Baby Beardie Needs His Vegetables?

[burntotears]

I'm sure it's been asked before, but it's hard to really search the forum for 'vegetables' and get exactly what I need.

My baby (7 inches, 2 months about) eats feeders just fine, but I have yet to see him touch a vegetable. I know there is the tip of putting feeders into his veggies and I am planning to do that when I get my superworms and phoenix worms in, but for now I have crickets and they won't exactly stay put.

Any vegetables or fruit I should start out with that may draw his attention? Do I even really need to worry if he isn't eating any vegetables at this point? I always have them there for him if he wants them, but so far he isn't interested.

 

[BrightStar]

My baby Rygel is a little over 13 weeks old. I think he prefers to play with his veggies rather than eating them, as I will often find bits of greens all over the cage floor. I read that it's normal for babies not to eat much veg. They need protein from live feeders much more, so it's not such a terrible thing if they don't eat their greens. But I think I'm in the same situation as you - trying to find a way to get my baby to eat even a little veg. I worry that if he doesn't eat his greens, he might get dehydrated without them(even though he has baths and I drip water onto his nose with an eye dropper).

I haven't tried putting feeders in the salad bowl, but might try that soon.

What I do mainly is try to top the greens with something bright and colorful, like squash or fruit. Some suggestions (and things I've tried) are spaghetti squash, butternut squash, strawberries, papaya, red/ yellow/orange bell peppers. I also read that beardie bites, or softened juvenile bearded dragon food (the one with bright pellets) can also help. I'd say so far I've had most luck with the spaghetti squash, red bell peppers and papaya.

 

[CooperDragon]

It's good to offer salads so it's a familiar food source. Some of them dig in and some don't. They need the protein from bugs to support large growth spurts so it's not a huge concern if they ignore their veges for now. Having it available makes it a familiar food source though and seems to make things easier when they start to transition to mainly veges in their diet at about 12-18 months old.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Feed the roaches or crickets the greens and veg , and then feed the gut loaded insects to the little dragon, he gets his bugs (will put a big grin on his dial) and wont know he's getting yucky greens and veg .... sneaky eh, but it works.

Not all young beardies like their greens or veg, I've been lucky all my lizards came from breeders who got them onto their greens when very young (under one month old).

Baby beardies REALLY NEED their high quality insects MORE than they need their greens , they need the insect proteins and fats and the calcium to grow fast and develop properly, if they eat their greens and veg THAT'S A BONUS but don't panic if your baby beardie turns it's nose up the greens and veg, just keep offering these daily , eventually they'll try them or they'll get a bit in their mouth by accident when slamming a tasty bug who's eating their greens/veg.