Worms

[vanessaDRUZ]

Hi there

I would like to start adding some kind of worm to my beardie's diet
he's probably about 2 months old, at least that's how long I've had him
and I feed him about a dozen crickets twice a day already
but think it would be easier to also add in some worms so I could hand feed him and I believe they are easier to keep?

anyways, just wondering what kinds of worms I should get
how to keep them and how many to get at a time
or do you guys not recommend I feed him worms at all?

Thanks!

 

[Janelle1124]

If you decide to feed him worms, make sure they are small enough for him to digest easily. The general rule of thumb is no larger than the space between his eyes. I would recommend trying waxworms first because they are soft and easy for dragons to digest. A lot of people feed mealworms and superworms, however, they have hard shells that can be difficult to digest. Also, with superworms, make sure you get the small ones. My poor dragon had the regular sized ones and threw them all up completely undigested. You also want to be sure you don't over feed him worms. They are higher in fat than crickets so they should be reserved for treats. Just keep an eye on your dragon's behavior after feeding until his next poop so you can be sure he handled the new food well. Good luck and I hope your baby enjoys his worms!

 

[bumblebee]

You should never feed mealworms, and you shouldn't feed superworms unless your beardie is over 16 inches long because their shell is hard to digest. I would be careful with wax worms - they are high in fat, so they should only be used as treats (think of them as beardie candy bars ). If you do offer wax worms, make sure you don't give your beardie more than about 5 a week.

You can actually use certain types of worms as a staple - they're not all high in fat. Silk worms and phoenix worms both make great staples. Horn worms and butter worms are also really good for beardies. All 4 of these types of worms are really high in calcium, so you don't even need to dust them with calcium powder. If you decide to try worms, I would start with small silk worms, small horn worms, medium or large phoenix worms (even the large ones are small), or butter worms (which only come in one size, I think). Be careful not to order too many silk worms or horn worms because they get huge really quickly. As with any diet change, start slowly. Offer just one or two the first day, and see how he handles them. Phoenix worms and butter worms are definitely easier to keep than crickets, you just leave them in the container they come in, and you don't have to feed them. Butter worms have to be refrigerated. Silk worms and horn worms are a bit more work, but aren't too bad. They usually come in a cup with food, so all you really have to do is empty out the worm poop every day. Another good staple that is cheaper than crickets in the long run is dubias (not worms, but you might want to look into them).

You should be feeding him 2-3 times a day, and you should let him eat as much as he wants in 10-15 minutes at each feeding. He should be eating more than 24 crickets a day. At his age, he needs lots of protein, so make sure you let him eat as much as he wants in the 10-15 minutes.

Hope that helps!

 

[vanessaDRUZ]

yes, thank you both very much!!

extremely helpful!

 

[bumblebee]

Glad we could help

 

[EeveeChan]

I like to use Mealworms. Superworms are kind of big, but my beardie eats about two or three of them if I get them for him.