Hatchling lacie diet

[julespython]

Hey everyone I just got 2 hatchling lace monitors they are both 3 months old. I'm just trying to work out there diet, I'm feeding them 2 pinky mice and chicken neck meat everyday and I'm going to start feeding them lean mince beef also. Does this sound like a good diet. I have put heaps of crickets in there but I don't think they are eating them. Are crickets part of there hatchling diet? Also one is eating great but I haven't really seen the other one eat. Should I try to force feed him? If someone could give me a weekly feed schedule that would be great! Thanks

 

[Chris]

There's not much substance to pinky mice, I'd up the meal size to larger mice/rats but cut them up to pieces that the monitors can manage. I only feed my monitors whole prey items as in rats, mice or day old chicks and occasionally crickets, I don't substitute their food with any mince etc.

 

[saximus]

I only recently got my first Lacey as well but I did a lot of research leading up to getting it and had other monitor species beforehand. So take my advice however you want.
Like Chris said, whole prey items are much more preferable to mince or plain meat. Meat has pretty much none of the important things like bones, fur or organs and, as an extension, larger mice are better than pinkies because they have fur and more developed bones and organs (especially the liver which, from my understanding is the really important one for D3). If you cut up weaner or hopper mice into bite size pieces while they're frozen it's much easier and less messy.
Crickets and woodies are alright as well but they need to be dusted and you should still be offering the mice as the staple.
I don't think you should be thinking of force feeding the smaller one yet but if the bigger one is out-competing the smaller one, you might need to think about separating them until they are big and bold enough to eat from tongs so you can guarantee they are both getting enough food.

 

[julespython]

I just went in with the tongs and they both had 1 pink and some mince beef each Is that enough for the day? I might cut up a velvet mouse and try that with them

 

[RSPcrazy]

As said already, bugger off the meat, as it does nothing for them, focus on whole prey items like rats, mice, chickens, quails, etc. Monitors need the vitamins stored in the animals organs, not meat.

I always have crickets and/or woodies in with my young lacies, even though you might not see them eat them, they do, and they have fun hunting them too.

Also, feeding every second day might be a better option, they will still grow extremely fast, but you save a little bit of money on food.

 

[pythrulz]

Forget the chicken necks and pinkies I fed mine choped up day old chickens sometimesa chopped up rat to but mainly just whole chopped day old chick did well they have a fast digestive system and seem to poo out there meal in about 24 hours given the right tempretures got any pics we always like seeing lacies there awesome looking lizards.Thats right always chop them up frozen far less messy just need a sharp knife I use a meat cleaver.I really dont why anyone feeds pinkies reptiles need the nutricion from fully formed organs and also fur and lacies need the bones found in whole meat products.There very shy timid creatures for some reason I hardly saw mine at all for about the first 6-12 months they hide when you come into the room

 

[julespython]

Oh every 2 day? I was told to feed every single day. Oh well

 

[RSPcrazy]

Oh every 2 day? I was told to feed every single day. Oh well

You can feed every day if you want, as long as your basking spot it hot enough 50c+.

When mine where young, I was feeding every 2 days on average. They still get the food they need, they still grow extremely fast, it just saves you a little bit of money on food.

 

[serpenttongue]

Fill a small bowl with chopped up whole prey and let them eat as much as they want. Refill the bowl when the food disappears.