Lazy, won't eat unless hand fed

[forum1983]

When I first got my beardie just over a year ago as a baby, he actively went after crickets and other bugs (he's never ate veggies), but as of the last 2-3 months he has gotten really lazy and won't chase his food or even pick them off as they crawl past him. I literally have to pick the bugs up and hold it in front of his mouth before he'll eat it. And I know some people hand feed their dragons, and it probably isn't that big of a deal, but I don't want him to have this habit. I thought he was just over eating crickets and switched over to other feeders like superworms and hornworms, and it has improved but worms sitting in a bowl isn't like a cricket that is jumping all over the place. I've tried to give him the crickets and refuse to feed him by hand for a few days and either he just starts picking them off as they walk by or I give in and feed him. My question is, is it bad that he doesn't chase down crickets anymore? I've tried to give a varied diet and I know eventually he won't want these worms anymore and I'll need to eventually go back to crickets but I don't want to do that if he isn't going to work for his food. Any thoughts?

 

[catUK]

Mine did the same and i posted my concerns. I was told that may be they stop chasing them as they learn the crickets will eventually come to them and therefore don't waste energy on chasing them.

 

[forum1983]

No one has any suggestions then? I fed him some wax worms today and he ate the quickly, as I thought he would, and then I gave him a bunch of crickets and he didn't touch a single one.

 

[catUK]

No one has any suggestions then? I fed him some wax worms today and he ate the quickly, as I thought he would, and then I gave him a bunch of crickets and he didn't touch a single one.

i gave you a suggetion. he would choose wax worms over anything- they're like candy to a baby. try mixing his variey, they get to a stage where they get sick of the same things

 

[forum1983]

i gave you a suggetion. he would choose wax worms over anything- they're like candy to a baby. try mixing his variey, they get to a stage where they get sick of the same things

I have given him a variety in his diet. Of course when he was little he ate mostly crickets and mealworms on occasion. Always tried to give veggies but only up to a couple months ago he never touched them, and even now he only eats a few bites and then he leaves the rest. Of course he is only a year old and just maybe hasn't had the desire for veggies yet. But a few months ago he stopped eating crickets so I keep them but added superworms. Then left out crickets and fed him just superworms and hornworms. Right now I don't have any hornworms or superworms so I picked up the crickets and wax worms just to tied me over for a few days. I was just hoping that I could get him to eat the crickets so I don't need to toss them and waste money but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen. I'll just have to pick up some superworms tomorrow. I know they can get bored with eating the same thing everyday but I was hoping after being fed something different for awhile now I could switch back to crickets at some point. Guess not.

 

[catUK]

i hoped the same- tried crickets again with my beardie and she just closed her eyes when i offered them. Your beardie is the same age as mine and i read a post about them not eating much at this age and not showing interest in food. Apparently its mating season so a lot of beardies are acting weird with their food. They're so frustrating lol

 

[forum1983]

Man if it isn't one thing why they aren't eating it's another lol. I never realized how tempermental they can be about eating.

 

[catUK]

Man if it isn't one thing why they aren't eating it's another lol. I never realized how tempermental they can be about eating.

haha i know!! im constantly frustrated with mine!!

 

[jreed]

my guys wont eat crickets either they perfer supers and yes they want to be hand fed to i think it has a lot to do with there age and the fact that they have us trained lol

 

[sassyglizzard]

They really go through phases too. My one bearded dragon stopped chasing food around a year and a half. Then I hand fed her. And slowly started to think I was crazy for hand feeding my lazy dragon. Then she went through some phases of just not eating hardly anything. She did that a lot through to being 2 years old. Then at around 2 and a half she started chasing them again!!! Now she LOVEs to chase her food. Strange critters. I've learned they're just temparamental. And to just role with it. And if they're being too picky, then I guess they just won't eat that day. Sometimes they don't eat the next day either. But they give in and eat. Beardies just have a mind of their own.

 

[catUK]

They really go through phases too. My one bearded dragon stopped chasing food around a year and a half. Then I hand fed her. And slowly started to think I was crazy for hand feeding my lazy dragon. Then she went through some phases of just not eating hardly anything. She did that a lot through to being 2 years old. Then at around 2 and a half she started chasing them again!!! Now she LOVEs to chase her food. Strange critters. I've learned they're just temparamental. And to just role with it. And if they're being too picky, then I guess they just won't eat that day. Sometimes they don't eat the next day either. But they give in and eat. Beardies just have a mind of their own.

thats good to know

 

[Slave2Scarlett]

Scarlett's gotten too lazy to crawl over to her bowl full of worms..lol but If i drop them in front of her she will go get them.. Silly little creatures.. ha ha