Feeding beardies

[Grant]

Hi everyone, new to the forum and just have a question about feeding bearded dragons.
I have a roughly 10 month old inland bearded dragon, size 12cm (SVL), and I was wondering how much I should be feeding him.
I've been feeding him live crickets until he doesn't accept anymore (around 10 ish). Is this too much (ie. am I overfeeding him?). He is also given a few greens, but he's not too interested in that right now.
I feed him every 2nd day.
Any info would be appreciated.

 

[pugsly]

A good rule of thumb is feed him the equivilent of the size of his head and nothing bigger than the size of the gap between his eyes.

Every second day is ok, mix up the food a little though, try woodies, meal worms occasionally and get him onto alphalfa, get it from woolies cheap. Just dont feed him for a couple of days then chuck some in he will prob go for it.

Take him outside too for a roam and ya will probably see him eating some grass and exploring, get some good sunlight into him and you'll see the difference.

Goodluck

 

[Possum]

Beardies

I have four Central Beardie's (8mths old) and I feed them crickets once a week and bok choy, capsicum, broccoli, carrot (one or two different choices) everyday, and others have told me you should give them just a little more than they can eat when the are little so they can pick during the day. I also dust my crickets with repticalc once every three months and they have a fluro (for daylight simulation) and heat bask lamp. These guys all shed regularly, swim in there pool frequently but I don't take them outside because I have Foxy's, I do however take them out of their house to play with them when I get home from work. :lol:

 

[alexr]

RE: Beardies

Hi Grant - welcome to APS

Mine loves bok choy, cellery leaves, chinese broccerly and beens - but prefers woodies and crickets... (and the odd pinkie mice - but he is a bit bigger.)

I leave the food in there and he picks out what he wants when he is ready...

Take him outside too for a roam and ya will probably see him eating some grass and exploring

Watch out for birds... and if yours is anything like mine - as soon as he thinks your not looking he makes a break for it - towards the gap under the fence - and they can be very quick once they get some sun on them!

Do you have any pictures Grant?

regards

Alex.

 

[pugsly]

RE: Beardies

lol yeah they do take off, but Ive got plenty of room on the lawn he would have to run for a while before he got anywhere outta site, there fast little buggers!

 

[beknluke]

Re: Beardies

I have four Central Beardie's (8mths old) and I feed them crickets once a week and bok choy, capsicum, broccoli, carrot (one or two different choices) everyday, and others have told me you should give them just a little more than they can eat when the are little so they can pick during the day.

Hey possum
I would watch out for that broccoli if I were you - it 'binds' their calcium, ie, they won't reap the benefits from it.
I have a few baby beardies - I feed them some fruit and veg whenever I have the time to sit around chopping it up small enough lol
And other than that, they get small roaches daily - as much as they can eat
Good luck Grant and welcome to the site
Bex

 

[Gilleni]

RE: Re: Beardies

try to gut load you crickets, woodies ect. before you feed them off...

 

[Jason]

RE: Re: Beardies

when i got my hatchy beardy dragon i fed him daily for the first year and gave fresh vegies daily, with good heat so he was active and digesting good, he eats anything i give him now and i took him to the vet at chistmas time (he was a yearling at the time) and he was 376 grams and 43cm total length. another good thing i found was that i always hand fed him and he loved laying on a hot water bottle at night next to me when i watched tv in winter and also after i feed him.
i always find that he likes leefy vegies and also colours eg, capsicum and stuff

 

[instar]

RE: Re: Beardies

Possum, only calcium every 3 months? Do they get uv? why not lock the foxy up for an hour, We have one too, and im sure she dosent mind getting locked in for one hour or so every few days.
Mine get repti-cal and herptavite on everything except fruit n veg, its cheap enough and unlike frogs
I dont think they can get too much.
A good varied diet and they eat as much as they want at each feed, I just make a good plate and let em go, throw out what they dont eat. Woodies are offered every 2nd or third meal and crix given adlib, I just put in fresh carrot and a few dog kibbles so the ones the dont find immediatly dont bother them at night.

 

[spooky]

RE: Re: Beardies

Only a slight dusting of calcium, as too much calcium can be as bad as too little!

 

[alexr]

RE: Re: Beardies

wow inny they eat beter than my kids! btw. what is on the left of the plate? looks a bit like ham...

 

[instar]

RE: Re: Beardies

I never put too much Fay, little but often, not like snow on the food lol
Alex Its delicious dogfood, full of chummy goodness! not a staple, more of a treat. They also get pinkies occasionally. I try to give them as widely varied a diet as possible, that way theyre not lacking anything in particular and the dont get hooked on any one item. Always fresh, anything I give them I eat myself, bar insects and dogfood lol

 

[africancichlidau]

RE: Re: Beardies

What's wrong with insects and dogfood?????

 

[beknluke]

RE: Re: Beardies

What are you saying about the pickies Inny - you eat them too?!? :shock:
:lol:

 

[bikiescum2003]

RE: Re: Beardies

I dust the crickets or roaches down with calcium and vitamins every 2 days, I only give them 3 or 4 each but on the same day they have lots of veggies, other days they just have pellets.
All the info plus more is here

http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html

oh and i hope those pinkies you eating have been frozen to kill all the germs. :lol:

 

[Grant]

thanks for all your reply's, clears up a few things.

 

[instar]

RE: Re: Beardies

Yeah i just puff up a bit and they move aside Bex, im the biggest beardy around here lol.
I meant I use fresh human quality food, if its not fit for me to eat i dont give it to them. :lol:

 

[instar]

RE: Re: Beardies

YUp, Bikie, i thaw em out, great on toast! :roll:

 

[Jenny]

RE: Re: Beardies

other days they just have pellets

Anyone who can get their dragons to eat pellets has my complete admiration!

 

[Jason]

RE: Re: Beardies

Anyone who can get their dragons to eat pellets has my complete admiration!

i agree my beardies don't touch em