Need advice about my work hours and feeding a beardie

[matrixkid29]

So i don't own a beardie yet and im still doing my research. I have learned (correct me if im wrong) that idealy beardies need to be nice and hot for about an hour after eating to aid in digestion. Presumably it would then be ideal for the beardie to warm up for an hour before eating in the mornings.

This leaves me with a very specific 8 hour range in which i could feed my beardie (assuming a 10 hour lighting cycle)

The problem with this is that during the summer I work 12-14 hour shifts 6 days a week. Assuming I try to feed twice a day, I would only be able to feed once while he is warm and ready to digest food. If I were to feed a second time, he would be "cold" during that feeding. (i keep my place at 68F)

So i guess my question is : Is feeding my beardie while he is "cold" bad? of course my light will come on eventually to aid in digestion, but because of my work schedule, it might be a few hours.

The only work around i have, is that I could leave the daily amount of dubia roaches and greens in the enclosure and let the beardie eat at its leisure.

Perhaps i should consider buying an older beardie who is done growing? at least then the constant feeding a young beardie needs wont be as much of an issue.

 

[ComicBookMama]

Both your ideas are good ones. Yes, you can feed before the lights come on, and leave it in there until your dragon is ready to eat. For morning feedings, Dubias will stay in a smooth-sided dish, and your beardie will definitely munch at his leisure once he's good and warmed up. Salads, of course, won't go anywhere regardless of what kind of dish you leave them in. :lol:

I also like your idea of getting an older beardie. It's true that you miss out on the fun of watching your dragon grow up, but you also would miss out on the "omigawdhe'sgonnaeatme!" phase where they don't want to be handled at all and the phase where you start wondering if you're going to need to get a second job to pay for all the danged bugs you have to keep buying, because young dragons are bottomless pits! As long as you're clear and have good communication with the breeder you decide to go with - telling them that you want a young adult who can be handled, who HAS been handled - you can really circumvent the whole multiple-daily-feedings problem. It's likely the route I'll take if I ever get a second dragon.

Good for you for doing all the hard work of thinking and planning before you get your dragon... you already sound like you're going to make your eventual beardie a very happy pet!

 

[matrixkid29]

thank you very much! Your advice and compliments are greatly appreciated! It sounds like i might be a little over worried about the feeding schedule. Ill be sure to leave the appropriate amount of food in his enclosure and consider buying an older beardie so as to avoid the greater food demand. I plan on having a dubia colony and hope they can reproduce fast enough to keep up with the appetite!

 

[kprnz18]

I had the same issue and combated it with your suggestions. I leave his veggies and BSFL in an escape proof bowl in the morning before his lights come on at 6:30am. I'm lucky in that my boyfriend will remove the bowl when he leaves around 8am. I don't let him graze throughout the day per my vet's instructions, so it's just to get him accustomed to knowing his feeding times. I feed him his second meal when I come home around 5. I've had him since he was 6 weeks and he has adjusted, but we did have issues with him not eating in the beginning. I don't think it was due to his feeding schedule, but certain veggies that were upsetting his stomach. After we stopped feeding them he bounced right back.

They are a lot of work in the beginning. I never had a hatchling before and it was stressful for a while. My first beardie was a juvenile and he was so much easier to take care of. I think adopting a juvenile or sub-adult would be a great idea!