Feeding question

[linkj154]

I am considering getting a bearded dragon but I am not sure. The reason is I don't know how much insects to feed them and people on different websites give very different advice. Some people say to only feed 15-20 a day to a baby/juvenile dragon and increase the amount in insects as they get bigger. Others say to feed young bearded dragons 5 times a day and give them as much as they will eat in 10 minutes, which can be about 50-80 insects a day and gradually decrease the insects as they get older and feed mostly vegetables to adults. Do you guys know which way is correct? Why do people say to feed them completely different ways?

 

[hdochow]

the main difference in information is disinformation. most places you get them from have no clue and give you bad advice. it is good you are looking into things in advance.

as babies, they are eating machines. they will eat as many bugs as they can in a 10-15 minute period 3x a day when they are little. this slows down as they grow. my sir henry at about 100 bugs a day when i rescued him, but now at 2 1/2 he eats a couple bugs a week. you give them salads every day from day one, which they won't really eat in the beginning, but they need to get used to it because salads will be what they primarily eat when they are older. what they don't eat in a day, you can feed to the bugs overnight, so it's still getting the nutrients in there somewhere. they also need calcium and vitamin supplements

if you do wind up getting one, please check here for the proper equipment. most pet stores sell kits that range from inadequate for care to downright dangerous for them. the heat/lights are the most critical part of their care and will affect everything else they do. we all would much rather answer questions than try to help in an emergency situation. there is no such thing as a "bad" or "stupid" question.

 

[linkj154]

Awesome, that really clears thing up! Thanks for your reply. I will look into buying feeder insects in bulk online.

 

[hdochow]

we do dubia roaches. they are much cleaner and more nutritious than crickets. i get them from The #1 Source for Live Pet Food | Dubia.com and haven't ever had a problem with them. karrieree can give you links to some others and different bugs too. i don't have all those links she has bookmarked.

for salads, this is our go to site. ignore what it says about kale though. more studies have been done, and it is a great staple feeder. (i use it a lot although sir henry's favorite green is dandelions.) the website just hasn't been updated to show this. Nutrition Content

 

[linkj154]

Good to know, I will check it out. Thanks again