Juvenile Beardy won't eat veggies/fruits

[MikeNTalysDragon]

My 2 1/2 month old beardy refuses to eat anything but insects and carrots. He seems very healthy, constantly growing and shedding, but he's really picky about non-live food and I'm starting to get concerned. Can he thrive off of only Dubias, Phoenix Worms, and Carrots? I use vitamin and calcium spray bottles on the insects so hopefully that helps fill in some of the missing nutrition.

Are there any particular veggies/fruits that they are more likely to go for? I have tried blueberries, banana, strawberry, celery, cilantro, romaine lettuce, cucumber, kayle.. I can't remember everything but I have presented quite a few things and he just shows no interest unless its a bug or a carrot, he even runs away sometimes. Is he going to be ok on his current diet, or do I need to start withholding insects and forcing the salad on him? Any tips to get him to expand his diet?

 

[RaeAnn]

My 2 1/2 month old beardy refuses to eat anything but insects and carrots. He seems very healthy, constantly growing and shedding, but he's really picky about non-live food and I'm starting to get concerned. Can he thrive off of only Dubias, Phoenix Worms, and Carrots? I use vitamin and calcium spray bottles on the insects so hopefully that helps fill in some of the missing nutrition.

Are there any particular veggies/fruits that they are more likely to go for? I have tried blueberries, banana, strawberry, celery, cilantro, romaine lettuce, cucumber, kayle.. I can't remember everything but I have presented quite a few things and he just shows no interest unless its a bug or a carrot, he even runs away sometimes. Is he going to be ok on his current diet, or do I need to start withholding insects and forcing the salad on him? Any tips to get him to expand his diet?

I'm no expert so another more experienced input may be much more helpful. However, based on the research I have done it seems to be normal for them to refuse veggies and greens at first. My 3 month old is the same way! "She" is getting better though. Just stick with it and keep offering the veggies. Placing a few phoenix worms in their veggies may encourage them to try them out as well. What has helped me the most is to offer veggies before I give her insects. At that age I'm pretty sure they require mostly insects (80% I believe) and only 20% veggies/greens so it should be ok. As for lettuce, I have read to stay away from feeding it to beardies. Supposedly it has very little nutritional value. Carrots are another thing I read to only give them once in awhile as they contain a vitamin to can cause digestive issues if given to much (you may want to fact check that but I'm almost certain). Any ways, just hang in there, keep offering veggies and your little one will eventually come around.

 

[Draeju's_world]

Try hand feeding it pieces of turnip greens or mustard greens. Mine gets a little bit of watermelon for a treat and for hydration. He attacks his watermelon with gusto.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Collard, mustard, turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole are all good, any of the squashes, zucs are a fav here.

 

[Hdrydr31]

My 2 1/2 month old beardy refuses to eat anything but insects and carrots. He seems very healthy, constantly growing and shedding, but he's really picky about non-live food and I'm starting to get concerned. Can he thrive off of only Dubias, Phoenix Worms, and Carrots? I use vitamin and calcium spray bottles on the insects so hopefully that helps fill in some of the missing nutrition.

Are there any particular veggies/fruits that they are more likely to go for? I have tried blueberries, banana, strawberry, celery, cilantro, romaine lettuce, cucumber, kayle.. I can't remember everything but I have presented quite a few things and he just shows no interest unless its a bug or a carrot, he even runs away sometimes. Is he going to be ok on his current diet, or do I need to start withholding insects and forcing the salad on him? Any tips to get him to expand his diet?

babies will eat mostly live feeders but keep offering greens daily, sometimes by putting a few feeders in their greens it makes the greens move and gets their interest.
Also bee pollen is a great supplement and it can help make the greens more yummy

 

[Elders]

I dust my feeders in calcium powder (just enough to cover the dubias.) and dump it all in the tub; I then after he's finished off all the dubias sprinkle the calcium powder over his greens. Not every day; (not sure of the factual information here; but it works for me.) I "believe" that the left over powder retained the scent of the dubias; and he chows down on his greens voluntarily now.

Before he wouldn't touch collards. Now hes munching every day.

Just a suggestion from my own personal success of turning my guy to the green side.

 

[MikeNTalysDragon]

These are great tips, I'll pick up some of these greens I haven't tried before, and some watermelon, and I'll try the dusting trick. I have already put phoenix worms in his salad, and it seems like it should work as it moves around a lot, but he just waits for them to free themselves and then picks out the worms, carefully avoiding everything else!

Thanks for the advice

 

[Hdrydr31]

Just keep trying and offering in time it will happen.. all else fails feed the leftovers to your feeders and then when your little one eats the feeders well guess what they are gut loaded with greens espec if you feed dubia as their gi track it long so the goodies stay in them longer..

 

[RaeAnn]

I dust my feeders in calcium powder (just enough to cover the dubias.) and dump it all in the tub; I then after he's finished off all the dubias sprinkle the calcium powder over his greens. Not every day; (not sure of the factual information here; but it works for me.) I "believe" that the left over powder retained the scent of the dubias; and he chows down on his greens voluntarily now.

Before he wouldn't touch collards. Now hes munching every day.

Just a suggestion from my own personal success of turning my guy to the green side.

Really good tip! I noticed the calcium powder is what helped mine start trying greens as well At first. It was as if she seen the white from the calcium on her veggies and thought it was another dusted insect or something. Now we feed her greens/veggies before every live feeding and she's finally to the point where she is learning "if I eat some of this they will give me the good stuff" lol.

 

[PatsyB]

Don't stress too much. Babies don't need their greens as much as adults. Concentrate on your protein right now and gut load your feeders with the greens you want to feed your dragon. Like someone said carrots are bad as an every day staple, it is hard on the digestive system but also high in vitamin A which too much could cause vitamin A toxicity.

The good ones have already been mentioned. Collards, mustards, turnip, dandelion, escarole, squashes are real good. Fruits should be used in moderation because of their sugar content.