What should I be feeding my beardie, how much and how often?

[cburns32]

I do not know the exact age of my beardie but I got him in September and I think I remember them saying he was about one month old. I have pictures from the day I got him and some from just a few days ago that I will post and hopefully you all will be able to give me an estimate on age and then hopefully a feeding schedule/diet for him.

I currently feed him about 15-20 gut-loaded, calcium dusted large crickets a day on top of 15-20 small pieces of salad greens (mixture bag). To change it up every once in a while I will give him 5-10 large super worms (calcium dusted) instead of the crickets but not very often. Is this too much or too little? What are the best greens for your beardie? Is there anything else I should be including in his diet.

Here is a picture from the day I got him (about 1 month old maybe??)......

Here is a picture from a few days ago...

 

[UnaidedSoul]

Here is the list of fruits and vegetables that you should and should not feed your dragon.

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

How big is your dragon? Superworms should only be fed to dragons over 16" (yours does look big enough, but measure him to be sure)

15-20 crickets? feeding should be how many he/she can eat in 10-15 minutes of time.

 

[spurlee01]

At 7 months old, 15-20 crickets a day isn't enough. Mine was eating more like 40-70 during that time.

 

[Joshandmushu]

You know I really don't understand why people feed their bearded dragon as much as he/she will eat in 10-15 minutes 10-20 crix is fine thats how much I feed Mushu who is 9 months old, think about it bearded dragons are native to semi arid/arid environments food will be pretty scarce bearded dragons in the wild aren't going to get a constant supply of crickets are they? I would love to spoil Mushu like that but whats the point it's just a waste of money and it's obviously not needed.

 

[cburns32]

Here is the list of fruits and vegetables that you should and should not feed your dragon.

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

How big is your dragon? Superworms should only be fed to dragons over 16" (yours does look big enough, but measure him to be sure)

15-20 crickets? feeding should be how many he/she can eat in 10-15 minutes of time.

My dragon from head to tail is 14 inches, the super worms I feed him seem ridiculously small compared to my dragon.. Here's a picture to show that...

So you think I should be feeding him as much as he can eat in 10 minute period?? To be completely honest he probably could max 100 of them really quickly, sometimes I put 20-25 in there and they are gone within a few seconds but then he climbs up on his perch and seems satisfied.

At 7 months old, 15-20 crickets a day isn't enough. Mine was eating more like 40-70 during that time.

Was this 40-70 crickets a day without any greens or with greens?

You know I really don't understand why people feed their bearded dragon as much as he/she will eat in 10-15 minutes 10-20 crix is fine thats how much I feed Mushu who is 9 months old, think about it bearded dragons are native to semi arid/arid environments food will be pretty scarce bearded dragons in the wild aren't going to get a constant supply of crickets are they? I would love to spoil Mushu like that but whats the point it's just a waste of money and it's obviously not needed.

That is my understanding of it, they don't have an abundant supply of food in arid environment where they are found so I'm wondering if throwing 50-60 crickets in there for him to munch on a day on top of greens is a bit much. I will wait and see what you all have to say before I make a final decision.

 

[diamc]

Sounds like your beardie is only 6 to 7 mo old so it's very important to feed all the protein he wants 2 to 3 times a day. Eating 100 crickets a day is actually very normal. You also might want to give him more greens as 15 to 20 small pieces may not be enough to fill him up. Since they continue to grow until about the age of 1 1/2 yrs, they need lots of protein to help their bones grow, etc so that it will help them live a healthy life, that's very important. They will cut themselves back on feeders when they are ready.

I know that spurlee's Lilly was eating 40 to 70 feeders BESIDES all the greens she could consume, right Sara?

 

[spurlee01]

Yes, Lilly had an unlimited supply of greens and I try to add extra fresh stuff to her salads (squash, fruits). In the wild, life spans are also significantly shorter. I do NOT think you should feed unlimited supers. I fed teensy tiny supers as a RARE treat when mine was 14", but that was very rare. Beardies have a kink in their digestive tract that does not straighten out until they are bigger. It has nothing to do with them being smaller than your beardie.

 

[cburns32]

Okay so what do you all suggest that I use to house my crickets? And where do you suggest I get them from? I only have a local Petco in town and I am not buying thousands of crickets from the pet store. Where is the best place to order online with the healthiest crickets.

Also what would be an appropriate size?

 

[spurlee01]

I've used Ghann's but I also hear premium crickets is good. I had a plastic tote with a portion of the top cut out and screen duct taped in. You could also do roaches, they are heartier... www.thebugpros.com

 

[cburns32]

I've used Ghann's but I also hear premium crickets is good. I had a plastic tote with a portion of the top cut out and screen duct taped in. You could also do roaches, they are heartier... http://www.thebugpros.com

What about Fluker's??? I'm going to Walmart today and buying a plastic tub with a top. I'm going to cut out a small hole on each side and place steel screening on each side, but one end is going to have a 40mm computer fan attached to it to draw air out of the bin. I'm going to use some odor control on the bottom of the tub, then place either a piece of carpet, wood or paper towels down so I can easily clean droppings and dead bodies when need be. On top of the carpet/wood/paper towels I'm going to get a bunch of egg crate 12x12 and glue a few pieces together and stand them up vertically in the bin along with about 8 paper towel rolls. I'll have 2 dishes for food and a constant supply of water (still unsure how I will provide the water). Do the crickets need a light? Or will they do fine without one?

I am placing my order on Premium Crickets right now but will wait for a reply on an appropriate size right now I have 1500 3/4" crickets in my cart but can change depending on what you all say. I also have premium cricket odor control, 20 12"x12" egg crates, 1 lb. cricket water concentrate, 1 lb. cricket food, 1/2 calcium dust. Let me know what you guys think of this plan and if I should make any changes or adjustments.

Where I will be keeping my crickets is about 75*F - 78*F consistently, this might help with the light question?

Please get back to me asap as I am trying to place this order tonight!!

 

[lauraj1055]

Supers are a great staple and used by many breeders. Both my beardies are VERY healthy and supers are their staple. You can get Small, Medium or Large supers at www.mulberryfarms.com. And they last for months and are inexpensive and DON'T SMELL.. You keep them in wheat or oat bran, with a slice of potato or carrot changed out every 3 days. I have had supers from the same order for 3 months now. I order 1,000 at a pop. With the size of your beardie medium supers will be fine for him.

 

[lauraj1055]

Also, crickets cause pinworms.. it's a fact, you feed crickets your beardie is going to have pinworms.. why would anyone bother?? Ask any vet or breeder about it...

 

[cburns32]

Supers are a great staple and used by many breeders. Both my beardies are VERY healthy and supers are their staple. You can get Small, Medium or Large supers at http://www.mulberryfarms.com. And they last for months and are inexpensive and DON'T SMELL.. You keep them in wheat or oat bran, with a slice of potato or carrot changed out every 3 days. I have had supers from the same order for 3 months now. I order 1,000 at a pop. With the size of your beardie medium supers will be fine for him.

Also, crickets cause pinworms.. it's a fact, you feed crickets your beardie is going to have pinworms.. why would anyone bother?? Ask any vet or breeder about it...

So you would suggest using Supers as my staple?? What should I hold them in (container wise)? And where to get cheap bulk amount of wheat or oat bran??

Also a few people on here have advised to stay away from Supers...

Now I am torn between Supers or crickets..

 

[Kaiser]

You know I really don't understand why people feed their bearded dragon as much as he/she will eat in 10-15 minutes 10-20 crix is fine thats how much I feed Mushu who is 9 months old, think about it bearded dragons are native to semi arid/arid environments food will be pretty scarce bearded dragons in the wild aren't going to get a constant supply of crickets are they? I would love to spoil Mushu like that but whats the point it's just a waste of money and it's obviously not needed.

From my understanding, most bearded dragons are pretty good with knowing how much is enough (most will not overeat). I always feed my bearded dragon as much as he will eat (he usually stops within five minutes, but he eats about 75 Reptiworms per feeding), and he's perfectly happy and healthy, and much larger lengthwise than most his age. I suppose the real question is how one would know if 10 to 20 crickets is fine, and whether or not this is enough. I would assume most bearded dragons know more about themselves as any of us could know about them. However, perhaps 10 to 20 crickets are enough for your bearded dragon, personally. I don't mean to say anything other than the fact that bearded dragons typically know how much they can eat.

Additionally, yes, bearded dragons in the wild are not getting a constant supply of crickets. But I suppose that brings up the fact that most bearded dragons in the wild live for about 3-5 years. Most captive bearded dragons can live anywhere from 5-8 years, some over ten. I would assume availability of food for growth and survival, as well as other environmental factors may contribute to the near double increase in years.

Otherwise, yes, I agree that feeders are very expensive. I go through about $80 or so every month.

As for the topic creator's questions, crickets and superworms are both viable staples. Each have their pros and cons (which have been addressed pretty nicely so far). There are a lot of different types of feeders that many will suggest to use or avoid, but you can't really go wrong with a little variety. Some other staples you could consider are black soldier fly larvae (under the brand names of Reptiworms, Phoenix Worms, and Calciworms), certain types of worms (silk worms, hornworms, etc.), or certain types of roaches (dubia, most commonly suggested).

 

[Joshandmushu]

You know I really don't understand why people feed their bearded dragon as much as he/she will eat in 10-15 minutes 10-20 crix is fine thats how much I feed Mushu who is 9 months old, think about it bearded dragons are native to semi arid/arid environments food will be pretty scarce bearded dragons in the wild aren't going to get a constant supply of crickets are they? I would love to spoil Mushu like that but whats the point it's just a waste of money and it's obviously not needed.

From my understanding, most bearded dragons are pretty good with knowing how much is enough (most will not overeat). I always feed my bearded dragon as much as he will eat (he usually stops within five minutes, but he eats about 75 Reptiworms per feeding), and he's perfectly happy and healthy, and much larger lengthwise than most his age. I suppose the real question is how one would know if 10 to 20 crickets is fine, and whether or not this is enough. I would assume most bearded dragons know more about themselves as any of us could know about them. However, perhaps 10 to 20 crickets are enough for your bearded dragon, personally. I don't mean to say anything other than the fact that bearded dragons typically know how much they can eat.

Additionally, yes, bearded dragons in the wild are not getting a constant supply of crickets. But I suppose that brings up the fact that most bearded dragons in the wild live for about 3-5 years. Most captive bearded dragons can live anywhere from 5-8 years, some over ten. I would assume availability of food for growth and survival, as well as other environmental factors may contribute to the near double increase in years.

Otherwise, yes, I agree that feeders are very expensive. I go through about $80 or so every month.

As for the topic creator's questions, crickets and superworms are both viable staples. Each have their pros and cons (which have been addressed pretty nicely so far). There are a lot of different types of feeders that many will suggest to use or avoid, but you can't really go wrong with a little variety. Some other staples you could consider are black soldier fly larvae (under the brand names of Reptiworms, Phoenix Worms, and Calciworms), certain types of worms (silk worms, hornworms, etc.), or certain types of roaches (dubia, most commonly suggested).

Yes it is true that bearded dragons in the wild do have shorter life spans because of possibly the lack of food so their still not going to find 20 crickets in the wild are they? in fact they may go through a day without crickets (when their a juvy or sub-adult of course).