Tricks that make raising beardies easier!

[KarenInCA]

Phoenix worms- I put a couple spoonfuls into water with the material they are in, the "dirt" material sinks to the bottom while the phoenix worms float, then I scoop up the worms and put them into a very shallow bowl for my dragon to eat. That way he gets several healthy phoenix worms, and none of the "dirt", and I don't have to go digging for them one at a time.

Crickets-I dump several of them into a big tupperware and dust three or four of them by pinching out the dust with the large tweezers. I then place my dragon in with the crickets and make sure he eats the heavily dusted ones first. That way I know he gets all the calcium he needs in those few, and the rest are just icing on the cake. I also find it much easier to feed him separately, in the tupperware bin, than to try to chase them down one at a time.

He gets a variety of feeders at every feeding. Crickets and butter worms, and 1-2 hornworms. Or dubai and phoenix worms, and 1 horn worm. Or whatever else I have. I usually do not feed him one type of feeder. He likes the variety daily, and I like that he gets nutrients mixed up. He seems to eat better when he gets more variety with every feeding instead of one day one thing and the next day another thing...

 

[Taterbug]

Crickets-I dump several of them into a big tupperware and dust three or four of them by pinching out the dust with the large tweezers. I then place my dragon in with the crickets and make sure he eats the heavily dusted ones first. That way I know he gets all the calcium he needs in those few, and the rest are just icing on the cake. I also find it much easier to feed him separately, in the tupperware bin, than to try to chase them down one at a time.

Your feeding regimen sounds great! Rin is quite a lucky lizard to have such a diverse diet. I just wanted to mention one thing... The dust we use for the insects is specifically designed to "dose" a standard cricket based on what will cling to it's exoskeleton. Heavily coating just a few of the feeders may not be delivering the calcium appropriate for the number of insects being fed - either too much or too little. If you can shake up all your crickets in a cup or baggy with the calcium dust and then dump them into the feeding bin you will be more likely to achieve the correct amount of supplement.

 

[KarenInCA]

Your feeding regimen sounds great! Rin is quite a lucky lizard to have such a diverse diet. I just wanted to mention one thing... The dust we use for the insects is specifically designed to "dose" a standard cricket based on what will cling to it's exoskeleton. Heavily coating just a few of the feeders may not be delivering the calcium appropriate for the number of insects being fed - either too much or too little. If you can shake up all your crickets in a cup or baggy with the calcium dust and then dump them into the feeding bin you will be more likely to achieve the correct amount of supplement.

Thanks for the tip. I started heavily dusting one or two because if he doesn't end up eating all of the, I dump the uneaten ones back into the cricket bin. I found that the ones that are dusted and dumped back will die shortly if they can't get it off of their skin (maybe due to an inability to shed at that point?) I know they don't like it on their skin and will try to rub it off while he is eating them.
Do you think it's better to lightly dust all of them that I have tossed into his feeding tub, and then throw away any that he doesn't eat, so that the feeder bin stays as free as possible, of dead crickets later?

 

[KarenInCA]

This evening, prior to dumping the dubia into the feeding tub, I pinched out some calcium and shook them up in the plastic bag, like flouring chicken parts before frying it. I kept the plastic bag to do the same with crix tomorrow. Thanks for the tip on dusting all of them that I'll feed him, instead of a couple that I make sure he eats.

 

[Elmontare]

I dont really know how good of a tip this is but...my dragon is about 5 years old maybe a little older, she brumated only the last 2 years (thats how long ive had her too). She seems to like to brumate for a really long time...the first winter was 4 months and i became quite concerned about a day after 3 months. So i simulated a really hot summer day for a few hours and it woke her right up: she seemed perfectly normal the next day. Last winter i had to do the same thing. Every day i was just so concerned she was going to die in her sleep. So i dont know if thats good to do or not but shes alive and well....

 

[Taterbug]

This evening, prior to dumping the dubia into the feeding tub, I pinched out some calcium and shook them up in the plastic bag, like flouring chicken parts before frying it. I kept the plastic bag to do the same with crix tomorrow. Thanks for the tip on dusting all of them that I'll feed him, instead of a couple that I make sure he eats.

They will try to groom the dust off, but generally enlighten stays if he eats them quick enough. If you have lots of extras and find they are dieing when put back, I would just dust fewer, if Rin is still hungry, dust up a couple more? I've not used crickets in a long so I can't say for sure.

 

[KarenInCA]

Another tip that I just started doing....
This will make the greens last longer.
I get them in bunches; collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens mostly.
I have started treating them as I would a bunch of flowers. I take off any twisties that are keeping them together, then I cut the ends by about an inch, and put them each into a large plastic cup of filtered water, and take off the amounts that I need for the day. I often take off what I need for a few days, and tear the pieces up with my hands, mix them together, and then toss them into a large ziplock baggie, with a slightly dampened paper towel over them. The paper towel will keep the pieces from wilting. And the rest stay in full length in the cups with 2-3 inches of filtered water at the top shelf of the fridge. This can take up a lot of space on the top shelf of your fridge, but if you have a fridge in the garage, you can use that fridge to do it as well. Essentially, the greens will stay "alive" and absorb the water into the veins, making them last much longer than if you just keep them bundled up with the twisty and toss them into the veggie drawer. I have some mustard greens and collard greens that are a week old and you would never even know that I did not buy them yesterday.
I also sprinkle small pieces of a rose petal, or some finely cut up apple, or butternut squash, or small pieces of a strawberry on top of the greens. And add some basel into it sometimes which he seems to like. Anything to make it have a strong scent or color will make him eat more usually.

 

[LisaG]

Another tip that I just started doing....
This will make the greens last longer.
I get them in bunches; collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens mostly.
I have started treating them as I would a bunch of flowers. I take off any twisties that are keeping them together, then I cut the ends by about an inch, and put them each into a large plastic cup of filtered water, and take off the amounts that I need for the day. I often take off what I need for a few days, and tear the pieces up with my hands, mix them together, and then toss them into a large ziplock baggie, with a slightly dampened paper towel over them. The paper towel will keep the pieces from wilting. And the rest stay in full length in the cups with 2-3 inches of filtered water at the top shelf of the fridge. This can take up a lot of space on the top shelf of your fridge, but if you have a fridge in the garage, you can use that fridge to do it as well. Essentially, the greens will stay "alive" and absorb the water into the veins, making them last much longer than if you just keep them bundled up with the twisty and toss them into the veggie drawer. I have some mustard greens and collard greens that are a week old and you would never even know that I did not buy them yesterday.
I also sprinkle small pieces of a rose petal, or some finely cut up apple, or butternut squash, or small pieces of a strawberry on top of the greens. And add some basel into it sometimes which he seems to like. Anything to make it have a strong scent or color will make him eat more usually.

That is such an awesome idea! Thank you so much for posting this because I am forever throwing out expensive greens that I don't use in time

 

[Taterbug]

Another tip that I just started doing....
This will make the greens last longer.
I get them in bunches; collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens mostly.
I have started treating them as I would a bunch of flowers. I take off any twisties that are keeping them together, then I cut the ends by about an inch, and put them each into a large plastic cup of filtered water, and take off the amounts that I need for the day. I often take off what I need for a few days, and tear the pieces up with my hands, mix them together, and then toss them into a large ziplock baggie, with a slightly dampened paper towel over them. The paper towel will keep the pieces from wilting. And the rest stay in full length in the cups with 2-3 inches of filtered water at the top shelf of the fridge. This can take up a lot of space on the top shelf of your fridge, but if you have a fridge in the garage, you can use that fridge to do it as well. Essentially, the greens will stay "alive" and absorb the water into the veins, making them last much longer than if you just keep them bundled up with the twisty and toss them into the veggie drawer. I have some mustard greens and collard greens that are a week old and you would never even know that I did not buy them yesterday.
I also sprinkle small pieces of a rose petal, or some finely cut up apple, or butternut squash, or small pieces of a strawberry on top of the greens. And add some basel into it sometimes which he seems to like. Anything to make it have a strong scent or color will make him eat more usually.

Brilliant!

 

[Brezzy99]

Good thinking Karen! I have been cutting up what I need and donating the rest to the pet store. They give me 25% off my entire purchase coupons everytime I drop some off. One way I saved myself a lot of time cutting greens is using a mezzaluna. Now my fingers aren't stained green! :lol:

 

[Kryton]

Awesome tricks for a Newbie to learn My Dragon will benifit greatly from these tips

Keep them coming

 

[jenn4turtles]

Another tip that I just started doing....
This will make the greens last longer.
I get them in bunches; collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens mostly.
I have started treating them as I would a bunch of flowers. I take off any twisties that are keeping them together, then I cut the ends by about an inch, and put them each into a large plastic cup of filtered water, and take off the amounts that I need for the day. I often take off what I need for a few days, and tear the pieces up with my hands, mix them together, and then toss them into a large ziplock baggie, with a slightly dampened paper towel over them. The paper towel will keep the pieces from wilting. And the rest stay in full length in the cups with 2-3 inches of filtered water at the top shelf of the fridge. This can take up a lot of space on the top shelf of your fridge, but if you have a fridge in the garage, you can use that fridge to do it as well. Essentially, the greens will stay "alive" and absorb the water into the veins, making them last much longer than if you just keep them bundled up with the twisty and toss them into the veggie drawer. I have some mustard greens and collard greens that are a week old and you would never even know that I did not buy them yesterday.
I also sprinkle small pieces of a rose petal, or some finely cut up apple, or butternut squash, or small pieces of a strawberry on top of the greens. And add some basel into it sometimes which he seems to like. Anything to make it have a strong scent or color will make him eat more usually.

Brilliant!

I also give leftover greens to my feeder crickets, too.

 

[KarenInCA]

I also give leftover greens to my feeder crickets, too.

Great idea. And so I assume they will eat the yellowed greens?

 

[jenn4turtles]

I also give leftover greens to my feeder crickets, too.

Great idea. And so I assume they will eat the yellowed greens?

They do (as best I can tell - the greens kinda shrivel up, so it's hard to tell what's shriveled and what's been eaten). I put extra kale that I had cut up for Smaug this morning and some squash in the cricket container. I put a piece of watermelon in there as well, so we will see if they eat that. I also feed them the BD pellets, because Smaug does not seem to like them, and I figure if the crickets eat them, then he will eventually, too. LOL.

 

[vycine]

I buy two types of greens at a time (whatever is freshest). Then when I get home I rinse both bunches with lots of water and trim the stems so they can suck up water. Then I grab a large zlock bag and put a wet paper towel in the bottom of it, and fill with alternating leaves of greens. I usually fill up two bags, and they last for a couple of weeks this way. I don't have much waste, and anything that looks like it's not good enough to feed Einstein goes to crickets or roaches.

Cheers!
Jessi