To Do, or Not To Do? That is the question!

I have been giving my babies Monkey Biscuits since I've gotten them, and they LOVE them. I use them dry, where they nibble on them for days, or sometimes as a treat, I soak them in either Water, baby yogurt juice, or BML.

I've read in MANY different places that you should always supply something during the day that won't spoil, so that your critters can nibble when they want/need to, because of their fast matabolism, the way their body handles sugars, and the likelihood of dehydration. I can give several links to such articles if requested, but I was wondering if anyone has links to the contrary?

As a rule, I usually make a small portion of Zoo Keepers Secret and/or monkey biscuits available at all times, and feed their BML diet with fruits & veggies at night as required. And, of course, Mealies and Treats as "needed"! LOL

Please post your opinion, and articles if you choose. THANKS!

I don't use it. I tried it for awhile, but it was always untouched. A complete waste of food! My gliders never get up during the day unless something wakes them up (like me getting them into the bonding pouch). When I wake them up, I usually give them a treat - a yogurt drop, a lick of their staple, some fruit/veggies, mealworms. When I don't get them up during the day, they don't go looking for food or anything.

I like one analogy I heard on here, forget who said it, but it made sense. Midnight snacks (for humans or gliders) aren't necessary - if you leave one right on your bedside table, of course you're going to eat it! But do you need it? Probably not.

If I ever do notice my gliders out in the cage during the day, I'll offer them food. Sometimes they'll take it, sometimes not. Usually they just woke up because something startled them, and they just wanted to check it out.

I also don't leave a staple, and if you're feeding the BML diet, you don't want to offer monkey biscuits and/or ZooKeeper's. Doing so will throw off the carefully calculated ratios. Dry foods wouldn't help with possible dehydration. On the rare occasion I leave my babies in the cage during the day, they almost always just sleep in the pouch. Once in a blue moon they might wake up for a drink and go back to bed. When they're in my bra, I first give them all a drink in the morning before I start my day. When I get their food ready for the evening, they may or may not wake up. If they do, they get bits of their dinner (including licking the BML off my fingers as much as they want).

Here is an interesting diet plan that is just like bml, and uses monkey biscuits...
for info only
lori's diet plan

Interesting. It does have similarities, but also looks similar to Priscilla Price's diet (also on her page) with the apple sauce, Dannon yogurt, cooked chicken, monkey biscuits, Pet Glider vitamins (that the BML diet doesn't include). I guess if the diet plan calls for it, then it's been developed to incorporate those goodies. But I wouldn't mix and match ingredients or portions of various diets for fear of throwing off the Ca:P ratios and introducing other unhealthy imbalances. I don't know enough about all of the diets or the captive glider's nutritional needs.

Here's an older thread with a discussion on BML and why back-to-basics is recommended: Diet doubts.

Thanks for the info KattyM!

WOW! I just read that whole thread, and my head is spinning! I now see where the whole controversy of food is. Ugg. I think I'll be reading for the next couple of weeks.

I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction with the Monkey Biscuits. It is my opinion (and a very limited opinion) that Monkey Biscuits are not bad for gliders, but they MUST BE part of the diet they are on!

Ok, so now I'll have to find out if I need to change diets, or get rid of my mealie farm, or my cricket farm, or my treats...

I am in the eye of the hurricane... it's calm, but not for long...

Humbled,

Personally, I always have a mix of dry foods with vitamins, dried fruits, etc, in the cage. I keep it dry, so I only have to change it when it gets low (every few days; they mostly nibble and throw some out). I feed HPW. But I don't think it messes with the balance too much because they only eat a bit each night/day. I have some medical issues, and a few times my meds have made me fall asleep before I had a chance to feed them HPW. I felt terrible, but I did feel a lot better knowing that they did not starve. I keep it in there as a safety net more than anything. And if they like it- why not let them eat it? It's perfectly healthy... and they hardly ever get to nibble anything that's solid (of course, they're sap suckers, so they don't really need to) 'cept when they eat the dry food.