how much per week ill i waist on a baby dragon?

[nadreluiz10]

how much per week will i waist on a baby dragon, im getting one next week and i know i have to give him crickets but do i have to or can i just give him or her worms and other foods and no crickets at all becouse i dont want anything thats going to make any noise. please help.OO and can i feed him or her rice or beans and meat?

 

[Wyldrose]

Hi! Beardies don't need crickets, you can feed a vareity of insects, like mealworms, dubia roaches(these are illegal in Canada, not sure where you are) and super worms. A baby bearded dragon should be fed 80% insects and 20% veggies. Insects should be as many as they can eat in 10 mins 2x a day, which can be 20-50 crickets per meal.
I hope it's ok to link a list from another forum, this is the feeding guild that I use
http://www.herpcenter.com/reptile-caresheets/bearded-dragon/feeding-bearded-dragons.html
Good luck!

 

[RB1]

you will be spending 50 a month or so on feeders this is what i spend.i buy from flukers 28 shipped for 1000 tho i am sure u can find cheaper also

1000 every 2 weeks or so on crickets,crickets are the cheapest compared to other feeders,mealworms should not be fed as a staple.

 

[Mediabandit]

If you are looking at it as "wasting" then in my opinion you are not ready for a Beardie.

 

[Dementeddogz]

If you are looking at it as "wasting" then in my opinion you are not ready for a Beardie.

Saved me the trouble of typing that


Average insect cost ordering will run around $40 - 60 a month. Can try some local pet stores can usually find 1,000 crickets for $20 or so

 

[RB1]

the first year will be costly via feeders after which he will cut down on feeders and you could get away with 1000 crickets or less monthly.

 

[Dementeddogz]

Yes after the first year the ratio more or less inverts from 80% insects 20% greens to 80% greens 20% insects. The first 6 - 9 months are when they will eat you out of house and home.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Be prepared to waste money on UVB lighting. They need to be changed every 6 months. Also vitamins and calcium to dust their feeders. Oh and people will usually get bottles of water conditioner to add to their bath water. And reptile safe disinfectant for cleaning their furniture and vivs.

He will also need a routine veterinary visit at about 3-4 months with a fecal exam to check for internal parasites, which are common in bearded dragons.

Baby bearded dragons should eat protein three times a day. They will eat less quantity as they get older. Fresh salad is also not cheap. be prepared when you get a baby bearded dragon that they will eat small amounts of greens and you will feel like you are 'wasting' it throwing it away as it wilts and goes bad, replacing it with fresh greens.

Reptiles are not like dogs and cats. In order to keep them in captivity you must provide proper unfiltered UV, calcium with d3 and vitamins or they do not grow and develop properly. When not provided with these important needs, they will grow deformed and be crippled, sick and die.

 

[klm15975]

He will also need a routine veterinary visit at about 3-4 months with a fecal exam to check for internal parasites, which are common in bearded dragons.

Oh so glad I read this thread. Got our beardie in June, so a vet trip is in order.

 

[kitkat101]

It is very expensive to have a bearded dragon, especially a baby. If you consider it "wasting"...I don't know if you are ready.

 

[RB1]

I agree i can tell you this much

for me personally 4x2x18 viv-200

crickets every 2 weeks 28 bucks

vitamins-10 bucks maybe less a bottle?this will last you about a year if not more since you only use a pinch of it

heating bulb 5 bucks or less

items for the cage 5-20 dollars unless you find your own rocks etc

timer-20 dollars/dimmer 10 dollars

uvb reflector 20 dollars

yea you get the point it was costly for me but after a year i can sit back and just give him greens and 1000 crickets to 500 would do for a month

 

[ShannyBeard]

yea you get the point it was costly for me but after a year i can sit back and just give him greens and 1000 crickets to 500 would do for a month

Part of the problem with babies is that they cost so very much in the beginning because they really need unlimited protein (feeders) to grow big and healthy. They also really should be fed three times a day and people often will sacrifice to twice a day because they can't come home at lunch and feed them.

And you make a really valid point that once they are adults it is cheaper.

So maybe the best advice for this person would be to start off with an adult bearded dragon, maybe something around 3 years old that has been well-established.

 

[CaptainVimes]

Or not get one at all as they see it as "waste".

Not really the right wording on a beardie forum, where everyone adores their pets, and would sell their souls to keep up with the costs of looking after their Beardies.

If you are worried about cost, then A BABY BEARDIE IS NOT FOR YOU.

Adult Beardies eat 20% live feeders and 80% fresh veg. (try telling Dexter that!)

You CANNOT feed a beardie rice, only "meat" they are allowed is insects.

Without being rude, you need to do a heck of a lot more RESEARCH before you buy a bearded dragon.

As for going to the vets every 3 - 4 months - I don't think that is necessary unless your beardie is constantly in contact with the outside world, or you regularly feed crickets that have parasites? (unless you meant at AGE of 3 - 4 months?)

Surely if you are immaculate in their hygiene, NEVER put something in the enclosure from straight outside, and avoid crickets like the plague, your beardie simply can't get parasites?! (providing you don't have other animals that go outside in his enclosure, or touching him, or crapping on surfaces that your beardie touches!?)

I certainly won't be taking Dexter every 3-4 months! Surely it's not necessary if he NEVER comes into contact with something wild?!

My cat only goes once a year for his annual vaccinations and a general check up!
(he's an indoor cat - only time he ventures outside is in his carrier, to go to the vets)

 

[ShannyBeard]

He will also need a routine veterinary visit at about 3-4 months with a fecal exam to check for internal parasites, which are common in bearded dragons.

As for going to the vets every 3 - 4 months - I don't think that is necessary unless your beardie is constantly in contact with the outside world, or you regularly feed crickets that have parasites? (unless you meant at AGE of 3 - 4 months?)

Yes I said he will need a routine vet visit at about 3-4 months, meaning around that age, to check for parasites. This is what our vet advises and I think it is a really good idea.

I said this about the veterinary visit because some people think reptiles don't need to go to the vet, and I would want a new bearded dragon owner to understand that this is an expense that really is a good idea.

People also regularly feed crickets. I haven't learned how to tell if a cricket has parasites, yet, but it's possible that they do.

Instead of just answering this guy's question about wasting money on feeders, I was trying to think of all the little things that we spent money on our dragon in his first 6 months, including vet bills. So many people get on here with questions about poo or about lethargic beardies with no appetite and don't think they need to take them to the vet. I thought maybe it would be a good thing to mention.

 

[ZanyAmy]

I have a 4-month old, so maybe I'm not really qualified to say but I'll list the expenses anyway:

20 gallon tank (36x12x16,I think) = $120
Decorations (a tree, a log and a bowl) = $25
Worms: $2 every 2 weeks
Crickets: $6 a week (75 crickets since I mix worms in there and they tend to be fairly large)
Conditioner: $8
Spray Bottle: $4
Dropper (b/c she's spoiled): $3
Vegetables: $10-$15 per week (most of it goes to waste because getting her to eat greens is a mission)
Misc : $10-$15 per month

I'm saving up for a vet visit, but I'm an unemployed college student with some health problems of my own so I've taken her to my local reptile shop where the owners are herpetologists and the Manager is in vet school. I think that should be good enough until I can save up for lab work.