How do you feed you dragon?

[JEaston]

Hi;
We recently purchased a baby beardie. We have done a lot of research and started with feeding crickets, but have now moved to mostly roaches. What is the best way to feed beardie's? I have heard some people put them in a separate enclosure and let them feed, others feed by hand or put food in a bowl. We have been putting some insects in front of him, others just in the enclosure. I am finding that lots of the crickets, and some of the roaches are hiding in the newspaper and the wood branch. I find myself reaching in his enclosure several times a day to "stir up" the hiding insects. I want to make sure he is eating enough, but he doesn't seem to go after the hiding insects much. Suggestions?

Judi

 

[Nesteremily]

Feed him in a large plastic bin or bathtub so they can't hide anywhere. And roaches can't climb smooth surfaces so they won't be able to get away either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Eavlynn]

I feed in a 10 gallon with repticarpet. It's a feeding aid for my adult with MBD, but I use it for my baby as well. He gets sidetracked easily, and they can't hide in his terrarium decor that way. When he goes in the 10 gallon he knows it's game on haha.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I feed in a bowl that the roaches can't get out of. Make sure you collect the un eaten crickets each night as they can bite/chew on sleeping dragons

 

[Elders]

I too feed using a plastic bin that they "cant" get out of...however we've just moved up to mediums and they are getting out lol.....so I have to watch and assist....Odin is kind of......um....lol special....if the Roaches don't move he doesn't see them...so I have to poke them to make them run so he can see and eat them....I don't mind watching because feeding time is one of my favorite times with him.

Personally I'd say do what suites you best. But just like Hdrydr said don't leave crickets alone over night

 

[Nesteremily]

I too feed using a plastic bin that they "cant" get out of...however we've just moved up to mediums and they are getting out lol.....so I have to watch and assist....Odin is kind of......um....lol special....if the Roaches don't move he doesn't see them...so I have to poke them to make them run so he can see and eat them....I don't mind watching because feeding time is one of my favorite times with him.

Personally I'd say do what suites you best. But just like Hdrydr said don't leave crickets alone over night

Put a strip of packing tape around the inside of the bin like 1/2 way or 3/4 way up. They'll climb up to it but once they reach the packing tape they fall back down its too slippery.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mxw0rld]

Actually I'm having trouble with my beardie eating. He's 13 weeks old now and He stopped eating his dubia's and refuses to eat the little BSFL's. We were stupid and fed him a superworm last week and now that's all he will eat. I don't know what to do to get him back to eating his staple foods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Elders]

Put a strip of packing tape around the inside of the bin like 1/2 way or 3/4 way up. They'll climb up to it but once they reach the packing tape they fall back down its too slippery.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just did this for his 2nd feed today and it worked perfectly.

Thank you very much for this great advice.

I heard of it before for the breeding tubs....no idea why it didn't dawn on me to do for the feeding dish.

 

[Eavlynn]

Actually I'm having trouble with my beardie eating. He's 13 weeks old now and He stopped eating his dubia's and refuses to eat the little BSFL's. We were stupid and fed him a superworm last week and now that's all he will eat. I don't know what to do to get him back to eating his staple foods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Be persistent with his usual food items and don't offer any more superworms. He'll get nice and hungry, and eventually stop being a stubborn baby and will eat.

 

[laswabbie]

Feeding time is exercise and game time for Falkor and me. I feed him one bug at a time in his enclosure. I toss them across the open space from wherever he is and he rushes to snatch them up. The next bug goes to the opposite side. When he finishes one mouthful, he looks up at me wanting his next bite. I truly believe he likes the hunt as well as the bug.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Actually I'm having trouble with my beardie eating. He's 13 weeks old now and He stopped eating his dubia's and refuses to eat the little BSFL's. We were stupid and fed him a superworm last week and now that's all he will eat. I don't know what to do to get him back to eating his staple foods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep just keep feeding his staple food items and he will get hungry enough to get back to it again.. I feed dubia and supers as staples, treats are waxworms and butterworms.

 

[mxw0rld]

Yep just keep feeding his staple food items and he will get hungry enough to get back to it again.. I feed dubia and supers as staples, treats are waxworms and butterworms.

I thought supers were a treat. Are they okay for a staple?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hdrydr31]

Supers are high in fat so you need to watch that as they can get fatty liver disease. I feed more dubia than supers. My female has some weight to gain, but my younger male is bigger than her so he gets less.

 

[BeardedDragon's°For°Life]

In the morning I hand feed my Beardie kale and fruit. Then in the afternoon I give her about 10 phoenix worms and then in the evening about 5-10 crickets. I just put the crickets in her main enclosure and she eats them.

Soon I'll probably start feeding her silkworms instead. Because she's a bit on the skinny side.

I think hand feeding is a really good way to bond with your bearded dragon and also have some playtime

 

[Hdrydr31]

In the morning I hand feed my Beardie kale and fruit. Then in the afternoon I give her about 10 phoenix worms and then in the evening about 5-10 crickets. I just put the crickets in her main enclosure and she eats them.

Soon I'll probably start feeding her silkworms instead. Because she's a bit on the skinny side.

I think hand feeding is a really good way to bond with your bearded dragon and also have some playtime

Just make sure that you feed other leafy greens with the kale as it's one of those foods that is an occasional feed item..and don't feed too much fruit as it's high sugar..
babies should be fed 3 times a day what they will eat in 10-15 min... last feeding 2 hours before lights out as they have to have the heat/uvb to digest

 

[BeardedDragon's°For°Life]

Just make sure that you feed other leafy greens with the kale as it's one of those foods that is an occasional feed item..and don't feed too much fruit as it's high sugar..
babies should be fed 3 times a day what they will eat in 10-15 min... last feeding 2 hours before lights out as they have to have the heat/uvb to digest

I usually give fruit every once in awhile. I guess I meant vegetables instead. But thanks on the tip about the greens also, mine is about 3 years old though. (Unless you were talking about JEastons bearded dragon. Thanks

 

[Hdrydr31]

I usually give fruit every once in awhile. I guess I meant vegetables instead. But thanks on the tip about the greens also, mine is about 3 years old though. (Unless you were talking about JEastons bearded dragon. Thanks

lol guess I was responding to both your kale and fruit and JEastons baby feedings lol