Planning On Getting A Dragon Question On Food

[EvanTheAtheist]

Hey, I'm thinking about getting a bearded dragon and I have done some research plan on doing more before I get one. I have one big reservation I just couldn't feed a live mouse to my dragon if I got one do I have to feed them mice? Or can I just feed him/her crickets and other insects and veggys? Will it still grow to be nice and health?

 

[andy65]

Hi and welcome!

I am new to the whole dragon thing myself, but I do know that mice are not very good for dragons. It can cause them to be impacted, they can't go poop. I think the ONLY time that people feed mice to are females that are going to be breed or if they are full of eggs.

If you get a young dragon them he/she will eat 80% protein, IE insects, and 20% veggies. if he older than I think a year it the reverse, 80% veggies and 20% protein

I know someone with more experiences will come around and say something too.

I hope this help. We LOVE our BD. He is so fun. They are great lizards!

 

[Geoff22]

Well worry not, you Never have to feed your dragon a mouse at all *unless of course you choose to*

Alot of people are the same way you are about this topic, its hard to have respect for all living things, but treat something alive like its food (dont worry I getcha) :wink:

But the problem with mice/pinkies is they are super fattening, like feeding your BD Mcdonalds supersized valuemeal everytime you give him a mouse/pinkie.
Impaction isnt really a concern with mice unless of course you give him one to big for him/her to eat.

I feed my BD a "frozen pinkie mouse" bought from petco for like $2 usually like once every TWO weeks just to give him some variety/treat. (THIS is my choice, not required)

***************So moral of all this, you DON'T have to feed your BD a mouse if you don't want to, just make sure they get there protein somewhere else, IE. Crickets/worms/roaches

 

[EvanTheAtheist]

Thanks so much for the replys. Now that I know this I am most likely going to get one I just want to ask some more questions on here so I know everything I don't want him/her to die due to my inexperience for caring for dragons or lizards in general.

 

[Paradon]

Mice are OK to add varieties to the diet, but don't use it all time because your beardie will get fat.

 

[midnight_962002]

Your best bet is to get everything set up and then call the breeder you are thinking of going through. Tell them you are new to this and that this is going to be your first. Then tell them what you have setup.

Ernie

 

[augsburg1530]

One thing to realize, baby dragons eat A LOT!

A young dragon will easily eat 60 to 100 live feeders a day which can cost you $100 per month if buying your feeders in bulk. If I were starting over and going to get my first dragon today, after all I have learned, I would start a colony of dubia feeders long before I got a dragon so I'd have my own supply of almost free feeders. Starting your own feeder colony before you get your dragon will save you BIG BUCK$. You can go to http://www.theroachguy.com to learn much more about Dubia. They are what many of us here raise as feeders and are way superior to crickets.

Hope that helps,

Eric

 

[patrickb]

I second what Eric said. Seems like a lot of people really underestimate the actual amount of live food babies will eat. 60-100 a day may not sound like a lot, but think about 1500-3000 live feeders per a month! That's a lot of online ordering, or trips to the petstore. I can't agree with him more or even stress enough that if you plan on getting a beardie, get a colony of dubias up and going right now and you will be very happy you did it sooner rather than later.