Hakuna's life

Hello everyone! For younger pictures go here viewtopic.php?f=44&t=241239
Well this is Hakuna (picture a day or two old)

I don't know if Hakuna is male or female yet, ive been told have to wait a long time to tell. But gosh definitely has a funny personality licks everything lays weird just is a weird soul haha! He is also so cute, ive never have been so inlove with an animal. He was born roughly feb 6th and today when weighed he was 11 grams 9 on friday! Yesterday he was going through a headshed, scared me because he was buldging his eye out.

He was a bit mad rubbing his head on everything and puffing his beard i could imagine it was itchy. Gave him a nice warm bath didnt want to stay in for long. But i will try to post as much as i can of my growing Hakuna, i work mon-friday 7-4( sometimes later or earlier) but on weekends there will forsure be updates. Now HAPPY Easter everyone. Heres some pics

 

[NuJohn321]

He is handsome, and he knows it! It will be interesting to see what colors develope, as he grows. Dezi did not look at all like he does, now...he had no bright orange, or indications that he would be so stunning.

I have no experience with the vita bug crickets you mention; have heard nothing against them, either. Maybe some other members will give some input about them. Are they the dried kind? I prefer the live protien for Dezi, but like having some other foods, for emergencies or for travel, when live is less convenient. I keep a bag of the nat geo Bearded dragon food on hand. It looks like green peas, and comes in a sealable bag. Must be refrigerated, once opened. I soak it in hot water to warm it up (live eaters do not like cold food) and drain it on a paper towel. I dust it with calcium powder before serving. Dezi likes it alot. I offer it as one of many choices, not as a primary food source. It has a nice variety of vitamins added, and comes for juvies or adults. I buy it at pet smart. It can also be found online. Let me know how those crickets work out for you. It may be another resource for travel food for Dezi....

Oh really? I didn't know that aha!! Notice a greenish on his head in bright light
And with the cricket's they're live but they are supposed to be more nutritious seen some experiments and beardie seem to grow better and look better but they're not too much more money and if are better than other cricket's. They also say some are fed cat food dog food etc cheap to get them to grow but bad for our pets they've been working on these cricket's for awhile from what I read

 

[HippieLizards]

The crickets sound good But I would definitely NOT feed either the beardie or the crickets dog or cat food. I Wouldn't trust what the advertisements on the crickets say. Most of the time they're just trying to get you to throw money at them. :?

and Lol, My beardies are also attention seeking dragons. Lol when I last had a booth at repticon I brought both Cisco and Thor and it would attract TONS of people to our booth and I would teach lots of people all sorts of info on beardies and there would be tons of adults and kids petting and holding Cisco and Thor and they just loved it :mrgreen: (plus beardies at a booth attracts both people and sales :mrgreen: )!!! So I think almost all beardies love the fame and attention. :roll:

-HippieLizards.

 

[NuJohn321]

The crickets sound good But I would definitely NOT feed either the beardie or the crickets dog or cat food. I Wouldn't trust what the advertisements on the crickets say. Most of the time they're just trying to get you to throw money at them. :?

and Lol, My beardies are also attention seeking dragons. Lol when I last had a booth at repticon I brought both Cisco and Thor and it would attract TONS of people to our booth and I would teach lots of people all sorts of info on beardies and there would be tons of adults and kids petting and holding Cisco and Thor and they just loved it :mrgreen: (plus beardies at a booth attracts both people and sales :mrgreen: )!!! So I think almost all beardies love the fame and attention. :roll:

-HippieLizards.

I figured most beardies loved the attention and I so worded that wrong some cricket breeders do, but there's been study's on the Vita bugs I'm gonna try it haha. But ooo repticon where and when is that at?

 

[HippieLizards]

Repticon is a US wide two day event that happens A LOT. It's a wonderful family friendly experience with lots of reptiles and tons of great vendors there who really care about the animals.

There's tons in almost every state and It happens almost every week in a different state. I really recommend going there. I Have been going there for years and know almost all the vendors. I always bring one of my beardies too. I Can PM you the website link or post it here. Whichever you'd prefer.

 

[NuJohn321]

Repticon is a US wide two day event that happens A LOT. It's a wonderful family friendly experience with lots of reptiles and tons of great vendors there who really care about the animals.

There's tons in almost every state and It happens almost every week in a different state. I really recommend going there. I Have been going there for years and know almost all the vendors. I always bring one of my beardies too. I Can PM you the website link or post it here. Whichever you'd prefer.

Oooo definitely want to check it out either or works!

 

[NuJohn321]

Hakuna going to sleep getting so big aha

 

[HippieLizards]

Repticon is a US wide two day event that happens A LOT. It's a wonderful family friendly experience with lots of reptiles and tons of great vendors there who really care about the animals.

There's tons in almost every state and It happens almost every week in a different state. I really recommend going there. I Have been going there for years and know almost all the vendors. I always bring one of my beardies too. I Can PM you the website link or post it here. Whichever you'd prefer.

Oooo definitely want to check it out either or works!

I just sent you the link to the website.

 

[NuJohn321]

Hakuna last night.
The Vita bugs came yesterday, very angry the ups guy put the package of live cricket's on the ground and living in Florida it got destroyed by ants. They shouldve been put on the table next to the door as they were before and were fine or rang the doorbell and my grandpa would've got it.

 

[SHBailey]

We buy medium sized "Vita Bugs" crickets in the little plastic "cricket lunch boxes" at our local Petco, but we've never tried to have them shipped. We've had pretty good luck with them, but our beardie is 6 years old so he doesn't need huge quantities. There are only 36 of them in each little box, so if your beardie is young and growing, you probably need to get them shipped in bulk -- maybe you can negotiate with UPS about not leaving them on the ground for ant food, and good luck with that one. Around here, they're notorious for the "drop ship and run" maneuver. :roll:

The little plastic boxes would also be good for starting little transplants to put out in a garden later -- complete with tiny little airholes for drainage. I'd be using them for that purpose myself if I hadn't given up on gardening in our yard some years ago. (I only have a green thumb if I keep it indoors.) We're better off letting the dandelions grow wild and feeding them to the beardie. :mrgreen:

Another good thing to keep around for a backup food, in case you can't get live bugs for a day or two, is Repashy Grub Pie. It's a powder that you make up into a gel, and you can cut it into little wormy shapes. Most beardies really like it, while some of them don't recognize the dry pellets as food.

 

[NuJohn321]

We buy medium sized "Vita Bugs" crickets in the little plastic "cricket lunch boxes" at our local Petco, but we've never tried to have them shipped. We've had pretty good luck with them, but our beardie is 6 years old so he doesn't need huge quantities. There are only 36 of them in each little box, so if your beardie is young and growing, you probably need to get them shipped in bulk -- maybe you can negotiate with UPS about not leaving them on the ground for ant food, and good luck with that one. Around here, they're notorious for the "drop ship and run" maneuver. :roll:

The little plastic boxes would also be good for starting little transplants to put out in a garden later -- complete with tiny little airholes for drainage. I'd be using them for that purpose myself if I hadn't given up on gardening in our yard some years ago. (I only have a green thumb if I keep it indoors.) We're better off letting the dandelions grow wild and feeding them to the beardie. :mrgreen:

Another good thing to keep around for a backup food, in case you can't get live bugs for a day or two, is Repashy Grub Pie. It's a powder that you make up into a gel, and you can cut it into little wormy shapes. Most beardies really like it, while some of them don't recognize the dry pellets as food.

They're sending another shipment. It's more expensive to buy cricket's by the dozen as needed than buying in bulk so I did that. I did manage to save already almost 100 cricket's out of 1000
He likes them more never seen him run so fast to his food. I'm very pleased. Well will be when the full shipment gets here amd not attacked by ants but I will look into it! Usually always will beable to get food aslong as pet stores don't run out if I do, live in Florida so no snow etc but will get some In case of a hurricane and I don't have any bugs or something

 

[NuJohn321]

Hakuna tonight oh my gosh he's so cute
Also starting another shed after he just got done with one of course he starts with the tip of the lips then goes on to the rest haha starting to itch his head on stuff again

 

[NuJohn321]

His bsfl came in today! He got excited because he thought he was getting his treat (waxworms) and ran over to the bowl but after eating one realized it was not them but loves them. I've realized if I feed him he'll eat more than he will if my girlfriend feeds him do you think this is a personal preference of his? Also when I bring him out if he can he will poop on me, any reason to this?
Also tried a reptile leash again still too small

 

[HippieLizards]

He looks happy with those BSFL he's got.

and I'm pretty sure that once your friend starts handling him more and hand feeding him more he'll get more used to the other person. I Recommend letting him get used to being touched and fed by multiple people while he's young so he's more used to people other then his personal slave.

 

[NuJohn321]

We show him off to everyone that comes and they want to hold and love on him but most people won't touch bugs haha. Along with I don't have too many friends. My girlfriend handles him, but I guess not as often as I do. Or well it'll be after I take him out. I think he just knows I'm his personal slave as you said, and will just cooperate with me hah. I always try to feed whenever I get home just to make sure if he didn't get enough with her he's not hungry sometimes he'll eat sometimes he won't and I know his appetite with depend on mood and everything at least as I've read

 

[SHBailey]

If you have a little beardie to take care of, you pretty much have to get over being squeamish about handling bugs as soon as possible, otherwise beardie slavery can make you pretty miserable...

My husband does most of the hard work when it comes to critter care and whenever I'm not up to it, and I'm not up to it way too often. So our beardie doesn't seem to be too concerned about which one of his human slaves handles him, although my husband seems to think the beardie knows that I'm "softer." (Of course I am, because I have a much higher fat to muscle ratio than my husband, and fat is softer than muscle. :wink: ) As far as I can tell, just as long as he gets to stuff himself with bugs on a fairly regular basis, the beardie doesn't seem to care all that much who it is that feeds them to him. :mrgreen: He'll tolerate cuddling from either one of us too. :love5:

I think they learn what to expect from the various humans they interact with, but they each have their own personality too. Some are just naturally more trusting than others to begin with.