I am sure you will find a method that works for you and them. It took a couple of weeks before they calmed down in the feeding bucket and actually ate a decent amount. After that, though they still tried to climb the sides, I was confident they were eating. I now use the feeding bucket once a week with my Pacific Chorus frogs and the rest of the time, I free feed them in their setup. With your toads being so small, I would be worried too, about squishing them or having them escape. Just monitor them-a toad should be chubby but not obese. A little buddha belly means they are getting enough. Keep me posted!