tips for feeding

[June]

We just recently purchased another bearded dragon. He is a year old and almost 18 inches long, but only eats butter-worms. We have had him a week, and tried all types of salad, and veggies plus crickets, horn-worms and super-worrms. The lady we bought him from said he was a "picky" eater. Are there any tricks to getting him to try other foods? I know they need a diet with variety but so far he only eats the butter worms.

Thank you!

 

[Candybugs]

Mustard greens seem to be a favorite keep putting salad everyday. No lettuce at all ever any kind. Greens should be your daily with xtras. I feed my Hef crickets and dubia roaches. He loves the dubias. They truly are cleaner and easier to manage than crickets super high in proteins. I'd try the dubias. When mine were babies I'd hold the basking light above the tub I feed them in and they would go to town. I don't feed in their houses because it's dirty and it keeps them on alert and they can't relax and then the bugs hide. I put in the bugs and then Hef and he eats all that he wants then I put any left overs back in the cricket bin. There's never dubias left over. I would stop buying the worms and try this. He cannot live on 1 food source and from what I hear they will eat eventually. Try the light thing. I have a 5 mo old and a tiny baby and it works great. If he's not eating salad you'll need to also worry about his hydration. Look up the veggies and make a list of what's available to you in your area . I cup up mustard greens then I'll grate cucumber or apple I peel strawberries sometimes .there's alot of options. It will tell you on the approved veggie list how to prepare it. Squash has to be cooked etc.

 

[Candybugs]

I've been having good luck keeping the greens freshest if I put them in a cup of ice water in the fridge.

 

[PatsyB]

You could try withholding the butter worms. They say that they won't let themselves starve and will eventually eat whatever it is you are giving them. I have to say I tried that trick with my girl trying to get her to eat her salad and after a week I felt bad and I had to give her some worms

 

[June]

Mustard greens seem to be a favorite keep putting salad everyday. No lettuce at all ever any kind. Greens should be your daily with xtras. I feed my Hef crickets and dubia roaches. He loves the dubias. They truly are cleaner and easier to manage than crickets super high in proteins. I'd try the dubias. When mine were babies I'd hold the basking light above the tub I feed them in and they would go to town. I don't feed in their houses because it's dirty and it keeps them on alert and they can't relax and then the bugs hide. I put in the bugs and then Hef and he eats all that he wants then I put any left overs back in the cricket bin. There's never dubias left over. I would stop buying the worms and try this. He cannot live on 1 food source and from what I hear they will eat eventually. Try the light thing. I have a 5 mo old and a tiny baby and it works great. If he's not eating salad you'll need to also worry about his hydration. Look up the veggies and make a list of what's available to you in your area . I cup up mustard greens then I'll grate cucumber or apple I peel strawberries sometimes .there's alot of options. It will tell you on the approved veggie list how to prepare it. Squash has to be cooked etc.

Thank you. I will try the light. We do feed him in a separate bin. I withheld the worms and he didn't eat for two days so on the third day we gave him worms. I live in Florida, so I am against the dubias. Too afraid of them getting loose in the house and multiplying.

 

[June]

You could try withholding the butter worms. They say that they won't let themselves starve and will eventually eat whatever it is you are giving them. I have to say I tried that trick with my girl trying to get her to eat her salad and after a week I felt bad and I had to give her some worms

I went two days and he didn't eat. He is skinny so I gave in with the worms on the third day. I think he would starve.

 

[June]

I've been having good luck keeping the greens freshest if I put them in a cup of ice water in the fridge.

Thank you. I will try that too. They dry out quickly due to the lights. I spray them with some water but it doesn't seem to help much.

 

[ARUTLOSJR11]

Old thread, but after reading it, I'm curious to hear an update!

 

[June]

Old thread, but after reading it, I'm curious to hear an update!

He is doing much better now, and eating a variety of foods. Thank you! It just took a while.

 

[firehawk0285]

You could try dubias. My beardies were super excited the first time they got dubias. I get minuet at discountdubias.com. Way cheaper than my local pet store.