Salad Eating Breakthrough

[zardoz1138]

I have a Beardie who is a few months old and I have been trying to get him to take to salad but he mostly poops in it. I tried putting a paper towel in the dish with the greens on top. I had read that the color contrast attracts them but didn't seem to help. This week I tried hand feeding him the greens shortly after he wakes up and he has been eating from my hands. Very happy about it. He loves his crickets and Dubias but I want him to get a balanced diet. Sometimes you just gotta be patient I guess.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Yea at first Izzy would poop in her salad sigh not really sure why but all of a sudden she stopped and now she only likes going in her bath... fine with me easy clean up.
Glad he is eating some greens, keep offering a good variety but know they should eat more protein than veggies 80% bugs and 20% greens/veggies/fruits.. Make sure you check the lists of what is good and what is bad and what is for only occas...feeding.. let me know if you need some links..
Good looking dragon!

 

[zardoz1138]

Yup I know all about the percentages and the good and bad foods. I did a lot of research prior to getting him to make sure I did the right thing. I still read up as much as I can about them. Appreciate the comment and offer. And yes he is a cutie.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Yup I know all about the percentages and the good and bad foods. I did a lot of research prior to getting him to make sure I did the right thing. I still read up as much as I can about them. Appreciate the comment and offer. And yes he is a cutie.

Oh that's a great thing, all too often people buy that "cool" pet, and dragons should not be an impulse buy with all their specific needs..Seems I'm always learning things about them and their individual needs..

 

[zardoz1138]

Our family are animal lovers. We had cats for a long time and my 7 year old got interested in beardies so we went to a local reptile store several times to ask questions and hold them. I understand the commitment in owning an animal and I believe in giving it the best life possible. Our beardie is doing great and we love him. I'm already considering a crested or leopard gecko next

 

[PatsyB]

My boy has always been a huge salad eater. I've always offered him a salad as soon as he wakes up so now he kinda expects that he gets salad, he poops and then he gets bugs.

My boyfriend did a little research on beardies 3 1/2 years ago and thought maybe they would be too difficult and get too big, so we got leopard geckos instead. We weren't really excited about them, possibly because they were sick when we got them and never recovered. They were cute but we didn't really have interaction with them since they slept during the day. Then I did my research on beardies and told him we HAVE to get one. It was the best decision ever. Now we have 2 beardies and a chameleon along with our frogs and 2 cats!

 

[zardoz1138]

I like chameleons but I heard they are hard to care for and delicate.

 

[PatsyB]

I like chameleons but I heard they are hard to care for and delicate.

That's what our worry always was too but we got a veiled and it turns out they do okay with fluctuating conditions. They need a basking spot but room temp for the rest of the cage is okay. We also covered 3 sides of the cage with a shower curtain to help keep the humidity in.

 

[zardoz1138]

I'm going to have to upgrade my beardies tank to a 40 gallon eventually so I figured I could use the 20 gallon for a leopard gecko. We'll see if the wife "lets" me [emoji1]

 

[PatsyB]

I'm going to have to upgrade my beardies tank to a 40 gallon eventually so I figured I could use the 20 gallon for a leopard gecko. We'll see if the wife "lets" me [emoji1]

All you really need is a couple of dome lights and some calcium with D3 and you are set. You already have the bugs and the tank!

 

[Lou Lou15]

It'll be fine plus depending on how you take care of your crickets as long as you gut load them before the feeding then your beardie will get the other health benefits.

 

[Lou Lou15]

Or whatever bugs you do feed the baby. [emoji4]

 

[zardoz1138]

He gets gut loaded crickets and Dubias. And occasionally a butter worm as a treat.

 

[Lou Lou15]

Yeah from what I've read that should be enough salad through the crickets until he's an adult. [emoji4]