New at breeding??

[theguy67]

Hi,

I have a pair of bearded dragons and would like to breed. I have a 10 month old male, and 19 month old female. The female is much larger then the male, but I heard they should still beable to breed. How should I go about breeding them? Should I see signs from the male as soon as I place him in the females cage?

 

[RioReptiles]

The male will almost always be ready although sometimes it takes a few trys for first timers to figure it out. The female, however, has to be receptive or "in the mood". You can try putting them together and see if she responds. If she doesn't resist, this is usually a good sign. If she resists and becomes defensive, the waiting game begins. You can learn to tell when females area ready, their body language changes and they become more restless as if they are on a mission. Its that time of year so you may luck out right away. Good luck!

 

[lacy_black]

They're too young for 1 thing. You should take the next 6 months to do research.

 

[DeweysMom]

They're too young for 1 thing. You should take the next 6 months to do research.

I agree 110%.

Breeding is not something to be taken lightly. A LOT of research needs to be done and a plan needs to be put in place for caring for the babies. Do you already have homes lined up? If not, you'll probably have to provide care for them for several months which is very time consuming as well as incredibly expensive.

I'm not a breeder, but I have read a bit about it. Not so much because I want to breed, but because I was curious and wanted to learn more. There are several helpful threads here that can help you. Doing searches can pull them up.

 

[diamc]

I also agree that they are BOTH too young. The male should be at least 1 1/2 yrs and the female at least 2 yrs old. Breeding at too young of an age could kill them and since there is such a size difference, that makes it much more dangerous. It would be a good idea for you to read all the info in the breeding forum so that you completely understand the whole process.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I also agree! You should wait until they are at least 2.

 

[theguy67]

Acctually I have done alot of research and have found that dragons mature at 18 months old. Males can be bred at a younger age. IDK where you got 2 years from.

 

[theguy67]

also, i dont need the first timer lecture about "where to find homes" and such. I bred leos for a couple of years now.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Leos are a whole different ball game! I have been breeding over 20 years and just trying to give the best advise. Yes they are maturing at that age however most people don't have there dragons weight and calcium intake up that is why I said 2 years. At such a younger age their body`s are going to get stressed harder! So you should do some more research! Better safe then sorry! And I am not gonna blast you on anything else! You came seeking questions and you got answers. Good day.

 

[DeweysMom]

also, i dont need the first timer lecture about "where to find homes" and such. I bred leos for a couple of years now.

It certainly wasn't meant to be a lecture. It's just that when someone comes in and posts a general message with very little info (in regards to prior experience, research, etc.) like your original message, I think it's safe to say that most people *assume* that not much research has been done. That's why I pointed out that you may be "stuck" with more babies that you want to be if you don't have a customer base already interested, but it looks like things must have changed quite a bit since your post 6 months ago (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=114080&start=0).

 

[theguy67]

sorry I should have listed more info. It just gets annoying (especially on other sites) when people run through a check list you did a few months ago.

And as for my last post. I will wholesale the babies if I can not sale them at retail price, or trade for supplies, equipment, ect.
Now, when a few of you said wait for 2 years, is that just being safe? Reason why I ask is I know a few breeders that breed the females much younger,(12-16months) and of course the male also (since they cant become egg bound). MY female is full grown.

 

[diamc]

Hi, we're really not trying to be critical, just looking out for the health and well being of the beardies. As far as the male goes, at 10 months he's only just started puberty and his sexual organs are not fully developed. He may be showing signs like head bobbing, black bearding, etc but he is still very young, doesn't understand what it is all about and could damage his male parts when not fully mature. A 10 mo old would be about equal to a 12 to 13 yr old human and we all know that they are not mature by any means. Not to mention the fact that your female is a lot bigger than him so she could actually harm him.

At 19 months, your female isn't full grown, they continue to grow until the age of about 2 yrs, sometimes even later. Eggs deplete all the vitamins and nutrients that the female has in her body so if she isn't old enough, heavy enough or healthy enough, she very well might not survive and the babies may not either. When a human female becomes pregnant, the fetus takes what it needs so that's why frequent dr visits are necessary and the mother is also placed on prenatal vitamins because it's crucial that the mother is as healthy as possible. If not, deformities to the fetus could develop and also put the mother at risk. So, you're actually looking at the same risks with beardies. They certainly rely on us for their well being so we need to consider all the risks and also make sure we are doing the best for them. Hope that answers some of your questions.

 

[spyder79]

Acctually I have done alot of research and have found that dragons mature at 18 months old. Males can be bred at a younger age. IDK where you got 2 years from.

Acctually I have done alot of research and have found that dragons mature at 18 months old. Males can be bred at a younger age. IDK where you got 2 years from.

if this is so true why are you asking beginner questions? Sorry the answer to your question could easily be found by using the search function which if you have done so much research you would obviously know how to use. If you are going to ask a question you need to be prepared for the answers people give instead of becoming offended by the answers you receive.

now the reason people say 2 years for females is to be safe because of the toll breeding takes on a females body. They can be bred earlier but you do chance the life and health of the female. Also by waiting until they are done maturing you have a higher likelyhood of a fertile clutch. Breeding younger females typically causes a very low fertility rate in the clutch and low clutch counts in general. Females can produce egg follicles as early as 9 months, meaning that they could actually be bred at 9 months old. But its the same idea as a female human can become pregnant as soon as she starts having her period (so around 11-13 years old) but do you think its a good idea health wise for a girl that age to be pregnant? Same concept just different species.

 

[theguy67]

search function??? I have not been on this site since before I purchased them, and that consisted of one post.

 

[spyder79]

search function??? I have not been on this site since before I purchased them, and that consisted of one post.

well where ever it is that you researched all that information that you know should have had the answers to your question. Hope you have gotten some useful info and next time dont jump down the throat of the people attempting to help you just cause you think you know enough not to have to be questioned.