BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I see packaged/canned diets for beardies, torts, monitors, etc. Wondering why, with all the popularity of the BTS, there isn't a pre made diet on the market for them? Any thoughts on incorporating the pellets for beardies or torts into the meals for a bluey? Something to cover the veggie requirements that can be mixed with the canned cat food I currently use. Would be a lot more economical for me as I have sooo much waste with fresh produce. I have to buy way more than can be used before it goes bad. Thanx for your thoughts on this.

BTW,, have decided to keep Agro since his/her feeding requirements will be less demanding later on when I'm traveling and someone else has to do the caregiving.

I dont know about your shops, but I just thought I should mention it in case your shop does have such a section and you just never thought to look in it.

Well, our shop has a little section of bagged veggies - one bag contains a variety of different veggies. And amazingly I found one that contains a bunch of and only stuff thats good for blueys

These are a lot less waste as your not having to buy a whole rocket say, just for him. Instead you get a bag of it already mixed! Convenience at its finest~

Otherwise, maybe you could see if its possible for you to cut down on the variety and instead just feed what you would also eat? (Thats also good for him of course). Even if it reduces down the number of veggies you buy to one or two.

Fatal S uses a veggie supplement, I think. I don't think that's all she uses but you can ask her about it, maybe.

Sorry for the vagueness, just a thought.

Chasen wrote:Wondering why, with all the popularity of the BTS, there isn't a pre made diet on the market for them?

There really isn't all the popularity of blueys. At least not compared to torts, beardies etc. Blueys are much less common - a reason is that they give live birth instead of laying eggs, so they are not nearly as prolific to breed (and not as profitable to a breeder). So there isn't enough of a market to create a bluey pelleted food. Other do use various pelleted foods, I don't so I will let them comment on that, but that is definitely an option.

Thanx for the input.
@Bluey Addict, are you refering to prepackaged fresh greens? We have them here and I do use the spring mix, but all fresh produce that I can get is in quantities larger than I can use fast enough. I actually give most of it to a mate with a tort. I would still give fresh on occasion, but would like a dried diet I can add to the canned stuff.
@Musoke, I will send a message to Fatal S. Thanx
@Katrina, I realize they aren't as popular as the Beardies and torts, but thought they would be popular enough to warrant a pelleted diet.

Does anyone have any input on the usage of Beardie or Tort diets? Can it do any harm??

I use a powdered veggie nutrient mix, but it isn't a replacement for real veggies and greens, it's a supplement. It's designed for tortoises.

I have lots of skinks, so using veggies up isn't usually a problem. Even so, I do like using frozen veggies too. You can also ask where you're buying from if you can just buy single leaves of the veggies, or you can learn how to incorporate those veggies and greens into your own diet.

I have a lot of ideas. I use all of them myself. So PM me if you want additional info.

And, FRESH veggies and greens is always better, but, the only way to cut down on waste is, get more Blueys! (I did that too!)

1) there are lots of veggies and greens that come in cans or frozen. Frozen stuff you just take out what you need and thaw/cut, leave the rest in the freezer. The canned stuff you don't mind waste so much because it's cheaper, and let's face it, quite gross.

2) I buy all different kinds of fresh veggies and greens, and I mean ALL I can get a hold of from a few different stores. Chop, chop, and mix in the dog food. There's usually a ton. Press the food tightly into ice cube trays, freeze. I take them out a few days later and individually wrap each cube and put them in a big bag and then just thaw what I need to feed all three BTS a couple of times a week. I sprinkle some vitamins and calcium just to be sure for my growing BTS.

3) a company named MAZURI (mostly produce foods for zoos) makes insectivore pellets. Awesome way to add protein. And if the frozen cubes get a bit soggy when melted, I just mix in some pellets to make the food a bit more firm. My young'uns eat the pellets plain, tried just for the heck of it.

4) I don't think there's any problem feeding BTS turtle and Beardie and other pellet- or prepared food, if you use it as an additive. Personally I wouldn't feed them any of that as a staple, but I don't believe there's any harm in adding a bit, or feeding it occasionally.

All very good ideas. I never thought to freeze in convenient servings. Thanx for the fantastic advice!

I also use the Mazuri Insectivore diet for supplement to the protein portion of the food. I just dry feed it by putting it in a small bowl in the cages. The skinks just pick at it inbetween feedings. I think of it as if they were to randomly eat the bugs in nature inbetween large meals. Mazuri also makes an Iguana/herbivore diet that I have purchased in the past to supplement the veggie portion of their diet (mixed with canned dog food). Mazuri also makes an Omnivore diet, but the "kibbles" are too large for skinks to eat and will need to be smashed up before feeding. IMO, that would be the ideal diet for Blueys from Mazuri.

San Fransisco Bay Company also makes dehydrated foods for various reptiles species (tortoise, bearded dragon, iguana, carnivorous reptiles, etc). Id feel comfortable feeding the beardie dragon or a combo of the beardie (contains protein and veggies/fruit) and iguana (no animal protein).

IMO and from what I have researched, buying frozen can be better than fresh veggies. The reasoning behind this is once the veggies have been picked, they are going to start to loose nutritional value. So depending on country/state of origin of the veggies, it could be week(s) before you get them at your supermarket. Then how long have they been sitting before you bought them?

With frozen, they are pretty much picked, cleaned, processed/frozen in the matter of days. Freezing will "lock in" the nutrients (with the exception of Thiamine), thus leading to being healthier than fresh produce.

Chasen wrote:Thanx for the input.
@Bluey Addict, are you refering to prepackaged fresh greens? We have them here and I do use the spring mix, but all fresh produce that I can get is in quantities larger than I can use fast enough. I actually give most of it to a mate with a tort. I would still give fresh on occasion, but would like a dried diet I can add to the canned stuff.

By 'Bluey Addict', I presume you are referring to me?

That most likely is what Im referring to, I dont actually know what its called But 'prepackaged fresh greens' does sound like that could very well be what it is~

How about if you and your mate actually went halves in purchasing the bags? Just a thought~

Simplest thing to do is just to eat all the rest of the veggies you buy.