Future owner confused over feeders

[Marmoset]

I don't have a beardie yet but will be getting one and I'm a little confused because I'm reading so much conflicting information about feeders. I'm not sure how big/ old the BD will be but I'm assuming it will be about 5" because that's what I see available at shows for the most part.

So assuming I get a 5" BD:

Would 1/4 or 1/8 crickets be the way to go? Width-wise they both seem like they'd be an OK size.
Second, about how many crickets should I expect a baby to eat in 15 minutes. I see some people reporting theirs eat like 50 and others only 5 or 6. I just want to get an idea of how many I'll be going through.
Lastly, what other feeders are good (other than dubias) are ok for small BDs? I'd like to have something else that is an appropriate size just for variety. Are all the worms are too big and/or chitenous fatty etc for babies?

Sorry it is a lot of questions

 

[PatsyB]

1/4 inch crickets are good. Some people say as long as their length is no bigger than the width of the space between their eyes but I find that mine do fine as long as the width is no bigger than the space between their eyes. They can and may eat a lot. You want to feed the little ones at least 2 times a day 3 if you have the time. Everyone is going to be different. My older one would eat 20 3x a day where my little one would eat maybe 10 3x a day. They eventually will set their own schedule. Luci (my little guy) decided he wants to eat breakfast and lunch and nothing after 4pm. My big girl (Dexter) likes to eat once a day usually between breakfast and lunch. Dubia's are a good feeder and lots of people here use them. I use crickets, superworms and occasionally horn worms. Just avoid mealworms, too much chitlin.

 

[Marmoset]

Thank you! It's really helpful to know which size I can get and have an idea of how many I should prepare to house! I have also read the size thing both ways (cricket width vs. length). Length just didn't seem right. It seems a beardie will be just as picky of an eater as a cat or child lol. This will be interesting I'd definately do dubia but my husband is strongly against it (roach bias) but I will work on him. Afterall he'd never be the one doing live feeders.
Now with the worms- I've heard mealworms are pretty much garbage (chitin) and some of the others are just fat. Most seem too big for a 5" BD. Are there any that are small and healthy to throw into a baby beardie's diet as a weekly or twice a week treat?

 

[PatsyB]

I would try roaches too if I didn't live in an apartment and could have a garage to keep them. I'm the one that does the live feeders too. My boyfriend will put the worms in with tongs but as far as the crickets go I'm the one that feeds them and cleans them.

I would probably stick with crickets as long as you can until he gets a little bigger. I think I started giving Luci super worms when he was about 10 or 11 inches long. I started with the medium size ones. He is eating large ones now, because his sister stopped eating crickets so I bought 500 super worms and now she doesn't want those either! I don't feed him very many and I watch him to make sure he chews them real good. He tends to break them in a few pieces and then goes back to eat the rest.

Horn worms are good. I ordered some just recently and when they came they were real small, you might be able to use those for a little beardie.

 

[Marmoset]

Thanks again. I appreciate the input! I will follow your lead and stick with crickets until the BD gets bigger unless I can find some smaller hornworms for order.

 

[PatsyB]

You're welcome!

 

[dhall79]

Dubias are better than crickets hands down. No smell, no noise, no escapes. Be eats dubias better. Less creepy too. Adult crickets can get aggressive.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

There is a site I like for bulk crickets, they have crickets that are vitamin enriched because of the diety theu have received for multiple generations (they claim, I dont care my dragons are much happier with these bugs). Yiu can order 500 with delivery gir about $30. I don't know if it's against the rules to post here but if you message me I can give you the information.

 

[dhall79]

I found the best cricket prices from Armstrong cricket farm.

 

[Marmoset]

Thanks they look interesting. Price-wise the are competitive I wonder if their brown cricket really is tastier and softer.

 

[PatsyB]

There is a site I like for bulk crickets, they have crickets that are vitamin enriched because of the diety theu have received for multiple generations (they claim, I dont care my dragons are much happier with these bugs). Yiu can order 500 with delivery gir about $30. I don't know if it's against the rules to post here but if you message me I can give you the information.

I wondered about those crickets. The place I order from is now offering them along with the other crickets but I wasn't really sure if it made much of a difference.

 

[Elemental Dragon Lord]

Alot In my experiance

 

[Josh]

Great discussion here! It's not against the rules to link to the vendors you use! Keep in mind Ghann.com supports BDF

 

[jarich]

Both black soldier fly larvae (often called Phoenix worms, calci worms, etc) and silk worms start small and are great sources of nutrition for your little one. Variety is important, so do try to keep that up as much as possible. Young crickets have a much higher calcium content and Ca ratio than adult crickets, but there are still nutritional shortcomings that can be avoided by giving a varied diet. Sometimes the babies will also eat isopods (rolly pollies), which is a great source of calcium and other minerals, as they are a land crustacean and have a digestible shell. You can usually find them on frog feeder sites like this: http://www.roachcrossing.com/isopods.htm They are a little expensive to start, but you can set up your own colony and they reproduce like rabbits. Also very good for a planted or bioactive enclosure. I have about 1000 in my dragon enclosure, but he doesnt bother eating them anymore because they are pretty small

 

[Marmoset]

I spent a long time looking at that site. I'm a bit into insects so I looked at all the stuff my husband would freak out about too. I'm considering the isopods now. We have those locally (not that I'd use wild ones as feeders) so I know my husband can deal seeing them. I'm going to look into these more. Thanks!

 

[jarich]

Glad to help! They have the best Ca ratio of any feeder available (12:1), as well as lots of other great minerals. Love it when I have small enough lizards to eat them

 

[will_him_is]

Dubias are better than crickets hands down. No smell, no noise, no escapes. Be eats dubias better. Less creepy too. Adult crickets can get aggressive.

I have found since I fed Dubais, its hard to get them to eat anything else. I have only tried crickets, super and dubia as protein. I ordered some phoenix and hornworms, so hopefully they will like those also.

 

[diegothediggy]

I have found since I fed Dubais, its hard to get them to eat anything else. I have only tried crickets, super and dubia as protein. I ordered some phoenix and hornworms, so hopefully they will like those also.

have u tried locus. thats wot i feed mine n they seem to luv them

 

[jarich]

Its hard for us to get locusts over here diegothediggy. They are illegal to ship, so very few places have them.

 

[monkeybumpz]

Both black soldier fly larvae (often called Phoenix worms, calci worms, etc) and silk worms start small and are great sources of nutrition for your little one. Variety is important, so do try to keep that up as much as possible. Young crickets have a much higher calcium content and Ca ratio than adult crickets, but there are still nutritional shortcomings that can be avoided by giving a varied diet. Sometimes the babies will also eat isopods (rolly pollies), which is a great source of calcium and other minerals, as they are a land crustacean and have a digestible shell. You can usually find them on frog feeder sites like this: http://www.roachcrossing.com/isopods.htm They are a little expensive to start, but you can set up your own colony and they reproduce like rabbits. Also very good for a planted or bioactive enclosure. I have about 1000 in my dragon enclosure, but he doesnt bother eating them anymore because they are pretty small

I never knew they sold these as feeders. Man I need to do more research.