Baby beardie eating times

Hi all! New to this forum and a newish dragon mom here.
my dragon is a Rankins dragon and I think is around 14 weeks old. I’ve had him (My 3yr old refers to it as a him even though we don’t know yet) for almost two weeks now. He’s settled in very well, although still doesn’t eat much more than 6-10 crickets or worms per day. He was the smallest one in the store. My question is, I leave for work at 7am and he is still sleeping in his little cave. I come home at lunch and give him lots of crickets and some pheonix worms too (always calcium dusted) and he always has fresh greens but never touches them. When I get home from work around 5, he’s sleeping again. Weekends I’ve seen him crash around 4pm. I can’t come home for lunch many days, so the days I’m not would my best option to be to wake him early before work and put some crickets in his dish for him to see and eventually eat while I’m gone? Or wake him when I get home and feed him then? I always take him out lots when I am home and offer lots on weekends, but he really doesn’t take many more after the first feeding. He seems to be growing though, and I’ve bathed him a few times to keep his hydration up too.
Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Please post pics of your tank and lighting--- go to top of page in the banner click on user image uploader- download pics- click on ximg at top of message box- pics should post- they will go thru relocation stress- so eating will be slow- my recommendation is either get a timer to turn your lights on an HR or earlier to get him fed before you leave- he needs to eat salad first in morning-- I would use the bsfl to the salad do not dust- let him see you do this - use as many as you want- I would use 50 of them when you get home try feeding the crickets- make sure you feed him at least 2 hrs before lights off-- greens like mustard collard turnip and kale are good staple -- feed squash yellow zuccinni and butternut shredded- fruit occasionally- no citrus-- you can get small super worms butter worms wax worms to lure him to bowl but only use like 1-3- they will get addicted to them NO MEALWORMS- to hard on the stomach-- any more questions please ask
Karrie

I recommend lights on a timer.

Set to switch on about 2 hours before you get up and give the first meal . This way the hatchling will be awake and warmed up and ready to eat.
I'd suggest crickets or roaches or hoppers of suitable size for meal no.1.
Select crickets / roaches or hoppers who are suitable size ( about the same length as the distance between the hatchling's eyes ) , too small means the hatchling will use too much energy catching them and it will be more likely many of the insects will elude the hatchling.
Give these 2 or 3 at a time , don't just dump a heap of them in the tank at one time.

Leave 30 to 40ish clean dry large bsfl ( 2nd Instar = large white and lively ) in an escape proof dish for the hatchling to pick at while you are away for the day .
Damp bsfl are very good escape artists , so it's essential they be dry else they will climb out of any dish you can find.

Wont hirt to leave some fresh grated veg and roughly chopped greens in a dish too . If the hatchling nibbles on the greens , it's a BONUS. BUT don't worry if the hatchling ignores the salad , very common for hatchlings to have very little interest in salad . What's not eaten can be used to gut load the crickets / roaches / hoppers.

Or if you have access to them , small ( 1 inch long ) silkworms ( on a mulberry leaf or a bit of chow ) are an excellent staple feeder insect , 4 to 6 would be sufficient. If the hatchling nibbles the leaf that's a bonus too , mulberry leaf has Ca/P > 10.

When you come back home , check the bsfl / silkworms , the ones missing have been eaten.

About 2 hours before lights out / bed time for the hatchling , is a good time to offer more crickets / roaches / hoppers , a smaller meal than the first , but let the hatchling eat it's fill a couple of insects at a time.

Good feeders to have on hand for a hatching include

blowfly gents ( the flies are good too ), so when they pupate , leave some in a dish in the hatchlings tank , when they flies emerge the hatchling will make a meal of them before they get a chance to fly off.


small silkworms
Note equivalent meals



small crickets or similar sized roaches or hoppers


BSF lavae and flies are great feeders for a lizard.

A DIYS escape proof worm dish

Only need two plastic mailer tube caps and some cloth tape and a hole drill and a Stanley knife ( to trim the hole )..