soon-to-be newbie beardie owner with random work schedule.

[Preezy]

So i've been researching A TON on beardies and decided to commit to finally getting one. I haven't bought one yet but i do plan on it very soon..(already bought the tank and necessary lighting and other things). My only problem however, is my really random work schedule. My schedule is either 10am - 5pm or 5pm - midnight. Usually i even work the entire day but thats just a once a week every other week type deal. I do plan on buying a lighting timer since i won't be home all the time to fix his lights, but my concern is on his food. Most likely i will be getting a baby and i understand they need to eat 2x a day. What do you guys recommend i do with this kind of schedule?

 

[smauggle]

In my *very* limited experience, I would commit to an early morning feeding every day. My timer is set from 6am-8pm, I feed Boris every morning at 7 (sat & sun too), and every evening between 5-6, depending on when I get home. If you can make his mornings consistent, and aim for 4:30-5:30pm depending on your shift, you should be ok. If you set the same timer as me this will always give some time to build heat before breakfast, and at least 2 hours before lights out for digestion.

If you work the entire day, make sure he gets breakfast, and maybe leave a salad out as an option. Don't forget to share pics when the dragon has landed!

 

[Preezy]

Haha for sure I'll post pics when I finally buy him. And yes that's what I was thinking. Maybe set his lights for 7am..feed him at 8am-ish since I know they have to heat up for atleast an hour before feeding. Feed him his bugs AND leave him a salad dish. It's perfect. Thank you so much for the advice! A lot more calm about it now.

 

[smauggle]

Sounds like a good plan, I think you'll be fine. The light timer really makes life easier.
My guy is about 10 weeks old and his breeder had been feeding him veggies for a few weeks already. After a couple days of relocation stress and him not eating much his appetite finally came around. I would offer a few small pieces of collard or dandelion greens from my hand, and put the rest of the salad dish in his tank. I don't know if it "tricked" him into liking his greens, but he definitely helps himself to whatever is in the dish now. A good trick you could try when the day comes.

 

[Preezy]

Definitely will try that out. By the way, that day is coming soon. Do you think I should just buy one from Petsmart/Petco? If not...any reputable breeders you recommend? Maybe wherever you got yours?

 

[smauggle]

I really lucked out I think - I found a lady through kijiji who takes reptiles to kids birthday parties. She has a mating pair of dragons and treats it as a hobby more than a business. She invited me to her house, and I got a chance to see how all her animals were cared for (which was extremely well, her iguana had his own room)

Because it was so easy for me, im no real authority on well known breeders or pet stores - cost certainly comes into it though. In Canada pet store costs were between $100-120, whereas a breeder was $150 minimum, plus shipping, which would likely include air travel. But really if you find a healthy looking, active dragon, I think you're ok. There's some good posts about what to look for when buying, and more knowledgable people than me around here