Need help with veggie feeding

[kobe24]

Hey guys, I have had my dragon for 2 weeks now and he is around 5 months old. I am going to start putting lettuce mixed with carrots in his cage and i was wondering how often should i do this.
He eats around 35 crickets a day so would i feed him 35 crickets 4 days a week and veggies 3 days a week. I am completely confused about this, help is much appreciated.

 

[NBLD]

I've heard that lettuce is not good for beardies. I feed my girl dandelion greens and butternut squash as her staples, which are higher in terms of nutrition.

I hate crickets, so we feed dubia roaches. I offer greens daily and roaches every other day. She usually eats 5-7 roaches.

 

[kobe24]

I've heard that lettuce is not good for beardies. I feed my girl dandelion greens and butternut squash as her staples, which are higher in terms of nutrition.

I hate crickets, so we feed dubia roaches. I offer greens daily and roaches every other day. She usually eats 5-7 roaches.

Thank you for the reply, so you give him veggies everyday and roaches every other day, i thought you should feed them some crickets or roaches everyday but thats just my opinion. Im prolly wrong though, more help is appreciated and thanks again for your reply

 

[Germ]

@kobe24 - Please read the links that have already been provided to you, you will find the answers to the majority of your questions there. Lettuce & carrots are very poor staple greens, anything with the word lettuce in it for the most part, have very little nutrion & are mostly water, quite often leading to giving your BD the Runs. Here is the link & some info from those links that should be of help. Try to feed as much as you can find that is hi-lited in Green from this website as your staple greens diet.
Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

General feeding/supplementation schedule:
For hatchlings and young juveniles (up to 2 months): Fresh greens/veg. 1-2 times daily - Live prey 2-3 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – one day per week calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For juveniles and sub-adults (2 months to sexual maturity): Fresh greens/veg 1-2 times daily - Live prey 1-2 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – One day per week with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For adults (generally 1+ year): Fresh greens/veg 1- 2 times daily - Live prey every 2-3 days.
Dusted: Live Prey every other feeding with phosphorus free calcium - Twice per month with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

As there are different circumstances that may arise, this schedule is recommended only as a general guide and may be altered to accommodate individual situations. Using a tracking method of when you dust prevents unnecessary use of product and more importantly, potential harm to your dragon! With proper and effective UVB lighting, supplementation with vitamin D3 is not imperative but should be provided in small amounts. Excessive levels of oral vitamin D3 can potentially lead to the excessive absorption and utilization of calcium and/or toxicity as can the excessive use of supplements containing high levels of vitamin A. Over use of any supplement can have the potential to cause serious health problems, stick to an appropriate supplementation schedule.

Read More: http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/basic-bd-care-sheet-a-place-to-start.5177/

 

[kobe24]

@kobe24 - Please read the links that have already been provided to you, you will find the answers to the majority of your questions there. Lettuce & carrots are very poor staple greens, anything with the word lettuce in it for the most part, have very little nutrion & are mostly water, quite often leading to giving your BD the Runs. Here is the link & some info from those links that should be of help. Try to feed as much as you can find that is hi-lited in Green from this website as your staple greens diet.
Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Thanks from the reply but i have read the links and nutrition charts but that doesnt answer my question. Ive read that dragons around 6 months old should have a diet of about 70 percent insects and 30 percent veggies. Now if this is true, how should i feed my dragon. Should it be veggies every 2 days and insects every 5 days. I am confused by the whole 70 percent to 30 percent ratio thing. I think that they would have to eat a little bit of insects and veggies everyday. Can someone please help me out with a little more detail. I really love marley and want her to be real healthy and you guys have helped me out perfectly so far. Thanks

 

[Germ]

The Percentage ratio that is so often posted is a crock. In all the years that I have been in the Hobby, I have yet to figure out how exactly it is to be figured out. Just how do you figure out a Protein to Veggie ratio, by weight, by volume, by sight, by feedings, by what???

The ratio was someone's idea to show that as they get older & are no longer growing, not as active, they do not need as much protein, this keeps getting repeated over & over, but the ratio really is useless info. The general feeding & Supplementation schedule provided above, does answer your question, in detail & is included in the links provided.

 

[kobe24]

How does it answer my question when my question was how long should my dragon eat the veggies before i take them out of his cage and how often should i feed him insects. There are many different answers. One answer could be to feed him crickets 2 times a day 4 days a week and veggies 3 times a day and 3 days a week and so on and so on. So thats my question, you did not answer it. Im not trying to be mean or anything because you are a big help and very smart when it comes to this subject but you didnt answer my question. Thank you though.

 

[Germ]

Your question is very clearly answered & spelled out for you ...

General feeding/supplementation schedule:
For hatchlings and young juveniles (up to 2 months): Fresh greens/veg. 1-2 times daily - Live prey 2-3 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – one day per week calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For juveniles and sub-adults (2 months to sexual maturity): Fresh greens/veg 1-2 times daily - Live prey 1-2 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – One day per week with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For adults (generally 1+ year): Fresh greens/veg 1- 2 times daily - Live prey every 2-3 days.
Dusted: Live Prey every other feeding with phosphorus free calcium - Twice per month with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

As there are different circumstances that may arise, this schedule is recommended only as a general guide and may be altered to accommodate individual situations. Using a tracking method of when you dust prevents unnecessary use of product and more importantly, potential harm to your dragon! With proper and effective UVB lighting, supplementation with vitamin D3 is not imperative but should be provided in small amounts. Excessive levels of oral vitamin D3 can potentially lead to the excessive absorption and utilization of calcium and/or toxicity as can the excessive use of supplements containing high levels of vitamin A. Over use of any supplement can have the potential to cause serious health problems, stick to an appropriate supplementation schedule.

Read More: http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/basic-bd-care-sheet-a-place-to-start.5177/

As far as when to take out the veggies, the veggies should always be Fresh, so mist them to help them to last longer &\or remove & replace them when whey start to wilt. Remove them approximately an hour or 2 prior to lights out, so that anything ingested has an opportunity to start the digestion process, prior to the BD cooling down for the night. Replace with Fresh Greens in the morning.

 

[kobe24]

So should i leave the greens in there even while im feeding her crickets. Also what if her diet really changes to the point where she is eating more veggies than insects. I know that adults eat more greens than insects but not juveniles.

 

[Germ]

I offer greens daily and roaches every other day. She usually eats 5-7 roaches.

@kobe14 - this answer is quite correct for the age BD that NBLD has & coincides with the schedule provided. But you do not have an adult, you have a Juvenile, this is why the variation in feeding & why the variations stated in the schedule.

 

[Germ]

So should i leave the greens in there even while im feeding her crickets. Also what if her diet really changes to the point where she is eating more veggies than insects. I know that adults eat more greens than insects but not juveniles.

Yes & it will likely self regulate it's Veggie\Protein intake as it gets older, you will notice this, then you can regulate the amounts fed of each accordingly. Different BDs have different appetites, so you must observe & read your individual BDs eating habits. As you become more familiar with your new pet, this will become easier.