Just CRICKETS???

[Creeps]

Hey there,
our new beardie is 9 wks old and eats crickets very well along with some greens. Just curious if crickets are the only source of protein he can have? or can we mix it up a bit for some variety,,,,in Canada so Dubia roaches are out! I know he can't have certain worms (super or meal) because of impaction. Just seeing if theres anything else he can try, maybe for a treat. And does he stay on crickets as a staple until he's a year old??

Thanks!!

 

[Beardie321]

Hello,
Have you heard of phoenix worms before? They are an amazing staple to have along with crickets. They have a super high calcium content and are very healthy for young bearded dragons. Cheers!

 

[hiTimothy]

Phoenix worms (as previous poster said) along with butterworms, silk worms and hornworms are more great food sources you can give to your beardie!

 

[hiTimothy]

And you won't ever have to depend on crickets anymore if you choose to purchase those other feeder worms (though they can get really costly) so you can always mix it up.
For a treat, you can give him waxworms. Though they are extremely fatty, should be given on rare rare occasions!

And it's not that you shouldn't give your beardie super worms, it's that they shouldn't be fed supers if they're shorter than 16 inches. If they're 16 inches and longer, then you can feed them super worms

 

[Creeps]

Great, thanks folks!
I've been looking into Phoenix worms, yup, a lot more expensive! They still eat same amount of worms comparable to the amount of crickets?

 

[Beardie321]

I recommend feeding aprox 15-30 phoenix worms a day ontop of the 50+ crickets. This will have a very fast growth rate.

 

[CountofCasualty]

If you want more filling feeders, Silks, Horns and Butters are the way to go. My girl, Thresh, would easily eat 100+ crickets per day(she's 14 inches long now), but she is full on 5-6 horn worms per day, Silks comparable since they get about the same size. Silkworms.ca is a great place to buy worms, too, and it's Canadian!