway, my gu's favorites so far are livers and crickets.

 

[Citrinellus]

As soon as she is in the bin, she has her heart set on getting out. Not even interested in the food. She eats just fine from her bowl on the couch though. I have to keep an eye on her, but I don't mind since I have the intention of letting her free roam in the future.

 

[DMBizeau]

I feed mine in their cage when they are small, I have done it with all my tegus so far. I just start moving them in once they get 18" or so.

 

[Toby_H]

I have always fed mine in the main enclosure with it's food plate on a flat rock... I've never had problems with eating substrate nor cage aggression...

 

[lilgonz]

So far my new little gu is eating in the bin with little to no problems, and he is really very calm, no tail whipping or huffing at all, just climbs right up my arm when I'm in the cage.

 

[slideaboot]

That's funny...these are the EXACT answers I figured I'd get--everybody's different. Thanks guys.

 

[tora]

Yeah, looking at what my tegu ends up leaving the tub looking like, I know the food would no doubt end up in the substrate if I fed him in his tank. If I was just feeding crickets then it would be different. Once I was sitting next to the tub when he shook his food and I ended up getting a chunk of liver on my leg. o_o'

 

[DMBizeau]

Yeah, looking at what my tegu ends up leaving the tub looking like, I know the food would no doubt end up in the substrate if I fed him in his tank. If I was just feeding crickets then it would be different. Once I was sitting next to the tub when he shook his food and I ended up getting a chunk of liver on my leg. o_o'

My tegus make such a mess I feed them in the bathtub because it is so easy to clean up after them. For some reason my blues think they have to rekill everything, I actually had one shake a mouse so hard the body detached and flew across the bathroom and hit the door. I cant imagine what a mess they would make if I fed them in their cages.

 

[Stef41]

So, have any of you had any luck getting your new little guys to eat in a feeding bin? My new giant will eat in his cage like it's going to be his last meal, but still won't eat in a bin--which I kind of expected at this point.

Mine is the same way! When I put him in the bin the only thing he is concerned with is exploring. I've tried leaving him in there for upwards of forty five minutes to an hour, and he did eat one or two crickets...but that's it. He has no interest in his food when he's in there.

So I, too, have been caving and feeding him in his cage...where he eats voraciously!

I figure (like you and others have mentioned) that while he's a baby like this it isn't a "huge" deal. I'll have to force him to eat in the bin when he grows a bit, but for now...I just like to see him eat a healthy amount! :igu