Feeding baby bearded dragon

[pereira22]

So i will get a baby/juvenille bearded dragon and i wanted to know how do i feed them, for example for crickets/small mealwoms do i leave an amount of crickets/small mealworms inside his cage or i might be feeding him in a separated cage to make it more easier to clean or do i go with 1 cricket/small mealworm by 1 in 10 or 15 minuts till he stops eating? And how much meals per day (including vegetables) does he need? I've been reading a lot of topics and sheets about this but i would like to see some of your answers to these questions, thank you.

 

[Bear333]

Hi there!

Yay, you're getting a beardie!! Do not leave the crickets inside the cage, there have been plenty of cases where crickets have chewed on the beardies limbs while it sleeps. Mealworms, even small ones, are not acceptable to feed to yours. They have a exo skeleton that is hard for them to digest. Crickets are a great option, although there are also Dubia roaches (lots of protein) and Phoenix worms (soldier fly larvae; a good amount of calcium). It all depends on your beardie when it comes to where to feed. When mine was only a baby, I tried feeding her in a separate container and she got stressed out and wouldn't eat. So, I just feed her in her enclosure, and which is perfectly fine. You should feed the bearded dragon 2-3 times a day, preferably 3, however many they want within 10-15 minutes. The bugs should be no longer than the space between their eyes. They should also be dusted with calcium approx. 5 times a week/every other day. You should also offer a small salad consisting of greens usually just once a day and leave it available (collars, mustard, dandelion, NO LETTUCE OR KALE). As well as veggies (Acorn squash, bell pepper, green beans, etc.) and the occasional piece of fruit (banana, strawberry, apple). Single baby's are young, they may not want to eat the salad, just keep offering and they may get interested. Anyway, sorry for the long reply! Good luck!

 

[pereira22]

Ok thank you very much. One more thing, 3 days a week im not home between 2 and 6pm, i was wondering if i can feed him once in the morning and once in the evening and in that time that im not home i leave him some vegetables with the calcium powder and then i take them out of the cage when i get home, basically he gets 2 living food meals twice a day and one with vegetables for 3 days a week and the rest of the week i can feed him normally.

 

[Bear333]

Ok thank you very much. One more thing, 3 days a week im not home between 2 and 6pm, i was wondering if i can feed him once in the morning and once in the evening and in that time that im not home i leave him some vegetables with the calcium powder and then i take them out of the cage when i get home, basically he gets 2 living food meals twice a day and one with vegetables for 3 days a week and the rest of the week i can feed him normally.

Yes, I’m sure that would be fine As long as he eats the salad, because most people put calcium on the bugs since they’re most likely to eat the bugs than the salad.

 

[CooperDragon]

I used to give a morning and evening bug meal to my little guy and it was fine. Leaving salad in the tank all day is a good idea too. You don't need to add any supplement to the salad, just the bugs. Salads contain plenty of nutrients on their own and there are calcium rich greens such as collards that you can offer.

 

[pereira22]

Ok thank you very much for the replies. Can you just send me a sheet or a site where i could see what are the best vegetables to give to a little beardie?

 

[CooperDragon]

I like to reference this list for ideas http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html But I rotate what I offer based on what looks fresh at the store/market each week. Offering a good variety while keeping some of their favorites in the mix is the key to a healthy diet.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Refer to this guide for how to and when to feed your hatchling bearded dragon : viewtopic.php?f=18&t=237167