Just got a baby beardie.

[Radioflyr]

Just got a baby beardie and brought him home yesterday evening. and Im looking for some ideas to get him to eat something. I bought yellow squash at the store today I was reading on here and squash seems to be what is usually recommended when your beardie wont eat. I just dont know a safe way to cook it so he will eat it. Also I have tryed to feed him crix a couple times today and he completely ignores them. He also wont touch any of the mustard or collard greens(I cut it up real small). So A few ideas to get him eating is what I am looking for. And how to I prepare this squash for him?

 

[peera]

I feed it to my dragons raw. Just cut it up in little bit-sized pieces, that's all the work involved. If you really want, you can cook it, but it's usually unnessisary. Since you don't specify the kind you got, I can't tell you exactly how to cook it, but this link should help a bit (don't add butter/salt whatever, obviously, unless you want some yourself, but cook that separately.) http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/cooking/squash.html

 

[Radioflyr]

Thank you

And its Yellow squash. ll try to squash tomorrow

Im still wondering how to get the stubborn boy to eat his crickets though.

-Steve

 

[peera]

Don't worry, once he gets used to his new home, he'll be eating you out of house & home soon enough!

 

[winfieldblue]

ive had my beardie for 2 weeks now, the first week he wouldnt touch nothing, then out of nowhere he just started eating, he only eats max 10 - 15 each sitting though and i think thats because i got him in a 4x2x2, he jus stands in one spot and waits for them to come close enough, also i noticed that a couple of days ago i switched the lights off 2 hours later then they normally would because i fed him late and wanted him to digest everything properly, and the next day he didnt eat anything, then today he started eating again, so i think that when you mess around with things it puts em off food for a while ive found that everthing thats been said on this forum has been spot on, the settling in, the large tank (babies should have a smaller tank so they can feel less overwhelmed chasing food), messing around with lights, enclosure etc... stresses em out

 

[Radioflyr]

I guess hes is in a large tank for his size. He is in a 20 gal breeder. The people I picked him up off of has 8 of these 7 week old babys in a 30 gal tupperware with a heat/UVB lamp ringed in a hole on top. It really was not a bad idea since they have so many reptiles. They also told me I should buy one (I got one from them for free) Because baby beardies like to have companions, I dont know how true this is I have heard that one can stop the other from eating and they can nip each others parts off. So I dont think I will buy another. Any thoughts on that?

-Steve

 

[peera]

You are correct, dragons DO NOT like companionship, and shame on them for telling you that. We have many members whose dragons were not growing properly from stress, or are missing tails and legs because people thought it was ok to keep them together. I'm getting a little girl myself next Wednesday that is missing the tip of her tail because a clutchmate thought she was crowding her. I'm glad the damage wasn't more serious! We had a member at one time whose tail was so damaged they had to remove his testicles because they wouldn't stay in, and she had thought she was going to beat the odds since hers had been together over a year and acted like they liked each other.
Give him some time, it can take up to 2 weeks to get their eating patterns back up, if you think his cage is to large to catch live feeders easily you could try feeding him outside it in a rubbermaid tote. And that way you don't have to chase the evil little things down when he's done eating or worry that they've crawled into his log or something.

 

[Radioflyr]

Thanks great advice I cut up mustard/collard greens this morning really tiny for my guy and choped up some yellow squash blueberrys and pineapple so hopefully with the larger amout of choices to pick from he will hop down off his beloved tree and eat something today.

I did offer crix again today after I put him in the feeding box (plastic tupperware tote 1.5x 1.5x .8) and he didnt move a muscle the whole time he was in there. So he must still be to stressed to eat.

Should I stop handleing him until he feels comfortable enough to eat?

 

[Twobeardieguy]

This should help out!! http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

 

[Radioflyr]

thank you already booked marked

 

[Radioflyr]

Its a good day at my house today gave our little guy (Who is still nameless. Thinking about naming him after a king... King Luie sounds fun) any ways back on track he had his first bath today. He also got his first taste fo squash and after about 3-4 minutes with squash baby food on his noise he finally decided to try it. To his suprise I think he really enjoyed it we used a monoject to feed him he must have eaten 0.2 mLs. I also fed some very tiny superworms because he will just not touch his crix. Stubborn. After eating and bathing he climbed on top of his tree and waved at us for atleast 30 minutes. I know that means submission. I think its a good thing? :study: Ill post some pictures in a bit thats for all your help so far but Im sure I will need more along the way

Zzzzz time for bed

Looks pretty happy in his viv

-Steve