Hi everyone
I was under the impression that Darcy's diet met all protein needs, so i've been feeding mealworms as a treat - one medium/large one every other day or so. Is that right? or should i be feeding one (or more than one?) daily? I'm fairly new to all this, and i'm a little paranoid about his diet. I've read a couple of posts from peopole who feed 4-5 a day (though the diet was unspecified).
thanks!

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/agree.gif" alt="" />

(no reason for that, i just think it's funny)

With Darcy's diet, you do need to add extra protien. Since Darcy's is already kind of high in fat, usually the best protein sources are crickets or egg whites. You can use mealies, but they are high in fat, so you may end up with pudgy gliders.

Oh and about servings... Generally, 1 serving of protein is about 1 tablespoon. I know, it's not very easy to figure out how much 1 tablespoon of live insects is, but here are some rough guide lines...

small mealworms: 12-15
medium mealworms: 7-12
large mealworms: 5-10
super worms: 3-5

small crickets: 12-15
large crickets: 5-10

grasshoppers: 1 or 2

Eggs: 1/2 of an egg (scrambled or hardboiled)

okay... so taking into account that there is protein in the ensure... how many insects per serving of protein...?

thanks

one more thing - is there such thing as low-fat ensure so i can feed mealies without the problem of pudginess? i think i maybe shot by raging insomniac roommates should a cricket escape... (and i can't seem to find any freeze-dried - which are really no fun anyway)

The serving sizes I listed are what you should use with ensure. Don't try any low fat versions of ensure, they usually have artificial sweeteners in them, which don't sit well with little glider tummies. If you are worried about crickets excaping, you can always freeze them yourself. Just buy some and toss the bag in the freezer, feed as needed. Most gliders don't really mind.

alright, thanks for the advice!!

If you are just feeding the Ensure, then you are not feeding the Darcy's diet...

Darcy's diet is MORE than just Ensure.

You need to feed each glider about 1 tablespoon Ensure mixture (calcium added) PLUS 1 tablespoon protein (chicken, turkey, eggs, insects, etc.) PLUS various fruits and veggies. This is the Darcy's diet.

Just because the Ensure has some protein in it doesn't mean it's anywhere near the amount a glider needs daily.

Here is a link that explains the full Darcy's diet: Darcy's Diet The only thing that has changed, is the Light Ensure is no longer recommended. You are just supposed to use Regular Ensure.

yup, i'm also feeding fruits and veggies and mealies. I've now added chicken for extra protein.