Questions about diet?

[caitlinramlogan]

So i have a bearded dragon (obviously) and he's about a year old. For the first 9 months I fed him calcium dusted crickets religiously along with offering a variety of greens. He has had frequent check ups and a fecal done a few months ago and the vet says he is perfectly healthy. Aside from his reptisun UVB bulb getting to the 6 month mark where i need to replace it,everything's going smoothly and he's doing great. I stopped feeding him crickets as they were really costly and he was getting old enough to where most people said he should be mostly vegetarian now. I have opted to give him calcium dusted superworms now about twice a week. My question is though, he is really picky about greens. He'll only eat kale. I know he needs a variety of things to eat but he literally refuses anything I offer him other than kale and superworms. Should i keep trying to introduce variety or is he okay with his current diet?

 

[CooperDragon]

At his age he will still need bugs but just not as frequently. One bug meal per day and slowly reducing to once or twice a week (ish) over the next 6 mo or so if he is eating salads well. I would limit superworms to a treat as they aren't the healthiest option. I'd keep offering crickets or roaches as a staple for now and rotate in silk worms, horn worms, and black soldier fly larvae as supplemental bugs so you don't need to be on crickets constantly. Kale is OK in a salad but not on it's own. He may like the taste but it could be the curly texture. I would try some mustard greens which have similar texture and see how that goes. I would also add in some grated squash, chopped green beans, chopped bell pepper, and try some bok choy, turnip greens, collard greens etc. Just keep rotating depending on what is fresh at the store and see what he prefers. If you withhold bugs for a few days it may help him dig into salads a bit more which is fine if he's at a healthy weight.

 

[caitlinramlogan]

Okay thank you. I will go get some more crickets and some of the vegetables you mentioned today

 

[CooperDragon]

This is a good list to reference when you're shopping. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html The key is variety though so just rotate based on what you can get your hands on and what looks fresh at the time.

 

[caitlinramlogan]

thank you so much for all your help!!

 

[kingofnobbys]

this is very good guide
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=237167

at 12 months , my gang were on 1 feed of insects per day + salad.