# Eggs and Monitors



## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 6, 2011)

How healthy are eggs or egg yolks for monitors? 
Can it be half or a large part of a staple diet?


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## Laghairt (Jun 6, 2011)

I would say not half but it can certainly be a regular inclusion in some specie diets. Keep in mind that eggs make their waste very runny so apart from any other factors it will make cleaning a lot harder. I would Stick to small whole prey items as a staple.


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## redlittlejim (Jun 6, 2011)

do you give it to them raw? poached? how?


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## serpenttongue (Jun 6, 2011)

What monitor species? Eggs are a messy food if they aren't swallowed as whole raw eggs (which only the large species can do). A monitor will have trouble trying to swallow the yolk raw, and even if it's poached it will break apart and they'll end up picking at it, instead of swallowing whole chunks.

I wouldn't bother. They need whole prey with guts and bones.


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## gillsy (Jun 6, 2011)

When I make my monitor mince I stick chicken eggs and quail eggs in. Be creative with what you give them.


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## sweetangel (Jun 6, 2011)

i feed my ackies eggs when i am low on roaches. roaches and crickets are much better for them. i only feed pinkies when bulking up after the winter or breeding. although i do feed alot of egg. i use one egg between 6 ackies. i mix is all up so there is no separation between whites and yolk and then i whack it in the mircowave for 30-45 secs. this pretty much scrambles the egg for me and then i just mush it up into edible chunks.
and they go NUTS for it. i found raw egg was to messy. this way their poos are not as runny either. it does make them a little fat though if fed to often but in winter i probably give every second feed as egg. sometime just plain egg other times mixed in with some wombaroo vitamin or calcium powder. 

im sure u could do this with other larger monitors just once the egg is done in the microwave dont chop it up into such small pieces. u could even chuck in some mince.

as long as the diet is varied i think its fine to feed and i havent had any problems. i even know some people who crush up the egg shell and leave it in the mix aswell.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2011)

mine loves eggs, always eats them first 
but a chicken egg will get spread around the enclosure and with the heat lamps a few hrs after feeding you will regret it 
sometimes i mix an egg in with some roo mince but i prefer to use quail eggs as they swallow them whole and there is less mess


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## zacthefrog (Jun 6, 2011)

thats one healthy monitor, thanks farma


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## imported_Varanus (Jun 6, 2011)

Nice pics Farma! My guy likes eggs so much, he even tackles large, egg-like stones!!


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## dozerman (Jun 6, 2011)

I half remember reading that feeding either the yolk or the white exclusively affected calcium absorption. Though I cannot find where and to what extent.


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## blakehose (Jun 6, 2011)

imported_Varanus said:


> Nice pics Farma! My guy likes eggs so much, he even tackles large, egg-like stones!!



haha, poor fella!
My Sandy loves egg from time to time. I don't feed it very regularly, probably only once a month if that. I just cook it until it is nice edible chunks...


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## mysnakesau (Jun 6, 2011)

My little ackie loved his egg. Once a week or so I use to crack one into a little bowl and give it to him raw. He'd pretty much swim in it and then go wipe it all round his tank. :lol: But he use to go nuts.. God love them.


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 6, 2011)

Thanks for all the info guys.

I just ran out of rodents this week (had a fail litter of mice) so I decided to put from raw egg in. 
They all took it with gusto, so I might be using it more often now, maybe once a week with one yolk each. 
This is will be good when my new monitors gets to adult size as well. 

Thanks again
Jay


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## crocdoc (Jun 7, 2011)

Snakeluvver2 said:


> Can it be half or a large part of a staple diet?


An occasional egg is okay, but it shouldn't be a large part of the diet. It's very rich in fat and cholesterol. I give my male lace monitor the occasional whole chicken egg - they've got a really neat, instinctive swallowing behaviour, being extremely careful not to crack the shell.


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## blakehose (Jun 7, 2011)

crocdoc said:


> they've got a really neat, instinctive swallowing behaviour, being extremely careful not to crack the shell.


 
It's cool to watch, reminds me of crocs carrying their babies to the water.


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 7, 2011)

Would it be a good option for putting weight on Crocdoc?


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## redlittlejim (Jun 7, 2011)

so, i have 2 ridge tail monitors. i dont want a whole heap of messy egg around. can i cook it? scramble poach sunnyside up?? or do they only take it raw? also raw mince only?
i have only ever done live insects and pinkie feeds before...


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## Karly (Jun 7, 2011)

dozerman said:


> I half remember reading that feeding either the yolk or the white exclusively affected calcium absorption. Though I cannot find where and to what extent.



This is correct, my vet told me this a while back and he read it straight out of a vet medical book. He said it's OK as an occasional treat.


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## dozerman (Jun 7, 2011)

Thankyou for confirmation Karly


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## crocdoc (Jun 8, 2011)

Snakeluvver2 said:


> Would it be a good option for putting weight on Crocdoc?


 Getting monitors to put on weight is easy. Just feed them more of whatever they're already eating. Getting them to lose weight is trickier. 


redlittlejim said:


> so, i have 2 ridge tail monitors. i dont want a whole heap of messy egg around. can i cook it? scramble poach sunnyside up?? or do they only take it raw? also raw mince only?
> i have only ever done live insects and pinkie feeds before...


You're fine feeding them insects and pinkies. If you wanted you could give some boiled egg now and then, but it's not necessary. I'd avoid the raw mince, though, as that's just protein without calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals.


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## mysnakesau (Jun 8, 2011)

I gave my ackie cooked egg but he didn't touch it. Raw egg he swam in it....lol....I had to soak him in a warm bath while I cleaned it up in his tank. 

Insects and pinkies are fun to watch him. Drags them along his rocks to kill them. One might get away but then he's off after it. I sprinkled calcium powder over his food, or if you're worried he still isn't getting enough, feed your insects on a good diet including calcium in their dinner. So then you have well-nourished insects to feed to your lizards.


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## cadwallader (Jun 8, 2011)

What size should ackies start going on pinkies? so far i just use woodies and crickets they are around 25cmish?


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## redlittlejim (Jun 8, 2011)

only one is on the pinkie. big whooper female. about 40cms. other male is only little at 20cms. but you might as well throw one in live with a few woodies and see if he goes it


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## dozerman (Jun 8, 2011)

cadwallader said:


> What size should ackies start going on pinkies?


 
They are monitors, not snakes. I feed my young monitors chopped rodents and insects, when they grow big enough they get whole rodents and insects etc.

Yes, you may find it gruesome at the start, but your monitors will love it. Feeding 'whole prey ' doesnt have to mean complete animals, it can also mean chopped rodents

You must excuse me , I think my F.R is showing


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## Laghairt (Jun 8, 2011)

I chop up fuzzies for my young ackies and they love it. Remember to chop while they are frozen though.


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## cadwallader (Jun 8, 2011)

dozerman said:


> They are monitors, not snakes. I feed my young monitors chopped rodents and insects, when they grow big enough they get whole rodents and insects etc.



lol good first observation there... i was just asking what size should they start having pinkies... but its ok now, i know my ridge tails arent snakes ill figure it out


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 8, 2011)

When they are about 10cm STV but giving them chopped up pinkies would work too when they are smaller too.


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## Guest (Jun 8, 2011)

Karly said:


> This is correct, my vet told me this a while back and he read it straight out of a vet medical book. He said it's OK as an occasional treat.



is this for cooked egg or raw and was it just yolks or albumen?
I know eggs are high in protine and when cooked will increase the chance of cholesterol problems but i would have thought feeding them raw and whole would be a source of calcium from the shells?


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## Snakeluvver2 (Jun 8, 2011)

The only positives I can really see from it are high Protein and high Calcium, it offers no fibre though. 
Vitamin A and Iron levels are high though. 

But yer I'll start adding this to the diet maybe once a fortnight or so.


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## dozerman (Jun 9, 2011)

Pinkies are mostly water, I use rodents when they are older ie. hoppers and weaners . 

Are those Jap quail eggs that you are feeding your goanna Farma? They look like they are a favourite


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## redlittlejim (Jun 9, 2011)

cut up frozen and put in there to defrost?? is that right? what if they eat it frozen is it bad?


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## ingie (Jun 9, 2011)

redlittlejim said:


> cut up frozen and put in there to defrost?? is that right? what if they eat it frozen is it bad?


 Cut up frozen so the guts don't go everywhere in a big squishy mess  You should still let them defrost before putting the pieces in though. 

My accies are so fussy!!! They won't eat any mince or bits of meat (with the exception of roast chicken as a treat) or even cut up rodents!! I tried all the different minces and concoctions of blended monitor recipes, cutting up rats and mice of all different life stages and having them in a bowl or spread around the enclosure, under the heat, away from the heat. They will ONLY eat live insects and whole baby rodents.... They have been eating whole rodents most of their lives though. As soon as they could fit a pinky in the mouth I started giving them as many as they would eat because I was worried about them living off only roaches with no meat and bone etc. I have multiple woody colonies for them and the other lizards too so despite their fussiness they never go hungry, and I don't go broke. 

Does anyone have any tips for getting them to eat other things????


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## Laghairt (Jun 9, 2011)

Try starving them Inge. I tried everything to get mine on to woodies an the only thing that worked in the end was offering no food at all for a week and then reintroducing woodies. Now they love them, along with everything else I give them.

I might have to try the same thing with superworms as I bred them for the first time this year but so far they have shown zero interest. To date, only one of my female knob tails has accepted them so not sure what I will do with 3,000 superworms if the starvation doesn't work.

I didn't have too much trouble getting mine onto mince but I did sprinkle the mince with calcium powder that had been scented with insects (by scented I mean they had been shaken in it) Maybe you could try that?


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## crocdoc (Jun 9, 2011)

ingie said:


> Does anyone have any tips for getting them to eat other things????


 As Rondo said, try starving them for a few days to a week. You may also need to up your basking spot temperature if it isn't high enough. Do you know what it is, currently?

Adding to the earlier conversation about chopped up rodents, I give young lacies chopped up mice and day old chickens until they are large enough to take them whole. Definitely chop when frozen!


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