New Beardy owner

[CarbonFiberSwan]

I am a new Beardy owner as of last night. I did research before buying, so I feel pretty good about it, mostly. I’ve seen a lot of debate in the BD community about feeding schedule for baby dragons. One side says 3-5 times a day, whatever they can eat in 10-15 minutes. The other side says twice daily, 6 or 7 crickets and greens.

these 2 schedules are polar opposites! I want to make sure I’m giving my BD what he needs to grow healthy, but I can’t figure out which side is true. So far, I feel like the twice daily schedule is good, but my baby never seems satisfied. He is always watching the lady bugs moving throughout the room, and licking his mouth. (Lots of lady bugs get in here during winter)

Does someone have a definitive answer with reliable resources as to which feeding schedule is needed for a baby?

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

FYI, I don’t feed him lady bugs. That was just to reference his behavior. I feed him store bought crickets, mealworms, and I’ve got a bag of dried greens. I dust the crickets with calcium supplement before feeding, and the crickets have nutrient rich food in their tank.

 

[BeardedDragonDude]

Glad you did your research... as long as it wasn't from PetCo employees...

As for the feeding schedule, what I did was 2-3 times a day, I gave her as much as she could eat in 10-15 minutes.
That seemed to keep her satiated and full.

Good luck.

Thanks,
BDD

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

Glad you did your research... as long as it wasn't from PetCo employees...

As for the feeding schedule, what I did was 2-3 times a day, I gave her as much as she could eat in 10-15 minutes.
That seemed to keep her satiated and full.

Good luck.

Thanks,
BDD

I did my research online. unfortunately I didn’t find out about PetSmart until after I got my dragon (I got mine from Petsmart, not Petco, but they both source their animals from mills) I don’t intend to do any more business with them, but I do still want my dragon to be healthy and thrive. Thanks for the advice.

 

[BeardedDragonDude]

I did my research online. unfortunately I didn’t find out about PetSmart until after I got my dragon (I got mine from Petsmart, not Petco, but they both source their animals from mills) I don’t intend to do any more business with them, but I do still want my dragon to be healthy and thrive. Thanks for the advice.

Ah, that's all much you can do nowadays.
I only get stuff from PetCo... really need to stop.
My BD was from PetSmart, so what can ya do?

That feeding schedule should get you situated.

Thanks,
BDD

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Glad you did your research... as long as it wasn't from PetCo employees...

As for the feeding schedule, what I did was 2-3 times a day, I gave her as much as she could eat in 10-15 minutes.
That seemed to keep her satiated and full.

Good luck.

Thanks,
BDD

I did the same as BDD when Dex was little: 2-3 times a day and as much as he could eat in 10-15 mins. Though there were some days I did 4 times a day if he looked hungry. Just make sure his last feeding is about 2 hours before lights out.

 

[Skybug]

I did my research online. unfortunately I didn’t find out about PetSmart until after I got my dragon (I got mine from Petsmart, not Petco, but they both source their animals from mills) I don’t intend to do any more business with them, but I do still want my dragon to be healthy and thrive. Thanks for the advice.

Look at him as a rescue, they do not take care of their “products” very well, if he wants to eat and eat and eat let him, but do have a cut off point, no food 2-3 hours before bedtime, you can get feeder dishes for worms that they cant get out of I recommend them, dont leave crickets in the tank they bite hard. Order him some discoid roaches they cant climb glass or plastic and dont stink, he needs as many different kinds of bugs at this age, very cute lil guy, you definitely saved him

 

[Bailey]

He looks healthy and happy! I'd just feed as much as he can eat in fifteen minutes twice a day, considering many of the BDF's most trusted and experienced member's beardie's are thriving from doing this as babies.

Offer salads too and start getting him used to eating it or it will be the biggest struggle ever when he turns to an adult. I've never owned a baby beardie I got my Zeus when he was five, but i've been a member here long enough to gain some knowledge on the babies.

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

He looks healthy and happy! I'd just feed as much as he can eat in fifteen minutes twice a day, considering many of the BDF's most trusted and experienced member's beardie's are thriving from doing this as babies.

Offer salads too and start getting him used to eating it or it will be the biggest struggle ever when he turns to an adult. I've never owned a baby beardie I got my Zeus when he was five, but i've been a member here long enough to gain some knowledge on the babies.

I put some kale in there today and he attacked it. I also bought some squash, carrots, and collard greens that I will be mixing together and giving him. I was glad that he ate the kale, cause I haven’t been able to get him to eat the dried veggies that I got from the pet store (I soak them to soften them, but he just ignores them).

thanks for the advice! I will be taking it all into account, and continuing my research. Ultimately, Toothless (my Beardies unofficial name) will have his own unique personality, and I will just have to learn his eating habits.

 

[Penelope]

Welcome! He's so adorable and clearly well loved. Ours is a PetSmart "rescue" too as of 2 months ago, and I feed him 3x a day and sometimes 4 if he's super hungry, leaving time before lights out to digest. Every beardie's different and his appetite will fluctuate (some days mine eats 100 little Dubias a day, some days only about 20!) - but you'll get the hang of it. They can grow an inch a week at that age and it's pretty cool to watch.

 

[TheLongfellows]

I agree 2-3 times a day as much as the baby can eat within 10-15 minutes. Start introducing greens to the baby now so when it’s time to go green it’s use to it if you wait on greens they can be pretty stubborn about eating them and eventually that becomes most of their diet.

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

‍
I just went to my local pet store called PetSense to pick up some crickets. I was talking to them about Beardies, and one of the employees said that Beardies are supposed to have super high humidity, so he wets their tanks down throughout the day. I corrected him immediately and told him they are supposed to have low humidity! It’s sad that so many people who work directly with animals don’t know how to properly care for them.

 

[2Pacalypse]

FYI, I don’t feed him lady bugs. That was just to reference his behavior. I feed him store bought crickets, mealworms, and I’ve got a bag of dried greens. I dust the crickets with calcium supplement before feeding, and the crickets have nutrient rich food in their tank.

Hello!
My eye caught "mealworms" which shouldn't be fed, they are too hard to digest. Some say they can be given to adults but I've read that they can still cause impaction. BSF/reptiworms/Phoenix worms (buy online) are a great source of calcium & they build up the immune system.
I've found that right before feeding live insects is the best way to get them to eat the veggies.
I have to place next to him & he eats it but never has he gone to the dish to eat them.
I'm feeding my 9 week 3 times a day. Dusting crickets once a day but leaving the greens in the tank all day so if he is hungry he at least can eat. He is eating 35 (total) crickets twice a day & 25 Phoenix worms 2 hours before bed plus the lil bit of greens he actually eats. PetSmart doesn't make sure they actually drink water so mine doesn't drink from a bowl. I softly mist him in the am & then again before last meal & he opens his mouth to get some but with the worms, I've noticed that he doesn't seem as thirsty anymore so they must hydrate as well.
He is very cute! How do you get the hammock to stay? Mine constantly falls!

 

[2Pacalypse]

‍
I just went to my local pet store called PetSense to pick up some crickets. I was talking to them about Beardies, and one of the employees said that Beardies are supposed to have super high humidity, so he wets their tanks down throughout the day. I corrected him immediately and told him they are supposed to have low humidity! It’s sad that so many people who work directly with animals don’t know how to properly care for them.

‍
I just went to my local pet store called PetSense to pick up some crickets. I was talking to them about Beardies, and one of the employees said that Beardies are supposed to have super high humidity, so he wets their tanks down throughout the day. I corrected him immediately and told him they are supposed to have low humidity! It’s sad that so many people who work directly with animals don’t know how to properly care for them.

OMG-that is so bad & so sad...

Thank goodness they get a high turnover for the pets because most wouldn't survive the care they receive

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

Hello!
My eye caught "mealworms" which shouldn't be fed, they are too hard to digest. Some say they can be given to adults but I've read that they can still cause impaction. BSF/reptiworms/Phoenix worms (buy online) are a great source of calcium & they build up the immune system.
I've found that right before feeding live insects is the best way to get them to eat the veggies.
I have to place next to him & he eats it but never has he gone to the dish to eat them.
I'm feeding my 9 week 3 times a day. Dusting crickets once a day but leaving the greens in the tank all day so if he is hungry he at least can eat. He is eating 35 (total) crickets twice a day & 25 Phoenix worms 2 hours before bed plus the lil bit of greens he actually eats. PetSmart doesn't make sure they actually drink water so mine doesn't drink from a bowl. I softly mist him in the am & then again before last meal & he opens his mouth to get some but with the worms, I've noticed that he doesn't seem as thirsty anymore so they must hydrate as well.
He is very cute! How do you get the hammock to stay? Mine constantly falls!

I have since discovered that mealworms aren’t good for them, so I stopped feeding them to him. I found that if I drip water on the hammock, he will drink it from there.

I just stuck the hammock on and it has stayed. I took it out to clean it, and when I put it back it fell a couple times, but it has stayed since then.

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

Yes, the guy told me that they sold all their Beardies pretty quick. But he had a leopard gecko that hasn’t been sold, and it looked so sad. It was in a plain aquarium with only 2 hides. There was no substrate, and no lighting. No heat lamp or UVB (I don’t know much about other lizards, but aren’t all reptiles supposed to have heat and UVB?) And he said they only get fed once a day (at night), and they only get 3 or 4 crickets!

 

[CarbonFiberSwan]

FYI, I don’t feed him lady bugs. That was just to reference his behavior. I feed him store bought crickets, mealworms, and I’ve got a bag of dried greens. I dust the crickets with calcium supplement before feeding, and the crickets have nutrient rich food in their tank.

Update, I won’t be feeding him mealworms or dried greens. I am getting him fresh veggies (collard greens, mustard greens, and squash). I’ll also be getting dubia roaches instead of crickets. I don’t want to buy from these local pet stores if I don’t have to, and since I’m ordering bugs online I may as well get something better than crickets. I’ve read that dubia roaches are healthier, they live much longer, and they are easier to feed the dragon since they can’t jump away like the crickets.

 

[TheLongfellows]

‍
I just went to my local pet store called PetSense to pick up some crickets. I was talking to them about Beardies, and one of the employees said that Beardies are supposed to have super high humidity, so he wets their tanks down throughout the day. I corrected him immediately and told him they are supposed to have low humidity! It’s sad that so many people who work directly with animals don’t know how to properly care for them.

Yes it is a shame I do t like going into places like petco cause I leave pissed off.

 

[2Pacalypse]

Yes, the guy told me that they sold all their Beardies pretty quick. But he had a leopard gecko that hasn’t been sold, and it looked so sad. It was in a plain aquarium with only 2 hides. There was no substrate, and no lighting. No heat lamp or UVB (I don’t know much about other lizards, but aren’t all reptiles supposed to have heat and UVB?) And he said they only get fed once a day (at night), and they only get 3 or 4 crickets!

That is sooo freaking sad.
You should go buy him!
My PetSmart gives the veggies & then toss in 3 crickets in a tank of 4 beardie baby's. It's so mean esp when they have an entire bin they sell to three public. They were out for over a week

Update, I won’t be feeding him mealworms or dried greens. I am getting him fresh veggies (collard greens, mustard greens, and squash). I’ll also be getting dubia roaches instead of crickets. I don’t want to buy from these local pet stores if I don’t have to, and since I’m ordering bugs online I may as well get something better than crickets. I’ve read that dubia roaches are healthier, they live much longer, and they are easier to feed the dragon since they can’t jump away like the

Update, I won’t be feeding him mealworms or dried greens. I am getting him fresh veggies (collard greens, mustard greens, and squash). I’ll also be getting dubia roaches instead of crickets. I don’t want to buy from these local pet stores if I don’t have to, and since I’m ordering bugs online I may as well get something better than crickets. I’ve read that dubia roaches are healthier, they live much longer, and they are easier to feed the dragon since they can’t jump away like the crickets.

What Vegetables can a Bearded Dragon Eat? - The Critter Depot

What Vegetables Can a Bearded Dragon Eat? Table of Contents Bearded Dragons, like humans, do best on a varied and sensible diet, because they are omnivorous. Juveniles having slightly different dietary demands than adults. Young dragons need a diet that is about 50% vegetable and 50%...

www.thecritterdepot.com

I saw this yesterday & it says NO collared greens & kale infrequently.
My stores only sell those so today I bought the "veggies" from the pet store. I don't know what else to feed when my stores don't sell anything but the wrong stuff.
I'm gonna do more research just to be sure but they say those foods block calcium absorption. Maybe someone on here with experience will chime in (hint-hint)

 

[2Pacalypse]

That is sooo freaking sad.
You should go buy him!
My PetSmart gives the veggies & then toss in 3 crickets in a tank of 4 beardie baby's. It's so mean esp when they have an entire bin they sell to three public. They were out for over a week

What Vegetables can a Bearded Dragon Eat? - The Critter Depot

What Vegetables Can a Bearded Dragon Eat? Table of Contents Bearded Dragons, like humans, do best on a varied and sensible diet, because they are omnivorous. Juveniles having slightly different dietary demands than adults. Young dragons need a diet that is about 50% vegetable and 50%...

www.thecritterdepot.com

I saw this yesterday & it says NO collared greens & kale infrequently.
My stores only sell those so today I bought the "veggies" from the pet store. I don't know what else to feed when my stores don't sell anything but the wrong stuff.
I'm gonna do more research just to be sure but they say those foods block calcium absorption. Maybe someone on here with experience will chime in (hint-hint)

My reply is missing the end about the critters in store. The store sold all crickets so for a week the babies didn't eat. I went & bought a hundred from another store to give them,which I shouldn't of had to do. Told them to keep some for the store to feed instead of selling them all & the girl said they are not allowed!