Lowan only wants supers

[SpiritScale]

Little guy seems to be hooked on supers (he'll also eat large mealies).
He's 18 inches long, 370 grams (down about 5 grams) and 8 months old and hasn't really eaten any feeders in two weeks.

I don't know what to do. This is not a loss of appetite (as I feared he was getting sick) as he will eat any super or mealie I offer him (I managed to sneak a cricket in that way, but then he wasn't going to be fooled again). He picks at his salad and fruit.

At this point I'm just trying to wait him out (aside from the 2 times I have offered 1-2 supers or mealies to see if he was still interested in food) because I really want to get him off supers, but I am worried about hurting his growth.

I never really intended to feed him supers with any regularity but over the winter we had several cricket orders come in completely dead so all that was available was supers.
As such...he's lost interest in crickets.

I know some people offer supers as a staple but I am worried about his growth and don't have the money to be really mixing it up with silks and hornworms (assuming he'd need 5 or so each per feeding).

Should I just wait him out? He wasn't thin to begin with and has a good belly and armpit fat.
Or will he be ok eating 35 supers a week with a couple silks or hornworms tossed in?
I really want him to try and reach his full potential, but I know sometimes beardies refuse to eat crickets as they age.

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

He's only a youngun. Keep offering a variety of foods, and wind back on his favourites - try mixing it up a bit by adding other interesting wriggly foods, butterworms, butternut squash strips etc. Hide favourite food in amongst the bowl of dinner - make him work for it. Most of ours discovered they liked a variety of greens by accidentally eating bits, trying to get at grubs in their dishes!

 

[lisa127]

I use superworms as a staple, with something else thrown in occasionally for variety. IMO, crickets are no better nutritionally than supers they are just not as high in fat. Since my beardie tends to the lean sign I don't worry about the higher fat content.

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

They've also got a higher chitin level, which can cause impaction.
Calciworms, crickets, small locusts and butterworms will help provide exciting variety - and butterworms last up to four months in the fridge!

 

[lauraj1055]

I use supers, and have for the past 4 years for all my dragons. I have 9 total, and they are all in great health. I also use dubia in the mix and the occasional hornworms, but I have a few that will only eat supers. They never have had crickets, as I hate dealing with crickets. But Superworms are not bad as a staple. I also feed micro and small supers to all my babies I breed too, and have never had an issue.