Questions on breeding beardies

[WolfTinDragons]

Hi, im thinking about breeding bearded dragons, my bearded dragon is a male, (i think) his name is aro, (old account shadowlizard)
i have a few questions.

What do i need to breed them?

How big of a tank?

Do i need more lighting?

How old do they have to be to breed?

Does breeding them shorten there life?

after you breed them, do you have to seperate the male?

Were can i buy a incubator for the babies?
:?:

 

[beardedmama]

I can answer a few of the questions you have, but I'm fairly new at breeding myself. You can find incubators at Tractor Supply. You definately want to seperate the male and female after mating. He will literally mate her to death. So yes if the female is mated too much it can shorten her life. As far as breeding age...the male should be at the very least 1 1/2 and the female 2years old. I hope this helps.

 

[Catalyst]

What do i need to breed them?

You need a male and a female who are both from quality genetic lines and who are unrelated for several generations back. You'll also need all the necessary equipment to house those two dragon's separately, as well as to house all the babies that will result, and thousands and thousands of little bugs to feed everyone.

How big of a tank?

For each adult dragon you'll need at least a 75g tank (48" long x 18" wide). The male and female should be housed separately. You'll then need multiple tanks to house the babies (should house small groups together rather than all in one big tank) complete with heat and UVB lighting for all of the tanks.

Do i need more lighting?

Each tank should have a heat light that puts off bright clear (not red or coloured) light and enough heat to get the tank temps where they should be (100-110*F basking spot, 80*F cool side). Dragon's do best in brightly lit tanks. Each tank also needs a reliable UVB source.

How old do they have to be to breed?

At least 18 months old and 18 inches long.

Does breeding them shorten there life?

It can, especially if there are complications or if you don't do enough research and your animals don't get the care they need during the whole process.

after you breed them, do you have to seperate the male?

Yes, they should be housed separately, only being put together for the actual act of mating.

Make sure to do a lot of research before you get started. Feeding the babies alone costs a fair bit since they need lots tiny pinhead crickets and should be fed at least 3 times a day.

 

[WolfTinDragons]

so how much money do you think ill need to all together (not including crickets)

 

[midnight_962002]

Honestly your gonna need a lot of money. Even if you find everything used. You have to figure light bulbs, incubator, fixtures, rack setups, feeder setups cause you can't run to the store 3x a day, etc.

We build everything ourselves and it still cost way more than I anticipated. Then the feeders that I go through cost way more. My babies have gone through 5-7000 crickets per week per clutch. There are many times that I will have 15000 crickets and other food for the babies alone. Not to mention the adults food.

I also spend every Saturday tearing down bins, bleaching, cleaning, sanatizing, etc my baby bins, my adult cages, the food cages. That is also my day to replenish the green food source.

But, it is totally worth it. To hold a baby that is a couple of hours old or a couple of days old....nothing can explain how great that feels. Not to mention the great people I have met on this site, at the swaps, and other sites.

Ernie

 

[elizual]

Well, I am 11 years old and I have 2 bearded dragons. They are male and female. What will be requirements I need for the female and eggs?

 

[Catalyst]

Well, I am 11 years old and I have 2 bearded dragons. They are male and female. What will be requirements I need for the female and eggs?

Are you looking at breeding your dragons? You'll need a lot of money, time and equipment before you get started. You'd need an incubator for the eggs, and then a separate tank for each group of 3-5 babies, complete with heat and UVB lights. Then you'll need a very large supply of tiny crickets - depending on how many hatch, you'll be going through thousands of crickets each week. You'll definitely want to get your parents involved and make sure everyone understands all of the work, time and money involved before ever introducing your female to your male.

 

[elizual]

how big of a tank per 3-5 babies?

 

[spyder79]

i dont want to sound mean but you are 11 years old. breeding any animal purposefully is not a game. and should not be undertaken by a child. startup costs will be in the 2000 dollar range. not to mention what do you do with the dragons you cant sell? how are you going to get out of school to go to shows to sell you dragons? who will take care of your breeders and all of the babies when they are born and you are at school? How will you afford the possible vet bills that could pop up(average visit is in the area of 100 dollars or more depending on what is wrong)? Are you going to have each of your dragons checked out by a vet prior to selling? Who is going to pay the massive jump in the electric bill that you will have from all the lighting you will need (as each clutch can have up to 30 eggs and a female can lay up to 3 clutches aka possibility of 90 dragons)? I dont think you understand what you would be undertaking nor do i think at 11 years old you are mature enough to devote yourself to a project of this magnitude holeheartedly. I am sorry i know i sound like im being cruel but it is the truth.

 

[WolfTinDragons]

i have a normal male bearded dragon, if i get a red, or yellow bearded dragon, would the babies be like him, or her?

 

[Evin]

Someone posted this website before and I don't think anyone has explained or written a better documentation on history of color/morphs/lines and breeders especially for beginners http://www.reptilerooms.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=26667