Crickets?

[Jaycies]

This might sound like a dumb question ('fraid I'll have lots of these!) but I understand I need to make sure to feed my new baby crickets (which of course grosses me out). But my question is, how do I feed her a cricket? Do I plop it/them in the cage and have the BD find them or do I use feeder tongs?

 

[Ron G]

The easiest thing to do is to drop them in for about 15 minutes and then take out whatever they don't eat. Never leave crickets in the cage with them and especially when they are sleeping. Hand feeding can spoil them and get them only wanting to be fed that way all the time. If the crickets are too fast or scaring your bearded dragon you can put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes to slow them down before you put them in the cage. Good luck. Eventually you will figure out what works best for you.

 

[Augie]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Jaycies]

The easiest thing to do is to drop them in for about 15 minutes and then take out whatever they don't eat. Never leave crickets in the cage with them and especially when they are sleeping. Hand feeding can spoil them and get them only wanting to be fed that way all the time. If the crickets are too fast or scaring your bearded dragon you can put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes to slow them down before you put them in the cage. Good luck. Eventually you will figure out what works best for you.

Thank you! Is the best place to buy crickets and worms at pet stores or online?

 

[Augie]

Thank you! Is the best place to buy crickets and worms at pet stores or online?

Depends on what matters more to you! Ultimately if its price, you can buy crickets in bulk online much cheaper. I don't know about you, but I don't like keeping 1000 crickets at a time. I go to my local pet store which charges me about $8 for 100, but I have a roach colony I use to balance things out. Buying local is a little more critical for me too because of the crazy summer South Texas heat. Plus I have other reptiles that prefer the crickets over the roaches, so it's a mixed bag.

Edit: I now see you live in California. You will probably have few issues (if any) getting crickets shipped to you. There are quite a few online options in that state and depending on where you live there probably don't have extreme temps this time of year!

 

[Germ]

@Jaycies

I understand I need to make sure to feed my new baby crickets (which of course grosses me out).

Sorry, but being a BD Keeper, means having to handle Bugs -

A few good links to help get you started ...

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

UVB Setup

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, welcome to the forums.

I have a few recommendations for feeding a young dragon.
1. Keep the enclosure simple. No need for all the rocks, logs, etc while feeding the dragon. Bare as you can get
2. Feed atleast twice a day.
3. Feed as much as the dragon will eat in a feeding.
4. Offer fresh greens daily.
5. Lightly dust all food with plain phosphorus free calcium.

 

[Jaycies]

Perfect! How do I know if she's still hungry once she's finished with her meal?

 

[gilliesexotics]

In the morning let her eat for about 15 minutes. If you do come in 15 minutes later and see her still hunting, let her eat. Come back in another 15 minutes and remove whats left and feed again in the late afternoon, early evening. Make sure you remove all feeders before lights out.