feeding question

[Devilishin a]

hello everyone, i am new in the tarantula world and have a rose hair tarantula. i wanted to know when to feed it a week and how many?

 

[Nada]

One cricket or roach at a time once or twice a week is more than enough.

 

[DalilahBlue]

And don't freak out if they don't eat. It isn't uncommon for Rosie's to avoid food for months then suddenly eat like piggies.

 

[Devilishin a]

thanks for the info @kenny. @DalilahBlue

 

[John Frost]

I was reading online and apparently the longest recorded time a Rose has gone without eating is 3 years! It's kinda sad that they don't eat much...that's a fun part of owning a T. When my rose gets a bit bigger I'll probably feed it a pinky mouse. They look like a good meal for a T.

Here's a video I found yesterday. Don't watch if you're squeamish (but we all own T's so I'm assuming we aren't). The music and lyrics are perfect for the video but made it kind of sad too.

 

[Scoolman]

I was reading online and apparently the longest recorded time a Rose has gone without eating is 3 years! It's kinda sad that they don't eat much...that's a fun part of owning a T. When my rose gets a bit bigger I'll probably feed it a pinky mouse. They look like a good meal for a T.

Just another reason for owning more than one

 

[Devilishin a]

@John Frost wow that is just amasing how long a Rosie can go so long with out food. 3 yrs is a long period of time ha. And im not squeamish at all, but got to admit that the song did indeed make me react. the song just made me get in to it lol. thanxs for sharing

 

[Devilishin a]

@Scoolman I never hold my Ts at all. I 100% agree with you about handling. handling Ts just cause stress to them. Sometimes I will touch their butt (abdomen) with a paint brush just to see what their temperment is like. let me tell you my rosie dose not like me hahaha at all. I mean when i touch her with the paint brush she flairs out her fangs and starts biting.shes nuts lol. but i love her she an interesting T. and thanxs for the reminder though.

 

[TJB13]

www.ucalgary.ca/~Schultz/roses.html
Very good information, says no more than 5 crickets a month

 

[Nada]

for what

I was reading online and apparently the longest recorded time a Rose has gone without eating is 3 years! It's kinda sad that they don't eat much...that's a fun part of owning a T. When my rose gets a bit bigger I'll probably feed it a pinky mouse. They look like a good meal for a T.

Here's a video I found yesterday. Don't watch if you're squeamish (but we all own T's so I'm assuming we aren't). The music and lyrics are perfect for the video but made it kind of sad too.

I strongly suggest against feeding any Ts any Vert prey of any kind.

 

[DalilahBlue]

Vertebrate foods have a higher chance of injuring or killing your T. I have seen a 2$ rat kill a 5K snake.
Though in the wild larger T's will occasionally take vertebrate prey, most of the accounts of them eating such things is because they found it already dead.

There is also debate in the T community as to if the extra calcium in vertebrate foods causes molting issues.

 

[John Frost]

Wow thanks for the info! I guess I'll be sticking with crickets and the occasional moth. I was looking forward to seeing my T devour a pinky mouse...oh well.

Since we're on the feeding topic: something I've always wondered is do pet store crickets make much of a difference for the T since they are gut loaded? Out in the wild a T would eat outside crickets so wouldn't crickets I find outside suffice?

 

[DalilahBlue]

1. Wild caught foods can have parasites or have traces of pesticides that could kill your T. Don't feed wild caught foods ever.
2. Technically, yes the foods you catch outside would suffice, but see 1.
3. We gut load to make sure they have proper nutrition because see 1.

 

[John Frost]

Ok, yeah that makes sense. It's more convenient to have a pack of store bought crickets anyway.