Cost of feeding....

[Rutabaga]

Hi. I'm still doing all my research before I purchase a BD. Can someone tell me the estimated monthly cost of feeding a baby beardie? I was looking at feeding reptiworms instead of crickets or roaches because crickets just creep me out too much and roaches...well I just can't deal with roaches in my house.

Is a diet of reptiworms and greens and calcium dusting enough for a baby beadie? Or are reptiworms not the proper worms at all?

Thanks!!

 

[TASTIGER]

you are going to hate me for saying this but roaches are the best path once your colony is up and going you will never have to buy feeders again
we were spending 150 just on crickets per month

 

[Looneytoon]

My male eats 30-35 crickets a day I get 80 crickets from Petco every 2nd day or so. There about $9.00 every time thats about $135 month. Still working on getting the roache colony up. But will say I luv the roaches no smell.

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Feeding

 

[Rutabaga]

Tastiger....I did some research this morning on breeding Dubia colonies. If I can get past the heebeegeebee's of roaches it sounds super easy to do. The plus is they don't fly and can't climb the plastic tubs.

If I start trying to build a colony now...I should have a pretty good bunch by this February or March when I am looking to get my beardie, right??

Tricky part now is convincing my husband...he is terrified of bugs!!

 

[TASTIGER]

how i did it was i explained how much money it saved money always wins them over and i use the gigantic feeding tongs to get them out it helps

 

[TASTIGER]

as soon as you can tell they are breeding successfully then it would be a great idea to get your baby

 

[jeritta]

We are just now starting the dubia too. I have had this horribly fear of roaches. YUCK. my hubby does too. But a friend explained them to us and how they would be better for our babies and help on costs too. So we are hooked and gonna get a colony going. The bins were super easy to build and only about $5 each to build. We still have tons of worms so we are gonna switch slow and get the colony going and get them used to the dubia. We have the really long bbq tong for ours.
They are still creepy. But if the babies like them that is all that matters.

 

[keen77]

Hey guys! I'm new here. Got a normal from Pet Smart for my little girl and our family fell in love with her. So then I got another one from a breeder online Greathouse farms she is a Sandfire Pastel x Millspaugh Red, really pretty and so much more chill than the normal. I started a roach colony and they just had babies! My dragons love 'em, but I'm trying to hold off feeding off em for a while til they get a little more established. Also a tip to save on crickets, hit up your local bait shop. 100 for $5.00 I've started raising meal worms too and have my first beetle.

 

[jeritta]

how old are your beardies? Are you feeding them the Mealworms?

 

[keen77]

Hey, they are around a foot long and chew them well

 

[keen77]

they are about 6 months old

 

[jeritta]

mealies really aren't good for dragons that young. the exoskeleton on them is to hard to digest and can cause an impaction. It is just really not recommended by anyone on here.

 

[keen77]

I keep a close eye to ensure no impaction but yea not worth the risk. I have tried to buy wax worms twice from Pet Smart and they were all dead, but I know those are just for treats.

 

[jeritta]

www.mulberryfarms.com is good for waxies and butters and www.greatlakeshornworm.com is great for hornworms you can get hornworm cups or you can get hornworm eggs and raise them to whatever size you need. They are soft and they are good feeders. They are also safe feeders. Mulberry farms also has silkworms. Also www.silkwormshop.com is also good for silkworms. just some alternatives for worms that are much safer. You could also start a dubia colony and feed them dubia. That is better than crix as well.