Need help with a picky adult beardie who wont eat greens?

[oliviero]

hi! i have another topic here about feeding schedule that i still need help on https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=221538#p1717977

but i decided that im going to try to feed my beardie some fruit and veggies right now
so shes two years old and she rarely eats any fruits/veggies whenever weve tried to give it to her but the site beardeddragon101 says to put more fruits in so she can smell it and maybe try to eat? idk what fruits and veggies to give her? i know its supposed to be a mix but i was wondering if you can help me? ive already looked at the page of whats safe so heres what i have that she can eat! veg: buk choy, butternut squash and carrots. fruits: bananas, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, watermelon

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....I responded on your other post. I mentioned some good veggies to try. You want to use more veggies + greens than fruit, but you can add fruit to the salad. I'm sure that others will offer suggestions as well.

 

[oliviero]

ive been trying for 3 days now and she still wont eat even one piece of her salad .... shes been doing this since she was a juvi... she only really ate her salad when she was a baby ..pls help im trying to feed her by hand, take her out and feed her, and nothings working

 

[Fauzt0]

Sounds like you are being very hasty in your transformation to take better care of your dragon. I love that you're being so passionate but you have to slow down. Bearded dragons develop their own schedule and will do things over time, so don't expect a quick result but please don't be discouraged!!! You are halfway there by just caring!

Ok down to business. I will give you my anecdotal advice.

My Bubba wakes up when the lights come on and eat about an hour after that. He goes right for his salad greens that he loves, and then if he has to. He will poop. If not, he goes back to bask for a bit. I replace the salad once or twice a day, it depends on how much time I have and also how much he's eaten. I stretch the salad by misting it with some water.

As far as hand feeding, I would get away from it for now, let her discover her salad on her own time. I notice also that if Bubba catches me watching him go for salad, he hesitates, almost like he rather get picked up or pet than eat! LOL
look at this site for a nice list of foods for your dragon. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Good luck and keep up the good work!

 

[Colgrove7391]

I am having the same issue with my beardie. However, he is not an adult he is about 3 months old. From day 1 he will not eat any greens. We still supply them to him, so maybe he eats them when we are not watching. Ii have even tried super worms in the mix so that there is movement, lol he is very good at picking them out. He is very energetic and has no indication of being sick, he also sheds a lot with no problems. Any suggestions?

 

[CooperDragon]

It's very common for the little ones to ignore greens in favor of bugs. They need the protein to support growth. Keep offering greens so they're familiar but don't be surprised if they're mostly ignored until about 12-18 months old when they start to transition to a mainly veg diet. I also advise against offering superworms to a young dragon due to their size they may be difficult to properly digest. I suggest offering a softer worm such as Phoenix Worms or silk worms instead.

 

[Colgrove7391]

ok will do thank you!!!

 

[kingofnobbys]

If he wont off his own bat eat his greens, but will eat insects given by hand (as treats say) , be sneeky and slip a bit of the greens in (torn into strips) while he's munching on his insects or other food treats when you are nursing him.

Just a matter of getting your timing right and slipping a bit inbetween the teeth while he's chewing something else.

 

[z0mbiebabykiller]

a few things to try
1- use all one type of green, sometimes they get nervous about many different things at once
2- use a clip to hang bits of leaves from the sides of the enclosure
3- sprinkle calcium powder on top of greens ( this worked great for me)
4- drop a bit of leaf in front of him. make a trail to the greens dish. maybe wiggle the leaf with tongs (worked great too)

 

[Bmiller]

My beardie is about 12 months old and the only way he will eat some greens is if I put them in 1st thing in the morning (he wakes up hungry), sprinkle them with calcium powder and NO other alternative even remotely in sight. After 30 min of giving me the stink eye he caves and starts chowing down on greens. Then and only then can I start with crickets and super worms. They are smart and will train YOU if you let them :lol:

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hand feeding some desireable (to the little beardie) insects , while doing this slip some greens in finger nail sized pieces into the mouth while it's chewing the insect.

And keep on offering the greens and salad daily , they usually eventually start to nibble on it between their two daily insect feeds (as hatchlings / juveniles) because they are still hungry , this can be encouraged by putting a couple of worms (medium silkworms or a few calcigents are the best option , mealworms if despirate) in amongst the salad, the little dragon will go for the worm and get some green and salad by accident , and might decide it likes it.

 

[Noellerch]

Try flowers! These are the first "greens" our Beardie, "Petri" ate. I hand fed him dandelions (the flowers and he LOVED them!) From there we moved on to carnations from my garden (no pesticides) and then he started eating collard, mustard and turnip greens dusted with calcium powder. Best of luck to you!'