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Bearded Dragon Diet

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
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What veggies and greens do you feed your beardie?
 

BeardedBob

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
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112
I give mine a good variety I think. I try to mix it up between collards, lettuce, spinich with carrots, string beans, and snap peas.

Occassionally I give a bit of mango or strawberry as a treat (but they get mushy so quick it is hard to keep so usually only when I am in the mood to eat them too).

I used to be very regimented on daily but have admittedly slacked a bit. However, I have read that as they get older they really only eat once per day. If this is the case do you side with veggies or proteins or alternate them? I tend to give more proteins then veggies nowadays.

One of the reasons I joined this forum was to get back in track!
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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I would offer veggies/greens daily. And offer insects every other day. This is only for older beardies, which I think you said yours is 3 years old.

Beardies tend to be finicky with their veggies/greens. So, if it is not offered daily, they may rebel when it is presented to them.
 

BeardedBob

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
Sorry, I left this thread hanging and wanted to provide an update question. My question is, if your beardie has stopped paying attention to his greens, what can you suggest to maybe reintroduce them?

Show I simply start putting them in everyday regardless if my beardie eats them? So I only put in veggies and not put crickets in until he eats them? Or someone even suggested I wave the greens around to show motion - although I haven't seen any greens run around in the wild so I wasn't sure about that one...

Any help you can provide Renee (or anyone else of course) would be great. I had someone watching my bearded dragon while I had been traveling and now he doesn't seem so interested in his greens.
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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Hi there. You should offer salad daily, even if your bearded dragon is on strike. They tend to go through spells of eating well and then not eating at all. My herp vet reminds me that they are desert animals and food is not always readily available for them.

I recommending piling veggies and then sprinkle greens on top. They like veggies better and will eat some much needed greens to get to them. Spray the salad with water to add some hydrating essentials.
 

brasshandle

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
hi all,marley has never been a big veg or fruit eater even though hes been oferd it every day since he we got him at 3 months old.we have tried every combination possible and the only thing he went mad for was a red apple.he loved it as much as live food but is now starrting to only pick at his apple. he might have a go at his greens and fruit once a week if were lucky,but to be honest ive giveup worrying i thing if he wants it hell eat it,he seems healthy and we cant force feed him,geens and fruit seem to a constant headache for everyone, :-\ :-\
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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Yes, they are a common challenge for all. There are a few bearded dragons who eat their salads regularly. They typically don't become interested in it until they reach 1 year of age.
 

BeardedBob

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
Thanks brasshandle and Renee for some sanity checking! Has anyone been successful in putting an actual plant inside the viv? I read awhile back of certain plants that can be put in to have a constant source.

I believe it was some vegetation that grows in their natural habitat, but now can't find my original resource.
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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Yes, I put a jade in there once. But it was too hot and dried up quickly. So, I didn't have much luck with it.
 

BeardedBob

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
That's the problem..and if you spray the plant to nurture it, then I am afraid of the humidity for my beardie.
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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BeardedBob said:
That's the problem..and if you spray the plant to nurture it, then I am afraid of the humidity for my beardie.

Yes, that is a concern. That's why it didn't work for me. But there are a number of plants that are edible for your beardie. You have to wait about a week after purchasing to get the chemicals out of the soil before you can put it in the viv. Sorry, I meant to say all of this before, but my 16 month old would not let me type. He likes the mouse at times. ;D
 

dudleythedragon

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
12
hi
I had troubles gettin mine to eat greens as he/she's ayoung one still...
My vet reccomended chopping up lots of lettuce and mix it in with some butterball squash(i think thats the squash he said) and lower they amounts of squash in each batch made. The squash is sweet he said, and thats lures them in. Eventually your goal is to get 0 squash and all green!
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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That's a great idea. And I think you mean butternut squash. Bernie loved butternut squash....
 

BeardedBob

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
This is a good idea. I have done similar things with my kids, so why not with my beardie!
 

beardielover

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
201
yep, i bury the veggies under the greens. gertrude has to eat some much needed greens to get to the favored veggies. she likes butternut squash and zuccini the best.
 

randomracoon222

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
89
Really? It's opposite for my beardie. He LOVES greens; Especially dandelion greens. We have to mix greens with a bag of salad mix (Lettuce, Cabbage, carrots) and he usually eats anything that just looks like his precious dandelion greens, meaning he picks around the cabbage and carrots. But later in the day when he's hungrier, He eats the carrots and cabbage, then I drop 4 or 5 crickets in the cage. The rule is; No crickets until the veggies are all gone. :3
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
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You are very lucky that Spike eats his veggies. A lot of owners struggle with this area. Hats off to Spike!
 
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