Beardie favortism

[cricket05]

Does your Beardie have a favorite food? Murray's diet is a combination of crickets (most readily available/able to get locally), Dubias, Phoenix Worms, salad (collard greens alone or mixed with w/ red pepper, kale, carrots, green beans depending on day) and treats of apples, strawberries and/or grapes. I have definitely noticed that Murray has his favorites.

If he has all crickets, Dubias and Phoenix Worms to choose from -- he will go after the Dubias every time. As far as greens go, he seems to prefer just plain collard greens (especially if extremely fresh) or the collard beans and green beans -- which surprised me. Of the treats, he definitely goes after the grapes.

Sidenote -- I definitely seem to see a growth spurt/molt if he has fed on a lot of Dubias for a few days (I don't always have these on hand, as I order them and have not tried starting a colony -- just don't know if I can do it, these guys creeeeeep me out, lol.)

What have you guys noticed as far as food preferences? Any salad or treat suggestions that you would offer? Murray is a juvenile dragon, so I haven't tried tons of combos for him just yet but do try to mix it up enough that he doesn't get bored of his food.

 

[PatsyB]

I've heard that dubia are very nutritious for them and hence make they grow a bit faster.

Luci loves mustard greens and that's it. You can give him a variety and he will always choose the mustards. He also likes super worms over everything else. Hornworms are good too but he will always get more excited about supers. Dexter on the other hand doesn't have a favorite veggie because she won't eat any of them but she loves hornworms.

 

[cricket05]

I'll have to try mustard greens. I'm anxious to try dandelion leaves this summer...and super worms when he gets a bit older!

 

[PatsyB]

Dandelion leaves are real good. Luci will eat those too sometimes. Dandelion flower is supposed to be a good treat but I've never tried it.

Last week Luci was very lethargic. He would eat his super worms but wasn't his normal self running around his tank wanting out. I bought mustard greens last night and fed him some this morning and now he's back to his normal crazy self. I don't know if the he was just sad he didn't have mustards but it sure seems like it!

 

[cricket05]

Aww! That is just way too cute. I just love how they all have individual personalities -- something I would never have really known if I didn't have my little guy!

 

[PatsyB]

Definitely have individual personalities. I only know that from having 2. We got spoiled with Dexter because she was always so mild mannered and a little love bug. She still 2 years later hasn't shown any aggression. Luci has been the complete opposite from day one! He has lots of attitude and he will let you know it! He is a little sweetheart though when he wants to be.

 

[Augie]

Protein: Crickets and roaches, but she switches between the two. When she gets bored of one she goes crazy for the other. She has switched preferences many times. I guess that means she gets bored easily. I don't give her Phoenix worms; I don't believe in the product. She's too big for them now anyway.

Greens: Collard greens, butternut squash, and acorn squash are her favorites. She tolerates mustard greens and sometimes enjoys turnip greens. I think at least with the mustard greens she doesn't like the way the jagged leaves feel when she eats them. After she swallows a few, she puffs her throat a few times like she's uncomfortable with the sensation.

Treats: Carrots, mango, papaya, and pineapple. She also will eat apples and pears, but doesn't really get excited over them. As far as insects she likes waxworms, superworms, and hornworms a lot. She gets spoiled on the hornworms very quickly, so I have to make sure I only give her two or so a day after her meal. Any more and she'll refuse to eat the next day, and any less and the hornworms will have run out of food!

 

[cricket05]

Augie - interesting that you said that about the Phoenix Worms. I would love to hear your reasons -- I decided to try them because I had heard/read that they were a good staple, don't smell, won't bite your Beardie, etc. -- and think Murray is still too little for superworms, but maybe I need to research that more also. Anyway - I have ordered them twice, and thus far really haven't been impressed. Both times, many of the worms were already dark and barely moving if at all, then hatched the same day that I put them in a food dish for him. So then I had little flies flying around Murray's tank. He eats them, but seems to prefer the Dubias and crickets over them. I am not sure that I will be ordering again.

 

[Augie]

Sure thing, I'm happy to give my thoughts. I hope it doesn't spark arguments in others; everyone please keep in mind these are my thoughts, being a beardie owner for almost three years now, and I'm pretty set in them.

1. The biggest thing for me is you can't gutload them. I use roaches and crickets because I can feed them the same things my dragon eats. This, on its own, is enough for me to not use them (but there happens to be more reasons haha).

2. They are too small. My Reggie is huge and would have to eat too many of them.

3. They are expensive and not easy to breed (well not as easy as roaches).

4. I question the nutritional benefits the companies that sell them say they have.

5. I have to order them and get them through the mail. No thanks! Too much can go wrong. They could die, get lost in the mail, or come like you explained. When I get crickets it's from a locally owned reptile store (River City Exotics). I have a great relationship with the staff and owner, and getting crickets from time to time maintains that. If I ever need help or advice I know they'll be all over it.

6. I don't like the idea of my dragon eating them covered in dirt. She doesn't really get excited over them any way, and this could be one of the reasons why. Or she feels the same way I do.