Shedding frequency

[angelpaws]

I estimate my beardie's age to be about 4-5 months. He was shedding often - maybe once every other week but lately hes gone a number of weeks without shedding. I still soak him for about 20-30 minutes a week and he is really doing quite well. THere are area on his body which appear as though they may be getting ready to shed but nothing has happened yet.

My question is...am I not feeding him enough and making so that he is not growing quickly? He's at least a foot fro nose to tail and I think he has a hardy body girth. I have been buying 100 crickets a week he also eats salads every day and I alternate mealworms and wax worms so that he gets 5 on his salad daily (35 a week). Is this normal? Am I ok with him?

Thanks

 

[vampy]

A foot sounds like a pretty good size, and if he's chunky i wouldn't worry too much.

It's hard to say whether you're feeding enough because I dunno the size of the feeders you're using. Firstly though, stop giving him mealworms, they aren't good for beardies and can lead to impaction. They are pretty good at regulating their own appetites, so if you give him as many crickets as he'll eat in 10 minutes twice a day, plus his salad, then he'll eat however many crickets he needs...you may find you get through more than 100 a week, you may not (I'd imagine he will probably eat more, but it really does depend on how big they are). Waxworms shouldn't reallly be given as a staple, they are a bit high in fat to be given regularly, you should use them more as a treat. If you want some worms to mix with his salad, phoenix worms are a great alternative. You can just put a spoonful in with his salad, and pick out any he doesn't eat at the end of the day, and put them back into the container....if they are all eaten way before the end of the day, then he might want even more!

 

[angelpaws]

I did buy the phoenix worms. He does like them. Im not to crazy about the media they come in - I have to wait till the worms dry off so the media can fall off.

I know about the wax worms but do you think Im giving too much? I alternate so he gets maybe 15 in a week. The other thought is about the mealworms, I did read about the impaction issue but they're kinda small compared to him - do you still think there is a risk eating 5 in one meal? (approx. 15 in a week). I see it like... croutons on a salad.. :lol: I wish I could get smaller paks but they only come in a 50 pak. or more so I almost feel obligated to use them before they die - the container lasts me a good month or more since i go back and forth between the other worms.

The crickets are large size (what the pet store calls large anyway). He gets 15-18 in the morning and maybe 7-10 in the afternoon (more or less). He eats them all and will always happily accept more if I gave it. Rarely are there any he doesnt nail right in the beginning once I drop em in.

Do they slow down their shedding at a young adult age? From pics I know hes got more growing to do. Does 100 large crix a week sound reasonable?

Thanks for your feedback - just trying to keep him in the best health I can.

 

[Burra]

Wax worms are a treat due to their fat content. Too many can cause fatty liver disease. I would feed 2-3 per week, but that's me.
Yes, even 5 mealworms can cause impaction. They are almost all exoskeleton, which is the problem. They also are not very nutritious.
If you are feeding him all he can eat in 10-15 minutes, then you are feeding enough. It sounds like 100 crickets a week may not be enough, as some babies and juvies go through 50 in a day, but every beardie is different.

 

[Burra]

As for your original shedding question, they slow down with shedding as they slow down with growth. So an 8 week old beardie will shed much more often than an 8 month old. Yours should still be shedding pretty frequently at his age, but again, every beardie is different.

 

[angelpaws]

Thanks. Looks like Zorro's menu is going to get some revamping this weekend.

 

[Raicardso]

You might want to increase his cricket intake honestly. My boy is around five months and he eats 150+ crickets A DAY easily. The crickets I give my Guy are a little undersized but he's at that annoying stage where the mediums are too small but large are a bit too big . Every dragon is different but just 100 in a week doesn't sound right

 

[angelpaws]

150 a day?! WOW...I cant even fathom this!

I was estimating my amounts really. I'd say I was giving 25 a day - plus a full salad (fruits and veges) and his ration of 5 worms, but Id buy 100 crix in a week so he'd run out before the week was over. He'd not have any crickets for one day before I could get to the store. Like you, the small ones are too small so I have been getting "large" but they dont quite chirp yet. He seems to handle them well. Maybe thats why? Initially, I reduced the nighttime cricket feeding because he vommited before night time. I get home too late from work to give him a large dinner (not enough time to digest before lights out).

Ive read some folks alternate from crickets only one day to salad only the next and then nothing the next. I decided I would try raising my crix amount to maybe 30-45 daily and cut the mealworms/waxworms. Does your boy get salads too?

What you've said is bothersome - Ive never read daily numbers of crix like this - how could you even afford it? That would cost me 70 dollars a week on crickets alone. :shock:

By the way, he finally began his shedding cycle. Its been a while, never this long (maybe a month since last shed) - Hes in great shape though.

One more thing I thought to add...It has just begun to get cooler where we live as is apparent by the temp reader. Since the picture was taken I have added an under the tank heater. Although, to be fair, the pic was taken at breakfast time, it takes a while for the 100w powersun to warm up.

 

[Raicardso]

For the cricket prices, buy online!!! That can't be said enough. last time i looked it up petsmart were selling their crickets for $.13 each, while if you buy online you can get 1000 for 29$ or so. It's about .03$ each. Huge difference

 

[Raicardso]

150 a day?! WOW...I cant even fathom this!

I was estimating my amounts really. I'd say I was giving 25 a day - plus a full salad (fruits and veges) and his ration of 5 worms, but Id buy 100 crix in a week so he'd run out before the week was over. He'd not have any crickets for one day before I could get to the store. Like you, the small ones are too small so I have been getting "large" but they dont quite chirp yet. He seems to handle them well. Maybe thats why? Initially, I reduced the nighttime cricket feeding because he vommited before night time. I get home too late from work to give him a large dinner (not enough time to digest before lights out).

Ive read some folks alternate from crickets only one day to salad only the next and then nothing the next. I decided I would try raising my crix amount to maybe 30-45 daily and cut the mealworms/waxworms. Does your boy get salads too?

What you've said is bothersome - Ive never read daily numbers of crix like this - how could you even afford it? That would cost me 70 dollars a week on crickets alone. :shock:

By the way, he finally began his shedding cycle. Its been a while, never this long (maybe a month since last shed) - Hes in great shape though.

One more thing I thought to add...It has just begun to get cooler where we live as is apparent by the temp reader. Since the picture was taken I have added an under the tank heater. Although, to be fair, the pic was taken at breakfast time, it takes a while for the 100w powersun to warm up.

Yeah my boy is only pretty much eating crickets right now, so that's another reason why his cricket intake is huge. Salad is provided everyday but he wont eat much of it. If mine would eat all the salad i give him i would definitely do All salad one day, all cricket one day, all worms one day (phoenix worms or so). Keeps it varied and keeps him guessing

 

[angelpaws]

Can I ask...when you buy large amounts of crix like that, how do you keep the smell down?
I pay .10c a cricket here but I've resisted larger purchases because of the intense smell. Im trying to keep it where he'll eat them all before they start to stink.. :lol: maybe wishful thinking? Im not really lovin the idea of moving to dubias as suggested by others. Hard to be ok with the thought of roaches in the house :lol: :lol:

Since our guys are similar in age, is your boy bigger than mine? Im just curious how they compare in light of the differences in diet.

 

[Raicardso]

I don't think there's any way to avoid the dreaded cricket smell. If there was I'd be all over it! All I do is keep them hiding away since they don't need light. My boy is almost 5 months weighing at around 290grams and almost 17 inches. So you can use that information if you want to compare sizes