Making Your Own Monitor Mince

[Smittiferous]

Hi all!

Been toying with the idea of making my own mix of meat mince for my monitors, for when my rat supply runs out (I buy in bulk but lately the supplier has been very unreliable) and as a general dietary supplement delivery method.

My train of thought is something along the lines of high quality lean (roo?) mince, egg, things like chopped chicken liver and heart, mixed with calcium and any relevant vitamin supplements they would benefit from. Portion it up in ice cube trays and freeze it for when it's needed.

Has anyone tried this, and was it worthwhile going to the effort? I buy pet mince from supermarkets (cat and dog mince, plus my nearest Lenard's sell minced chicken carcasses for $3 a kilo) to bridge the gap when my rodent supply is unavailable, but would purpose-made stuff be better?

 

[pinefamily]

I'd use the minced chicken carcasses as the base for your mince mix, mainly for the bone factor. Maybe add some roo mince for the protein, and egg. Anything else would be a bonus, nutritionally or flavour-wise.
Interesting to see what others think.

 

[Aussie_monitors]

Sounds good. I use to do it using diced roo meat, not minced. I'd dice the chunks up a little finer depending on the animal and then portion them into small zip lock bags and freeze them. Taking them out the night before to defrost in the fridge when needed. Just like yourself it was used for when rodent meat was low and just for some variety.

 

[Nero Egernia]

Why not try whole bodied quail or chicken when rodents are in short supply?

 

[pinefamily]

Why not try whole bodied quail or chicken when rodents are in short supply?

This would only work with larger adult monitors.

 

[Aussie_monitors]

Why not try whole bodied quail or chicken when rodents are in short supply?

Just like rodents, quail are often bought in bulk and eventually run out too, so he's only using the mince as a "fill in" meal while stocks are low. I used it when my rodent/quail stocks were low or empty just to buy some time while waiting for my next order. The guy I was getting my supply from wasn't always consistent with numbers or even delivery/pickup times.

 

[Smittiferous]

Tbh @Oshkii I wouldn't know where I could find a source of quail down my way anyway.

 

[pinefamily]

Look on Gumtree; from time to time people advertise here in SA with carefully worded ads so as to not offend the PETA crowd.

 

[Nero Egernia]

This would only work with larger adult monitors.

Not true in my experience. My tristis monitors can swallow quail from day olds and up to 1.5 week olds. If they get too big to swallow whole you can simply chop them up, just like what others would do with mice or rats. Day old quails are tiny, about the size of a cotton ball. But they do grow fast. My quail chicks are ready to go outside by around two weeks of age. You could probably get smaller strains of quail. I have large Japanese Quail. They're probably roughly the same size of an adult rat, although females are a little bigger than males.

Tbh @Oshkii I wouldn't know where I could find a source of quail down my way anyway.

As pinefamily said, quail are readily sourced on Gumtree. They're also readily sourced at farmer's markets, feed stores or poultry auctions. Even pet shops stock them either live or frozen. Although pet shops are usually the most expensive option. I received my original ten from an auction. They were 10 for $10. They were unsexed and in rather poor condition, but this was only due to them being overcrowded and picked up condition in no time. In the end I had 4 females and 6 males. On top of that I had a few problems crow proofing their home and I lost all but three. One male and two females. Luckily I had eggs and they were already incubating. Their pen is now crow proof and I now have 11 females and 3 males. I hatched more but they were either used for my own consumption or for the reptiles. I get 11 eggs daily. I find them to be more prolific than mice. They're a joy to work with and they don't stink something awful like mice and rats apparently do (I have no sense of smell). Many people breed them for their eggs or for human consumption, so I don't think people would have a problem with you feeding them to your reptiles. In addition, I'm sure your monitors would love to have an egg every now and then.

 

[pinefamily]

Is it the Japanese quails that you have to incubate the eggs?

 

[Nero Egernia]

Japanese quail are not known for incubating their eggs. I've heard that it can happen, but it's very unlikely. They're incubation period is approximately 16-18 days. I've hatched chooks, ducks, guinea fowl, and geese. In my experience Japanese quail are probably the easiest to incubate. They're not as sensitive to fluctuations and coupled with their short incubation period present less time for things to go wrong. In addition to their fast growth rate, they do not need to stay in the brooder for long. Many sources say they shouldn't be allowed to live outside until they are at least five weeks of age. I find they're quite capable of producing their own body heat by the time they're over two weeks old, and can safely go and remain outside, provided they have shelter and the weather's not too extreme. Having a large group of chicks also helps as they will huddle together if it gets cold.