Overfeeding?

[ChiefsDaddy]

Hi all!

I've seen around the forum and pretty much all over the internet that the 10-15 minute rule is what you should use when feeding your beardie. Basically, allowing him to eat as many crickets as he wants in a 10-15 minute period. The problem is I have a very hungry beardie and I don't think he knows when to stop. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to feed him, and sometimes, in just one feeding, he can eat 20 crickets or more. I've never reached a point where he refuses to eat more crickets. I'm sure if I kept going, he would just keep eating. He is only 1 month old and I don't think he should be eating this many crickets and maybe doesn't know his limits yet. They are 1/4 inch crickets, so they're kind of small, but he is just a baby. He gets 3 meals a day, although breakfast is always his biggest meal.

So, is there such a thing as overfeeding and should I continue to let my beardie eat much as he wants?

 

[Claudiusx]

Its not uncommon for beardies at that age to eat 30-50 crickets in one sitting.

The 10-15 minute rule should still apply. Especially at the age your dragon is at. It needs all the food it can get.

-Brandon

 

[Kate221]

My babies can eat over 50-60 small crickets each a day....and if I kept feeding after 15 minutes,..im sure they'd keep eating too!! They're growing like weeds though!!

 

[ChiefsDaddy]

Thanks guys! Much appreciated! My little guy is definitely growing like a weed. He's a fat little tubby. :lol:

Glad to hear this is normal.

 

[MissT]

I remember feeding kazi 100 Phoenix worms and 20 crickets in 1 day! My bank balance did not enjoy that!

 

[MrWhite]

I just fed my 5 month old over 25 full grown crickets and 5 wax worms last night ... I felt I had to stop, he was turning into a citrus tennis ball. needless to say, he wasn't overly hungry this morning... can't wait to start my dubia colony

 

[EmilyRussom]

I'd like to continue this, please.

What about an "adult" - that's in quotations because as many of you know, she was rescued, and her previous owner thought she was "around a year."

Tiki can down 30 of the very small crickets in about... 2 minutes or less. Not exaggerating that one either. I've seen her little tongue take three crickets at once.

What about that? Because I was SO CLOSE to posting this thread myself. Can a dragon overeat themselves, like dogs will if allowed?

Thank you so much.

 

[Claudiusx]

Well how big is Tiki exactly?

A baby eating 50 small crickets its much different than an adult eating 50 small crickets.

Thats because the small crickets are much better a size for babies, and adults should be eating a larger sized cricket.
I'm sure my adults would eat much more than 50 small crickets if I ever gave them small crickets, but I don't.

Since the question I think you're mainly asking is "can dragons overeat" - Is somewhat up for debate. IME the answer is no. A dragon will stop eating eventually, and if the said dragon did eat too much, his appetite will be much smaller the next day.
Obviously, if your dragon has been undereating for awhile, and you all of a sudden offer as much as it can eat, its going to eat a ton! But the next day, it will die down, then the next day it will die down, tell eventually, the eating evens out and your dragon learns how much to eat each day.

So the answer IME is: No, a dragon will eventually learn how much to eat each day and when it should stop.

-Brandon

 

[EmilyRussom]

HA! I'm laughing at you only because of the, "the next day the appetite will die down."

Not yet.

Tiki is about 15''. After spending much time on this site, the poor little dear was severely under-cared for.

I am SCARED TO DEATH of impactions, I go by the space between her eyes rule, and some of those big crickets are FAR too large for that spacial relation.

 

[Claudiusx]

I said that for explaining purposes of the main point.

How are small crickets larger than Tiki's head if Tiki is 16 inches?
At older ages, and larger sizes, dragons can eat bigger feeders. Even the largest crickets are small enough for a 16 inch dragon to eat with no problems.

Smaller than space between the eyes rule, is more of a general rule to go by for babies, not larger dragons.

-Brandon

 

[EmilyRussom]

Ooooh, babies - not adults/sub-adults. Didn't know that, thank you.

Well, she does eat three little crickets at once, so a larger cricket would be about the same. I looked at the larger crickets once and they were longer than the space between her eyes, so I didn't risk that one.

She has a nice order of Phoenix worms on the way too.

 

[Claudiusx]

Tiki sure will enjoy that.

Sheesh it must be like living in the lap of luxury compared to Tiki's old conditions.

I'm sure you will find her eating much more acceptable numbers of crickets once they are a bit larger

-Brandon

 

[EmilyRussom]

Oh yeah, for sure. We pet sat for a neighbour, and Tiki was one of his MANY pets. He said, "every other day, just throw a piece of greens in there, that's it."

So that's what we did, we didn't know! He came back from vacation and my husband walked him home, then he said how much I adored the dragon.

"I don't like her that much anymore - you guys want her? Setup and all?"

My husband grabbed it, and came home - the rest is on the message boards. Slowly but surely, she is being nursed back to health, and will be SO FAT one day!

 

[Claudiusx]

Thats the right thinking!

We all love big ol' fat dragons

Maybe you should start a picture thread and keep updating it with how Tiki is doing? It would be fun to follow and fun for you to look back on how she looked when you got her.

-Brandon

 

[EmilyRussom]

Done! Take a look! http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=150758&start=15