Greens/salad

[trotterjon100]

I Have a 6 month old Beardie, who isnt the least bit interested in salad. At what age do they usually begin eating anything other than insects? I offer him salad everyday but he never even goes near it.

 

[Gail]

He should have been eating salad by now. Dragons will eat greens from hatchling size but sadly some breeders don't offer greens to tiny babies so the dragon never learns that greens are food. Its up to use to teach them greens are good, it can be difficult especially if you have a stubborn dragon who likes insects way too much.
How big is your dragon? How many insects is he eating a day? I would offer greens first thing in the morning and hold off on offering insects until the afternoon. If he is hungry, he is more likely to try the greens. If you can get him to open his mouth, you can pop a piece of green in there so he gets the taste.
A large healthy adult may have to go through "tough love" which is basically only offering greens until it eats them. A healthy dragon won't starve itself. Your dragon is too young for that though.

 

[bltkpo]

Another idea I've read is putting some small superworms or something in the food, which causes it to move! Seeing as beardies use movement to catch food, he might go for a worm and get some veg as well!

Also, I have noticed our beardie likes his greens dry and crunchie! Maybe don't change out to fresh greens once the other ones have gotten dry - perhaps he has the same taste for crunchy dry greens?

 

[zooeymama]

I offer a literal salad (I buy the southern green mix in a bag) and chop it fine. By chopping it fine- she eats more. It's her breakfast. Her bugs are her lunch and dinner. She used to not eat them much. I kept offering and kept offering every single day. Now she gets cranky at me if I am late or have a brain fart (and forget them although she does get offered her bugs by 11 or so no matter what. she reminds me by supper though by hiding. silly!)

Also added some RepCal moistened beardie pellets REALLY engaged her. They have some red pellets in there and it caught her eye.