8 Year Old Beardie Jack

[singtoyou]

Can I feed my 8 year old beardie boiled chicken or anything else to put some weight on him? All he really likes to eat any more is
Carrots and Romain lettus. He drinks his water very well, and loves to get pinkies from time to time. Most of his diet is veggies.
Still I would like to see a bit more weight on him he just looks to thin to me. I didn't know if there was an alternative to regular beardie foods "protien" other than Pinkies and store bought beardie food. If anyone knows of anything please let me know. I read on another site that boiled chicken or scrabbles eggs can be used for proten, but I have had my beardie for 8 years and so I don't want to do anything that might make him sick. Thank you
singtoyou :wink:

 

[Blind]

I'm sorry, but nothing you listed is "healthy". You should feed him crickets, roaches, and worms (not meal worms) for protein. It is not recommend to feed beardies pinkies. You should not feed romaine lettuce because it is pretty much water in solid form.

Here is a list of good foods:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

 

[singtoyou]

He does eat Bananas, and apples also, but like I said mostly he like carrots and the lettus. This is the first time I have heard somone
ever say NO pinkies for a bearded dragon. And the lettus is not head lettus which I was told was bad for them. That is why I feed him
the leaf lettus or romain. He doesn't like any other greens that I've tried.
Thanks for you comment

 

[Blind]

Have you tried collard or mustard greens? They are A LOT more healthy than lettuce.

 

[singtoyou]

No I have not. Thank you I will try that. This will not put weight on him but do you think these butter worms I am reading about will?
And can you get them at your local pet store? Or do you have to buy them online. I ask this because I know that veggies at his age I read should be like 85% of his diet so instead of the pinkies I was wondering about these butter worms?? And are they also called meal worms??
Thanks

 

[singtoyou]

Auh I just read your first post I see that you just said NOT meal worms

 

[Blind]

Butter worms are good. Meal worms are not the same and should not be feed to a beardie as they have a lot of chitin in their shell. Butter worms can get expensive I have heard(I have never bought any). A cheaper choice would be super worms(not to be confused with meal worms). There are a lot of others that are good too like silk worms and phoenix worms. I also recommend Dubai roaches, which are very healthy for beardies. You can order most feeders online for a lot cheaper than you can pick them up locally.

 

[singtoyou]

Thanks so much. I should had joined this website long ago. I didn't know it excisted. Thank you for the website
I went there and was reading on the differnt things to try for my Jack!
I appreciate the imput.
singtoyou

 

[Blind]

No problem :mrgreen: Feel free to ask any questions you have here.

 

[singtoyou]

You know after having Jack this long you would think that I knew more about his diet.
It's just that he has always been so so picky of an eater, that the pinkies, leaf lettus, and just a small
handful of fruits and veggies is all this guy will eat. I thought my kids were picky eaters but he has really
been like this as long as I have had him. If he doesn't like it....he just won't eat it. He acts like he would rather
starve then eat what he should. So I feel bad when he doesn't eat, and so I know what he does like and place
that in his home and he goes right after it. So I guess in saying all that. What I am asking is this:
How long should I wait in seeing if he will eat these new ideas of food to him. Since he is so picky.
I don't want to go to many days with him not having food. Because I gotta tell ya he will turn his nose up
to what is good for him. I don't know if this is a trate of the beardies or not but it has always been frustrating
trying to feed him different greens. Just like my kids! :roll:

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Have you tried dandy lion greens? They are really good as far as greens go and are my dragons favorite green.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Hello,

My bd is 5 yrs old and is very picky also. Beardies turning their noses up at certain foods is very normal. Trying to feed them veggies sometimes can be just as bad as trying to feed your child veggies. Just try different things and eventually you'll find something he likes. Mine goes days sometimes without eating much at all and it drives me crazy. I can tell you this though, a bearded dragon will not "intentionally" starve itself. It will get hungry and it will eat.
Someone suggested collard and mustard greens, both being really great veggie staples. My bd prefers the mustards over the collards. The mustards have a more pungent smell, so maybe they taste better..who knows!! Alot of beardies also like butternut squash. Some people cook it before hand, mine prefers it raw; shredded.
Good luck on your veggie experimenting!!

Dawn

 

[singtoyou]

Thanks for the comments. He does go days withou eating and it is frustrating. I will try the Mustard and collard greens. Will these put wait on him because he is too skinny right now. He drinks his water just fine and poops just fine. But he only wants to eat shreded carrots (which are his absolut favorite) bananas and romain lettus and very little apples. But he turns his nose up to everthing else. If I get these worms I have been reading about will he start putting back on some weight? Thanks

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

The greens are really not going to put any weight on your beardie, but he needs them for their nutritional value. As far as the worms go I would go with the superworms because they have alot of protein and a good amount of fat. Those would be your best bet for putting on weight and they are an excellent live feeder.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the length and weight of your beardie?

Dawn

 

[singtoyou]

About 13 inches and I don't know the weight but he is thin right now. And I don't like that. He hasn't always been that way.
I stopped giving him pinkies....that is what he has always had for his live food along with crickets.
and that has made him loose weight. I use to give him
a couple of pinkies a month and now I stopped, because I had read elsewhere that he didn't need all this fat being 8 years old.
Now. So now by stopping the pinkie and only giving him veggies he is losing weight. So That is were I am at.
Thanks so much for the help I am going to try the worms when I shop next for him. I have always stayed away from meal worms
because of the shell issue and just stuck with the pinkies for his live food. And crickets.
Thanks singtoyou