# How much, how often should I feed my bearded dragon?



## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

hay guys 

im just preparing for when i do get my beardy, how much/often would i feed a baby bearded dragon, im going to breed woodies so that would b my main food source but ill buy the occasionally cricket tub. 

i have done research on them but havnt got a very good result. i leave for work in the morning before the sun comes up ( i dont know if that's relevant lmao!!) 

thanks guys

p.s. sorry if im making too many threads im just excited


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## ajandj (Aug 28, 2011)

Hi Bill, it's good to see that lm not the only one that does heaps of research before committing myself to something. Well done. I say, if l don't ask then l don't know.

I'm reasonablely new to beardies. I've had Yoda for 2 months now and he's growing like a weed. Ok, the tricky thing is, that they need to warm up before you feed - lights need to be on about an hour or so. When beardies are babies, their main diet it crickets/ woodies but as they get bigger this swaps to 80% greens to 20% live protein (crickets/woodies). Make sure you dust with calcium. I dust 5 times a week (mon-fri) and on weekend l use vitamin sup. 

As a baby, it's recommended to feed3 times a day but honestly, l fed crickets morning and night and had greens mix availible all day. Rule of thumb is feed as much live pray as they can eat in 5-10 minutes.
Yoda was eating a tub of crickets every second day. about 30 crickets morning and night - however, he was a petshop baby and i think he was barely getting enough food to survive, so l think he was eating like an absolute pig to make up for it. Crickets etc must be no bigger than the space beween their eyes. Dice up all greens/salad - i finely diced apples, carrot ect - anything hard as l was very concerned about impaction.
This is the "bible", guide l use. I also use alot of edible olans and herbs http://carolinadesignerdragons.com/common/docs/food_list.pdf


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## Chris (Aug 28, 2011)

I also leave for work early, usually by 5.30am. By then I have dumped about 20-30 medium crickets in the enclosure along with a small plate of chopped greens.


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## Laghairt (Aug 28, 2011)

I leave early and get home late so it's not possible for me to feed twice a day. I put bowl painted with fluon in the cage and keep it topped up with woodies. This way they have food available at all times. Will stop doing it once they're fully grown.


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

ajandj said:


> Hi Bill, it's good to see that lm not the only one that does heaps of research before committing myself to something. Well done. I say, if l don't ask then l don't know.
> 
> I'm reasonablely new to beardies. I've had Yoda for 2 months now and he's growing like a weed. Ok, the tricky thing is, that they need to warm up before you feed - lights need to be on about an hour or so. When beardies are babies, their main diet it crickets/ woodies but as they get bigger this swaps to 80% greens to 20% live protein (crickets/woodies). Make sure you dust with calcium. I dust 5 times a week (mon-fri) and on weekend l use vitamin sup.
> 
> ...


wow great website. and thanks for the info  



Chris_D said:


> I also leave for work early, usually by 5.30am. By then I have dumped about 20-30 medium crickets in the enclosure along with a small plate of chopped greens.


oh ok, so its ok to put crickets in b4 the lights go on ? 



Rondo said:


> I leave early and get home late so it's not possible for me to feed twice a day. I put bowl painted with fluon in the cage and keep it topped up with woodies. This way they have food available at all times. Will stop doing it once they're fully grown.


how do they get to the roaches if there in a a bowl ? lol it sounds like a very good idea. 
how many woodies does one of your baby beardies eat so i know if i should breed them or not ? thanks


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## Chris (Aug 28, 2011)

BillReptiles said:


> oh ok, so its ok to put crickets in b4 the lights go on ?



I put the lights on then too.


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## ajandj (Aug 28, 2011)

Bill, when yoda was little i was giving him about 15 woodies and 15 crickets for brekky


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## Grogshla (Aug 28, 2011)

for my dragon i put her basking lamp on in the morning waited a good hour then gave her a feed. I would wait till around 1pm and give her another feed. Then I would feed her a smaller feed around 5pm and leave her lights on for a few hours before switching them off. I usually fed as many crickets and woodies that she would eat in about 5 mins.
Also dust 2 feeds a week with vitamin powder and 5 feeds a week with calcium. I personally fed more like 7 feeds with calcium and 2 with vitamins.


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

oh ok guys thanks for the info. i bought calcium powder with d3 ? is that a good one


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## leamos (Aug 28, 2011)

Most calcium supps these days have Vit D3 added as I believe it aids in calcium absorption


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

so do i still have to get vitamin powder if i got d3 ?


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## Lollypop (Aug 28, 2011)

Hey! I've always found mine won't eat much when dusted with the vitamin powder - if you're feeding well on live feeders dusted with the calci powder with d3, + good selection of dark leafy greens, along with heat lights n uvb tube/light, all should be good.
Re work hrs - u can feed morning or night - if u start that early but want to enjoy your beardies of an evening, feed them when u get home but allow an xtra hr or 2 for them to digest before lights out. Simple


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

hay thanks for the reply, well i get home about 4 in the arfternoon so i think thats too late :/ but i might set it up the night b4 in a small plastic tub ( like what crickets/woodies come in from petshops) and get my little brother to just put it in b4 he goes to school.


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## Lollypop (Aug 28, 2011)

If u get home at 4 it's easy. Run your lights from say 7am-7pm - u get to feed them when u get home, they get to digest it, easy as. Or 8am -8pm. Or 9am-9pm..... A cheap timer from bunnings the go. No more stress.


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

ive got a timer,  but i leave for work at 5am and come home at 4pm. and since im getting baby beardies dont they have to be fed more 3 times a day? 

thanks for the help by the way


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## Lollypop (Aug 28, 2011)

Hmmm, yes, if u go by all the research lol.
A really good feed once a day, & hopefully you're getting bubs that are at least 6wks old, + salad available daily..........Well, that should be it really. Honest.


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## BillReptiles (Aug 28, 2011)

well i havnt found any yet but ill be sure to get them at 6 weeks  and ill c what i can do thanks heaps for your help


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