bearded dragon help

[Pines]

I need some advice please.

Can some one please tell me the amount that a hatchie bearded dragon should be eating. Mine will eat about 4 -7 small crickets a day. No vegies yet etc. Then he will not eat the next day, but then will eat the following day. He has been doing this since I have had him, about 2 weeks. He appears healthy, heats good in the enclosure.38 basking, cold end about 20 to 25 and warm end about 35, he's very active etc. Small water dish is in the enclosure but have not seen him drink. Have bathed him every second day to make sure that he is hydrated. Also when he is in the bath, he closes his eyes and goes all stiff and won't move, until I get him out and back under the heat. I make sure that the water is warm. Is all this normal for feeding and bathing etc. Please, help needed.

Pines

[Gecko_ProCs]

the feeding sounds fine to me
babies will eat when they are hungry and usually will eat as much as they can in each sitting

as for the bathing im not sure
you could try just misting the cage every second day with a water sprayer
that should keep him hydrated enough, or use a water dropper or something similar

[Pines]

Thanks Gecko. I have been told that they must eat three times a day and as much as they want. Good to know that is not the case.

Pines

[Gecko_ProCs]

i fed mine once a day and they ate around 10 each and they're fine
they took to veggies pretty quick coz i used to hand feed them to make sure they got an even amount and then eventually they would take clover from my hand if i twirled it so it looked alive, the same with carrot
now they will eat anything i putt in the veggie bowl

[Gecko_ProCs]

oh and no worries i hope ive helped

[Pines]

Gecko, definatley helped. was a bit worried about the amount of food, I feel better now, Just got to keep trying the vegies.

[Gecko_ProCs]

good luck
dont worry they'll be downing those veggies in no time

[dragon lady]

you are probably doing this already....but ill write it anyway

using a dropper(under $2 at a chemist)...& drop water on the dragons nose...
he should start drinking
dip some greens(leaf of plant) in the water,& drip that water on dragons nose
while dragons mouth is open....put some leaf in it....small piece...same size as live insects its eating
hoping you use pin heads to small insects!

if the dragon drinks then dips his head down....he is very thirsty...keep giving him water
they are finicky when little...don't always remember to have a drink

[JKretzs613]

Hello,

The dropper method works very well. I think he should be given the opportunity to have live feeders 2 times a day though. Most babies will eat anywhere from 25-50 crickets daily if their setup is optimal on a normal basis.
A hatchie will take a bit to start eating though. How old is he & did he successfully absorb his yolk sac? A big problem with hatchies is dehydration so make sure he gets fluids, daily. If you start early with the veggies & greens he should be eating them regularly when he gets older.

Tracie

[Ishah]

I mist mine once or twice a day with a regular old spray bottle from coles. and they seem fine with that...they quite enjoy it actually...But thats just mine and my opinion...

[JasonL]

Mine drink from their water bowl, though I hardly ever see them doing it, I have 5 year old dragons that I have never seen drink! For young ones, I avoid misting to prevent high humidity in the enclosure, I just throw them in the sink with a 10mm of tepid water in it whilst I clean their enclosure every second day.

[venus]

How do you feed your crix? In a separate feeding tub in the enclosure?

I found with my beardie when she wasnt interested in eating when she was first here (took 10 days or so) was to put in a plastic feeding tub (high enough so she couldnt get out) into her enclosure, half in the warm end. I would give her drops of water on her snout to drink, pop her in the tub for 5 mins, then add her woodies or crix, and leave her for 10 mins, usually covering the front of the enclosure so she wouldnt stress.
This worked a treat, now she opens her mouth for the water to go in (as well as a bit of bok choy, endive etc) and hops onto my hand to go into the feeding tub, eagerly awaiting the woodies to be dropped in lol
This took about 10 days for her to get used to. Before that she would only eat every 2nd or 3rd day, now its every day, plus vegies.
I also put her in a small dish of warm water, just up to her belly, in her enclosure and leave her for 5 mins at first (shes shedding right now and very itchy lol) and she loves it. She will usually have a drink of the water as well, especially if I swish it a bit, and then will poop as well...lol.

Can she get up high enough to be within the right distance of the UV light? I put a branch that goes within 5 inches, and my girl climbs right up there now and sits there for a good hour or two.

Edited to add: I was told not to mist their enclosure because of the humidity, take them out to do it if you need to.

[Pines]

Thanks very much for all the replies. I will be trying the dropper idea for the water just so I know that it is eating. Dragon lady i'll try that with the vege's aswell with the water because at the moment he wont go near them. Venus, I have also tried to place a container in his enclosure and place him in it with his small crickets. I leave him in it for about an hour, come back and nothing. At this stage when he does eat I have to drop the crickets in front of him on the ground in his enclosure and he looks at them, waits to they move then he eats them. I have also placed a branch near the Uv which is about 5 inches from it, He usually gets on it for a while every day. How long would you suggest I leave him in the container in his enclosure with the crickets.
Again guys thanks for the help, it is definatley needed.
Pines

[venus]

Originally Posted by Pines

Thanks very much for all the replies. I will be trying the dropper idea for the water just so I know that it is eating. Dragon lady i'll try that with the vege's aswell with the water because at the moment he wont go near them. Venus, I have also tried to place a container in his enclosure and place him in it with his small crickets. I leave him in it for about an hour, come back and nothing. At this stage when he does eat I have to drop the crickets in front of him on the ground in his enclosure and he looks at them, waits to they move then he eats them. I have also placed a branch near the Uv which is about 5 inches from it, He usually gets on it for a while every day. How long would you suggest I leave him in the container in his enclosure with the crickets.
Again guys thanks for the help, it is definatley needed.
Pines

I usually wait until I find my beardie girl up basking, getting warm before I put the tub in. Then I drop some water on her snout, she licks it up a couple of times, then I start dropping the woodies (or crix) in.

You could try this for your beardie too, if he will eat the cricket when you drop one in front of him in the enclosure, then there is no reason why he wont eat in the tub, and you wont get loose crix (dangerous for beardies as they can nibble on the beardie when they sleep) in the enclosure. Just leave him in the tub for 5 mins, then drop a crix in with him and see what happens. Make it as stress free as possible, no kids or dogs running around...lol.
I always dust mine with calcium first, she goes nuts over the whitest ones lol.

Maybe try some small woodies? Yours may be a finicky eater, I know when I swapped woodies with crix, my girl went nuts over them, so now I mix it up a bit, crix a couple of times a fortnight kind of thing, as I breed the woodies.

I only ever feed her what she eats in 10 minutes, then I take her out. I usually sit back and watch what she eats, which lately is about 12 woodies daily, plus a few pieces of endive & wombok.

You could also try beardie pellets, mushed up with some water and syringe feed a drop or two onto his snout so he licks it.

My girl is 5 months old though.
I did have problems with her eating, she wouldnt eat for a couple of days, and then only a bit.
Now ive got the temps and UV right, and she has settled in more, her appetite is great.

[Dave94]

Your ment to feed them 3 times aday as much as they will eat in 15minutes, or 50 a day my adult has grown to 23inches 540grams and only had 50 aday when he was a baby and did fine. 10 or so a day will not help them grow or they will turn out to be a runt with only that many.