xsmallsteps
Member
Okay, basically this is going to be really really long because I don't want to leave out any important (and probably some unimportant) details lol, but if you don't feel like reading it all, just scroll down to the bottom!
Okay, so my bearded dragon is just about five months old now. At the moment, he eats anywhere from 12-20 crickets a day. I feed him crickets twice a day; once in the early afternoon (usually ten am or eleven am) and once in the evening (six pm or seven pm). I usually start out with six crickets and then go up to as many as he wants until about ten or so. It’s rare he seems interested in more than eight or nine each feeding, so on a daily basis he probably eats about sixteen. They’re not quite full size but they aren’t babies; I follow the obvious ‘no bigger than the space between his eyes’ rule.
Anyway, I used to give him collard greens in between each feeding every other day but I’ve discovered that he LOVES collard greens; he seems to go crazier for them than he does crickets lol. So I’ve started mixing them, mustard greens, a few other vegetables occasionally like string beans or squash, and on rare occasion apples and strawberries. He really likes all of it but he mainly loves the greens. (His salads aren’t big, usually like, two table spoons, maybe less. I’ve learned when I put more in he walks away before he finishes it.) Anyway, I’ve started giving him his little salad everyday in between feedings because lately it seems that he’s getting very lazy with his crickets.
I usually put them into his cage one or two at a time so he has time to chase them before they all run away, and he always used to go after them, but now if one runs away, he usually just sits there and waits for me to put more in. He’s been eating about twelve a day the last week or two. I know it’s important for them to get exercise by hunting, but he just doesn’t seem interested. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s getting tired of crickets or maybe he’s just getting older and doesn’t want as many crickets and more vegetables. I know as adults the ratio switches to 20% live and 80% vegetables, as opposed to the opposite when they’re babies, so I’m wondering when the right time is to start switching to more vegetables and less crickets.
How many crickets a day should he be eating at his age? I know it depends on the size, and I know he’s still to young not to get them everyday, so I know he still needs them daily, but is twelve too little? Or is it okay? Should I be giving him less vegetables?
I should probably also mention that I put those little nutrient pellets in his cage and they’re in his bowl at all times, and he actually loves them...I always hear him crunching away on them between feedings...I always hear that most beardies don’t like them so I was worried that maybe he was only eating them because I didn’t feed him enough or something, but I think he just likes them, because he eats them when he eats his salad, too.
Oh yeah, I should probably also mention that I dust the crickets in calcium powder at his morning feeding...I used to do it at night too but I read that too much calcium can be bad for them, so I’ve just been doing it once a day instead of twice. Is that alright?
So anyway, really long story shorter, is what I am feeding him now okay (about fifteen crickets a day [or more if he wants them] and a small salad in between) and how exactly should I be changing his diet as he gets older?
Here is a size reference, if anyone is curious:
Okay...sorry for the novel haha! Any help would be much appreciated
Okay, so my bearded dragon is just about five months old now. At the moment, he eats anywhere from 12-20 crickets a day. I feed him crickets twice a day; once in the early afternoon (usually ten am or eleven am) and once in the evening (six pm or seven pm). I usually start out with six crickets and then go up to as many as he wants until about ten or so. It’s rare he seems interested in more than eight or nine each feeding, so on a daily basis he probably eats about sixteen. They’re not quite full size but they aren’t babies; I follow the obvious ‘no bigger than the space between his eyes’ rule.
Anyway, I used to give him collard greens in between each feeding every other day but I’ve discovered that he LOVES collard greens; he seems to go crazier for them than he does crickets lol. So I’ve started mixing them, mustard greens, a few other vegetables occasionally like string beans or squash, and on rare occasion apples and strawberries. He really likes all of it but he mainly loves the greens. (His salads aren’t big, usually like, two table spoons, maybe less. I’ve learned when I put more in he walks away before he finishes it.) Anyway, I’ve started giving him his little salad everyday in between feedings because lately it seems that he’s getting very lazy with his crickets.
I usually put them into his cage one or two at a time so he has time to chase them before they all run away, and he always used to go after them, but now if one runs away, he usually just sits there and waits for me to put more in. He’s been eating about twelve a day the last week or two. I know it’s important for them to get exercise by hunting, but he just doesn’t seem interested. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s getting tired of crickets or maybe he’s just getting older and doesn’t want as many crickets and more vegetables. I know as adults the ratio switches to 20% live and 80% vegetables, as opposed to the opposite when they’re babies, so I’m wondering when the right time is to start switching to more vegetables and less crickets.
How many crickets a day should he be eating at his age? I know it depends on the size, and I know he’s still to young not to get them everyday, so I know he still needs them daily, but is twelve too little? Or is it okay? Should I be giving him less vegetables?
I should probably also mention that I put those little nutrient pellets in his cage and they’re in his bowl at all times, and he actually loves them...I always hear him crunching away on them between feedings...I always hear that most beardies don’t like them so I was worried that maybe he was only eating them because I didn’t feed him enough or something, but I think he just likes them, because he eats them when he eats his salad, too.
Oh yeah, I should probably also mention that I dust the crickets in calcium powder at his morning feeding...I used to do it at night too but I read that too much calcium can be bad for them, so I’ve just been doing it once a day instead of twice. Is that alright?
So anyway, really long story shorter, is what I am feeding him now okay (about fifteen crickets a day [or more if he wants them] and a small salad in between) and how exactly should I be changing his diet as he gets older?
Here is a size reference, if anyone is curious:
Okay...sorry for the novel haha! Any help would be much appreciated
