what size and amount of crickets????

[bev33]

Hi guys, looking for your much valued advice as usual! Dexter is nearly 5 months old and has size 3 (or 3rd size as i have heard them be called) crickets, over the past few days his appetite is growing and he can eat 15 crickets in 2 mins. i do this 3 times a day. could someone tell me if i am feeding him too much? he eats a bit of veggies but nothing major. or maybe i need to go up a size? he eats them super fast!!!!! he poops each morning like clockwork!

Thankyou guys, oh also, i changed the flooring from sand to rough tile last week, yesterday and today i have found him climbig on the cage of the heat lamp and on the top of the fake bush hanging at the back, he was at the very top of the vivarium! is he just being a typical young beardie or have i done something wrong?

Bev xx
1 husband, 4 children, 7 fish, 3 hamsters, 2 dogs, one tortoise and 1 bearded dragon!!

 

[ladyknite]

sounds like his prey size is fine for him.

He should be eating as much as he can in 15 minutes. As long as he's doing that.........you're right on track!

 

[renich]

Hey, Bev. Young dragons have very hearty appetites. Your dragon is eating just fine. The general rule of thumb is to let them eat as many crickets as they want in a 10 minute period. And the crickets should be no larger than the space between your dragon's eyes. Some youngsters can eat at many as 100 crickets in one day. They have a lot of growing to do.

It sounds like your beardie is a climber. Nothing unusual about that.

 

[bev33]

thanks guys as always

i tried as many as he can eat in 15 minutes and he ate 30!!!!!! is that right? If so, im going to have to buy my crickests in larger amounts, what do you keep them in? i have a cricket keeper and i use my sons bug vaccuum to suck them out, dexter knows when he sees the vaccuum its dinner time and scrapes at the glass until i open it!! my husband hates the cricket thing so me and my son keep then under the stairs out of sight, lol, but i think i will need something bigger to keep them in? ??? ??? ??? ???

Bev xxx

 

[crypticdragons]

large cricket keepers work or a big rubbermaid container will work. and yeah babies normally consume 40-100 appropriately sized crix in a day.

 

[renich]

thanks guys as always

i tried as many as he can eat in 15 minutes and he ate 30!!!!!! is that right?

Bev xxx

That is awesome! His appetite is very healthy. This is a great sign.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

40 to 100??
Try feeding Rhondas babys...lol

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I can vouch for that one!

 

[bev33]

Me again! what would i do without this site! lol

Im not sure if i should be going to size 2 crickets, the size 3 are small and he literally is eating them one after the other, i put in 20 crickets 10 mins ago and they were gone within minutes! he doesnt look like he is having to chew them at all!! i know its the space between the eyes to judge the size and i have only ever seen size 2 crickets once....this is very confusing!!

Bev x

 

[ladyknite]

www.armstrongcricket.com has a sizing chart with a pretty good size comparison for you look at.
How old is the baby?

 

[bev33]

Thankyou, will have a look now, he is 5 months xxx

 

[robbed18]

My Little nibbler is 5 months too, and i got through about 2 boxes of crickets a week, he eats about 15-20 a day and he is on 3rd size and he is completely healthy, so no your not doing anything wrong, also trying giving him a wax worm aswell, these should only be used as treats, mine gets one about every 2-3 days as they are very fatty, but he seems too love them more than crickets hehe.

 

[moth_ay]

After 10-15 minutes do you guys remove the crickets?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yes. I feed mine in a plastic shoe box, but then I feed Dubia roaches.. Not crickets .
If you don't get them all out, they can actually chew on a sleeping dragon, leaving nasty wounds that get infected.
Janie

 

[renich]

Yep. My hubby chased the crickets down after 15 minutes. Watch out, they can hide in the most obscure places.