Feeding pellets and live?

[Smaugandzuki]

Hi new here so have lots of questions! My beardies a year old and has been eating crickets and veggies her whole life. I recently got some pellets to try out with her as back up for times when I might run out of crickets and my shop is out. My question is, would it be okay if I feed pellets some days and crickets other days? I’d still feed veggies regularly but I figured it might help to lessen the amount of crickets I’m buying if I can replace some cricket days with pellets! Just some more info, she’s equally great at eating pellets and crickets. I was looking more into the health effects of adding pellets to a regular diet and using crickets more as enrichment

 

[MrSpectrum]

Welcome. We're used to lots of questions, and by all means, feel free to ask and/or search the site for similar topics/questions for different perspectives/PsOV.

Variety is best with both greens/vegetables and live feeders. If she'll eat pellets--and they're the right kind for BDs (I don't know, I've never used them. If it's not moving, my guy won't eat it :roll: )--then I'd say they're fine as a part of her diet. Personally, I'd try to add/include other kinds of live feeders, e.g. dubia roaches (if legal where you are), BSFL, super worms, silkworms, wax worms, horn worms, etc. in appropriate portions/ratios for her age.

 

[DorgEndo]

Hi and welcome.

When it comes to food starting around 1 year old you can probably start reducing how many insects are feed. There is definitely variation on the way people change their beardies diet as their dragon gets older, but in general like any creature once they are mostly grown or fully grown, between 12-24 months old for a Beardie, they don't need as many bugs. It's great that your beardie eats greens. Do you check your dragons weight and length? Knowing how big your dragon is and if their growth is slowing down can be a cue to start reducing bugs in meals. Keep track of weight so a reduction in food doesn't reduce your dragon.

I'm a more a fan of fresh food and variety of different plants and insects. Dried food can be useful, like dried alfalfa to gut load insects before eating, because getting fresh alfalfa is near impossible year round where I am. I tend to use any dried food to insects. Giving fresh plants to my dragon daily with an appropriate amount of bugs for her every few days.

 

[MrSpectrum]

getting fresh alfalfa is near impossible year round where I am.

Likewise. Alfalfa sprouts however, are generally plentiful year-round. It's a little more effort to grow them up, but there's no question that alfalfa is fresh! :lol: (Like the herbs & other beardie-safe plants we grow.) :wink: