New to this and need help!!!

[traceyb73]

When Mariah called her she offered another one from the same litter or money back. I told her that there is NO WAY I will do this again with her. I just got off the phone with one of my husband's good friends...he has had a beardie for at least 7 years, from not only a breeder, but he said a fantastic breeder. He said when he went there to get him, it was like nothing he's ever seen before. She is a few hours away, but I don't care. He said in all the years he has had him, he has never ONCE had a problem. He originally got a juvenile from someone who thought they knew what they were doing and the poor baby died 2 weeks later. It's so cute to hear this big macho Italian man bragging about his beardie. I am just sucking up all the info I can before we do this again. I'm sure it will be at least a few days before I can meet with the breeder but that's ok, I need a little time after what we went through the last few days and especially her final hours last night.

I do know I need to do a thorough cleaning of the cage and accessories. Can someone tell me what to clean it with?

Oh, one thing he mentioned that I thought was a great idea, but wanted to run by you guys...he said he takes his beardie and puts him in another smaller container to feed him crickets. Is this something you would suggest? Especially in the beginning when they are stressed from being in a new environment. He said he will put him in there for 5 minutes. If he does't eat them he take him right out.

Any other tips, ideas, suggestions would be welcome. I am so new to this and I just want to do it right this time. I can't believe after only having her for 2 days I am so destroyed about Riley.

 

[ClydesGirl]

I did the separate feeding bin with my first beardie and it worked great. I just got a new beardie last week and he doesn't seem to like it as much. The first time I put him in there with about 50 crickets, he gobbled them all up right away, but I think he was starving, since the breeder didn't feed him for a full day before shipping (for obvious reasons). Since then I haven't been able to get him to eat a single cricket or worm in the feeding bin. I've had to start feeding him one cricket/worm at a time inside his terrarium and he seems to like that. I refuse to just dump a whole bunch of feeders in there with him at one time because I do NOT want to have to hunt down and fish out any he doesn't eat. I'm hoping that once he gets a little more settled in and used to me, I can go back to trying the separate feeding bin with him, because it really is SO MUCH easier.

 

[traceyb73]

First, congratulations!! So there is no right or wrong way to feed. I know what you mean about not wanting to hunt crickets down! I can certainly think of other things I would rather do instead. lol I don't think you mentioned it...how old is your new baby? Did you post pics yet?

 

[ClydesGirl]

First, congratulations!! So there is no right or wrong way to feed. I know what you mean about not wanting to hunt crickets down! I can certainly think of other things I would rather do instead. lol I don't think you mentioned it...how old is your new baby? Did you post pics yet?

His name is Bert and he's not really a "baby". He's 7 months old and he's HUGE. Don't have any good pics of him yet, because he was in full shed when I got him. He just has a little left on his belly now, so I need to get on my husband about taking more pics (he's the photographer of the family). We do have a live web cam set up so we can keep an eye on him while we're at work. The link is in my sig, but he's hiding right now. Whenever he goes behind his rock or up onto his log, you can't see him on the web cam feed. However, the VAST majority of the time he's either up on his basking rock or pigging out on his salad, so you can see him really well.

Sometime when you are truly bored, you can watch this video of him eating 113 crickets! When he is hungry (which seems to be all the time) he can be a real eating machine!
http://justin.tv/thwack328/b/326480402

 

[traceyb73]

I just watched the video...113 crickets??? He looks like a balloon!!! LOL

I got in touch with the best breeder in the area and I am happy to say we will be getting a 9 week old on Sunday. She is in great health, has been checked for worms (and wormed), etc. and at 3 weeks younger than Riley, she is already about 2 inches longer. I wish I had done more research to see how terrible Riley's condition was. This woman that sold her to us should have her animals (and probably her children) taken away from her!! Of course we don't have an address, just a cell number. The breeder also does rescue. She was telling me about a man who passed away and she ended up with 44 beardies. Plus the 20something she had! I spent about 3 hours talking to them this morning and I am very pleased with the knowledge and experience they have. I will make sure Mariah takes lots of pics of the new baby on Sunday.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Eeeee! Can't wait to see the new baby sounds like she is much healthier and will thrive under your care.

 

[traceyb73]

And she will be spoiled rotten!!!!

 

[ClydesGirl]

I just watched the video...113 crickets??? He looks like a balloon!!! LOL

I know! He can seriously pack away some food! He's a bit weird though. It seems like he'll eat a ton one day and then won't eat much at all the next. I think he doesn't "get" that I will feed him every day, so he doesn't have to eat his weight in crickets for fear of starving to death or something.

 

[traceyb73]

I had to watch it again the video again, I got such a kick out of it...I made Mariah watch it too and we were cracking up watching him expand. lol Poor thing looked like he could carry all the weight he had just put on!! I thought they eat like that alot...fill up one day, don't eat much the next? He really looks like a sweetheart. When you were feeding him and he took them from your hand, he was so gentle, yet if he picked it up from the ground he wasn't messing around. lol I have to admit, that was me that clicked on the live feed today. It's just so strange...I've never seen a healthy one in their environment before. I'll tell you, I don't know why I didn't push going to the breeder before Sunday. I even called her back to bump the day up, but she is so busy it went to voice mail. We have to come up with a new name for this little girl (she sexed the 2 of them that she has for sale and they are both females) and I have no idea what the name will be. I want it to be something girly and cute. I'll always take suggestions.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Vanessa? :3 Nessa for Short. Or Faith, or Legacy, or Destiny. :3

 

[traceyb73]

Vanessa? :3 Nessa for Short. Or Faith, or Legacy, or Destiny. :3

Ooh, I really like those!! Nessa or Nessie would be really cute!!!!

 

[traceyb73]

I asked Mariah and she mentioned Nala. From The Lion King? I always thought that was cute. But like she said, we will get some ideas but you don't know until you see them, you know? Nessie/Nessa is still a strong contender, Mariah's not real fond of it, but as the mother I have some pull.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Ahhh! I love the Lion king. Kiara is a super adorable name as well, from the Lion King 2.

 

[ClydesGirl]

I love Nessa, Nala and Kaira! You have some great options already! Once you meet her, I'm sure you'll come up with the name that suits her perfectly.

Bert *only* ate 50 crickets for dinner today. He is super gentle when eating out of my hand. Honestly, I'm way more afraid of the crickets than I am of him, but these are the sacrifices we make for our beardies. I used to be so terrified of bugs and I still am whenever they are loose in the house or something, but within the context of feeding Bert, I just suck it up and deal.

 

[traceyb73]

I would have never guessed you are afraid of bugs!! You handled them so well. That is where I draw the line. Bugs freak me out so bad...a mouse could run across my foot and it's no big deal, but even if there is a fly in the house it makes me crazy. I warned Mariah about how angry I will be when there are crickets loose. Fortunately the dog loves to eat bugs so it works out I guess. lol I still panic when I even watch Mariah playing with the things. I guess I'm going to have to figure out a way to do it, meantime its the only thing the kid really needs to do (Have I mentioned this baby is supposed to be Mariah's?? LOL). I would certainly use the big tweezers if I needed to, I would just rather not!!

That is so funny...he ONLY ate 50. lol How many times a day does he poop? It must be the size of what would come out of a small dog!!!!!