# How many Crickets to feed Beardie?



## Tuttley (Apr 8, 2007)

New to beardies, and have a cute one under my care at the moment. I am told it is not unusual at this size (8cm SVL) for him to show little interest in my lovingly prepared salads, but I continue to offer them anyway. 

I have crickets in "medium" size, and not too sure how many he should be eating per day. Can anyone give me a guide to numbers? Also, I will get some woodies for him shortly too, so same question for them.

Cheers,
Tuttley


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## frankc (Apr 8, 2007)

*hi*

hi,well,we have 3 bearded dragons,they are about 6 months old now.When we got them we feed them 2-3 small crixs 3 times a day each and grated carrot.they are eating medium crixs now 4 each twic a day plus they eat lots of salad,buk choy,beardie pellets,endive and lots more.they are growing well and fast.Just remember the size of the food shouldn't be bigger than the space between their eyes due to impaction.They should be offered as much as they can eat within a 15min period and should always be offered salad in their cage whether they eat it or not.Lighting:turn light on for an hour before feeding in the morning and in the evening leave the light on for 2 hours after eating,to help their digestion.Does that make sense?Good luck and enjoy.Frank


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## Tuttley (Apr 8, 2007)

Thanks Frank, very helpful.


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## frankc (Apr 8, 2007)

you are welcome,if I can help with anyting just PM me anytime.Otherwise enjoy the little guys because they get big fast and are alot of fun.cheers


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## Houdini (Apr 8, 2007)

Hey,

I've found that they can eat A LOT. Usually as they are growing they can eat up to 100 a day. This keeps them healthy and plump Its also best not to feed them much carrot because it can cause vitamin A toxicity. Some of it is still fine, but don't feed them a lot. Mine is about 4 months old, almost 30cm STL and eats a fair bit of butternut squash and endive as his favourite vegies. Make sure its no bigger than the space between his eyes too.


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## mines bigger (Apr 8, 2007)

hey Frankc
i think that feeding them a set amount is un neccisary you should feed them as much as they want when they are little it doesnt matter if they get a little chubby as they will run it off when they get bigger


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## JKretzs613 (Apr 9, 2007)

*Hello*

Hello,

Bearded dragons under 8 months of age, should be allowed to eat how ever many crickets that they want within a 10-15 minute timeframe. They should be fed at least 2 times or maybe 3 times a day. They are growing quickly & will quadruple in size within the first year of life. Their skeletal system needs the protein. The greens & veggies will come secondary, but are still important.
I hope this helps out. Yes, as suggested, make sure they are no larger than the space between the eyes. 

Tracie


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## frankc (Apr 9, 2007)

*reply*

Mines bigger,I agree that there is no need for a set amount to give them.as I said as much as they can eat in 10-15 mins.My guys eat a lot of veges and I mean a lot.They are offered crixs and woodies everyday twice a day.Some days they eat more than others.I tend to offer veges first than woodies though they have a constant supply of veges throughout the day.Crixs and woodies are very important part of their diet.More so than veges at a young age.I also coat the crixs etc with calcium powder every second day now and everyday when they were younger.They seem happy enough and are not nippy towards each other so I think they are getting enough food.Anyway,always good to take on everyones advice because in the end we all want to do the right thing by our herps.


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## frankc (Apr 9, 2007)

sorry I re-read my first response and realized that when I said we give some crixs I failed to say that we give them woodies also.the crixs are just a little for variety,they mainly eat woodies(probably 15 -20 each feed)approx. only sometimes more.the woodies plus crixs so I guess around 20 or so 3 times a day.More as they get bigger.Sorry for my retarded first response,not very clear huh.I hope this clarifies it alittle better. I also recommend breeding your own woodies as it can get expensive,cheers Frank


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## Bigbird (Apr 10, 2007)

I am also new to this site and bought two baby beardies on Saturday! 

In the excitement of purchasing them, I forgot ask how old they are. They are about 2.5 inches / 6cm STV. Could anyone tell me roughly what age this would make them?

I have been feeding them veggies, but they don’t eat them at the moment unless I hand feed them. I am also feeding them small crickets dusted in calcium powder, which I have increased to about 10 each a day on the advice from another thread.

I am a little concerned about one of them as he doesn’t seem to be as active as the other and doesn’t seem to get many crickets when fed. Any advice on how to ensure he gets his fair share would be greatly appreciated as would any other advice!  

I have received differing opinions as to how much light they should be exposed to a day ranging from 6 hours to 12 hours so any guidance on this would also be very helpful.

Thank you!


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## frankc (Apr 11, 2007)

*hey bigbird*

in regards to your questions,I was always told 14 hrs light 10 hrs no light. to represent day and night.Feeding: take them out of enclosure and put in plastic tub and feed separately.then you can monitor how much each one feeds.at that age they probably won't eat alot of veges but keep offering it.remember all they can eat in 15 mins is best to go by. probably more than 10 crixs each a day.feed them 3 times a day at that age.Also some are more active then others just make sure your cage temps are right,about 32-35 at the hot end and 25-27 at the cool end(some may say 25 is too low,some say it is fine).good luck.


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## Houdini (Apr 11, 2007)

Hey,

Welcome to owning beardies and the site 

Like frank said, feed them as much as they'll eat in 15 minutes. Sometimes, they might not eat in a plastic tub outside their inclosure (at least mine wouldn't). I just fed him crickets in a little plastic tub (like the petshop crickets come in) inside his enclosure.

Do you know how long they are from Snout to tail? I can only guess ages from that 

And also, if one is looking smaller and getting less food, etc, it could be because the other one is dominant. its best to separate them, because the one growing faster could kill the other one (This happens frequently with males, and even sometimes with females). If they are a male and a female, the female can become pregnant too early, and get eggbound, plus the male can overbreed her. Its best not to keep them together.

For veggies, my little one eats his endive, bok choy (i think thats what it is) and butternut squash/pumpkin. Make sure the squash is small enough for him, grate it. 

Also, you should get a vitamin supplement too, not just a calcium. I dust the crickets 5x a week with calcium and 2x a week with the vitamin supplements.

Good luck with your beardie 

Oh, also, I use about 13 hrs day 11 hrs night, but anything around 12-14 hrs daylight is best, because it is like an average day.


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## Jason (Apr 11, 2007)

feed as many crix as thy will eat! offer veg every day and they wil row healthy. mine was about 48cm TL at 12 months and about 400 grams


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## JEMMI (Apr 11, 2007)

*feeding*

Does anyone know whether baby beardies sit up on a perch and wait for insects to go by or do they go walkabout and look for food?
Could this give an indication as to how much to feed them?


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## alex_c (Apr 11, 2007)

just let them have as much as they want it wont hurt them and you will have nice big beardies


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## Bigbird (Apr 12, 2007)

Thanks for all your help guys, it's much appreciated!  

I found out that my beardies are about six weeks old.

I'm not really able to feed them three times a day as I'm at work, but can do twice. What age can you just feed them once a day?

I will get a vitamin supplement and set the light to be on for about 13 hours a day. 

One isn't really smaller than the other, they're about the same size, it's just that he doesn't eat as much. Even when I feed him seperately he only eats two or three crickets and then tries to get out of the feeding box! He's more active now and seems to love water - he's often splashing arouond in his water bowl! Maybe he just has less of an appetite??

Sorry to sound dumb, but what's endive? I'm from the UK and have never heard of it!  

Also, is there any advantages / disadvantages between crickets and woodies for baby beardies? I was thinking of changing to woodies as the crickets seem to escape all the time and jump all over the place, the little buggers, even when I think I've been really careful when transferring them to the enclosure!


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## Maxx (Apr 12, 2007)

I cannot for the life of me get mine to eat salad. Ive tried all sorts and to no avail. Mine feed on crickets and beardie pellets

When they were younger the male ate a hell of a lot more than the female and somewhat more agressively as well. I seperated them when feeding so tha ti could ensure that they both got their fair share of food. They are now both the same size approx 35 cm Snout to Tail.


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## Bigbird (Apr 12, 2007)

I have just googled endive and found out that it is curly lettuce, pretty much!

Is that right?? :?


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## frankc (Apr 12, 2007)

*endive*

yeah that is about right.You can buy endive plants from bunnings and so on but remember they may use pesticides so be VERY careful giving this (You don't want to kill the little guys)if you buy from there.I think you have to keep growing it at home for about 6 weeks before the pesticide wears off but I could be wrong,Coles sometimes sell it.Bok choy is great,chop it up small enough for them to eat and off they go,Carrot tops(leafy part),If you are having trouble getting your beardie to eat veges,put a live woody or crix in their food bowl with the veges and when they try and get the crix they will also eat some of the veges and then they will never turn back. Some people say their beardies only eat crixs or only eat woodies so I think as long as you gutload them eaither is fine as long as the get their veges and pellets,uv,calcium and minerals.
I put my crixs and woodies in a plastic container when feeding them.I feed my beardies outside their enclosure(except for veges which they have access to all day).If a crix or woody gets out I just take the beardie out of the plastic box and let him chase them down which they do everytime and it is great natural exercise for them.Sorry for such a long reply.cheers


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## koubee (Apr 13, 2007)

putting a few meal worms in their salad normally gets them eating the salad, they go for the worm and generally get a mouthful of salad in the process.
Always have salad on offer for them.


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## Rocket (Apr 13, 2007)

This makes me question whether my pair is far too small when compared to their age.

Both Individuals are about 30-33cms TL. However, they are 2yrs of age. Will this small size when compared to their age prove problematical in the future. Note: The female has produced eggs before.

I feed them every second day on Large Crickets and occassionally they will get Carrots, Regular lettuce, Apple, Banana and Tomato.

What could be the problem with their growth?


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## Bigbird (Apr 16, 2007)

> yeah that is about right.You can buy endive plants from bunnings and so on but remember they may use pesticides so be VERY careful giving this (You don't want to kill the little guys)if you buy from there.I think you have to keep growing it at home for about 6 weeks before the pesticide wears off but I could be wrong,Coles sometimes sell it.


 
Thanks frankc, you're reply was very helpful.  

I managed to get some endive (well, I think it's endive - it's like curly lettuce, but it's reddish-green) from Coles so I will give them a try on that. Are the veggies we buy from the supermarkets safe or are pesticides used on those? We eat them so I assume they must be safe, but just thought I'd ask. I guess as long as we wash them they should be ok. I have also got some bok choy to try them on.

When gutloading crix / woodies, do you just put salad in their box so they eat that before the beardies eat them? I have been putting salad and pellets in there.

I feed my beardies in a seperate box, but still inside their enclosure so it is familiar to them. However, since Saturday, one of my beardies hasn't been interested in the crix at all. :? He just keeps trying to get out everytime I put him in the box to eat. I think it might be because they were both in the feeding box all day Saturday as their enclosure was taken away to be fixed and he clearly didn't like being in there. I will try putting the crix in his vege bowl and see if he goes for them then. Maybe he just doesn't like being in the box.

I dust the crix in calcium and multivitamin powder once a day and always have a bowl of veges in their enclosure for them to eat, but I don't think they have eaten any as yet. I have the UV light on for 13 hours per day. I bought a silk plant for their enclosure and as they are still so small they can climb up it, which they love and so now spend most of their time in the plant, which I'm not sure is a good or a bad thing!

Sorry for such a long post!


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## frankc (Apr 16, 2007)

*big bird*

Sounds like you are on the right track.Mine love bok choy,some fruit(not big on it yet).Yeah always wash your veges before giving it to them just like you would for yourself.I think gutloading should be done 24 hours before offering to the beardies but I could be wrong.I guess at least make sure the crixs/woodies that you are offering have had a big feed of gutload it should be fine,maybe someone else can give better info on that.

also this website gives a good table of foods for the beardies
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Now,about crixs,well some beardies are down right fussy so that may be why,I am fortunate because they love both and never knock back a feed of any type.And as you said maybe he just wanted to get out.The like to explore,I let mine out for a run everyday,they always manage to find the woodies and crixs houses and try and eat them throught the plastic.

I also have a non toxic fake plant in their enclosure as well as branches,a rock under the heat lamp for basking,water dish and fountain and a fake log.they seem happy but I think I have to get rid of one soon as I have 1 girl and 2 boys and they are starting to fight alittle.So either get rid of one or get another girl and separate them.
Mine will sometimes sleep in the plant they love tight little places at times to sleep.
cheers


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## Chris1 (Apr 16, 2007)

coles sell an 'asian salad mix' which is great fro the beardies, its in one of those square tubs, it was once called shanghai salad mix but my local coles doesnt have that, but the coles brand one seems to have the same leaves as that one had.

and they love bok choy too, which is also a good green fro them.


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## Tatelina (Apr 16, 2007)

Feed them 402 crickets a day...that's how much I feed mine..

Just kidding.
When feeding crickets I usually only let them eat 2 or 3 in a sitting because I'm paranoid about the 'intenstinal blockage' thing if they're greedy and eat too many.


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## Adam (Apr 16, 2007)

I feed our 3 month old beardies about 5-8 small crickets each and plenty of ruit chopped up really fine, can't get 'em to take vegies yet, even with mealworms in 'em. I feed them mealworms and woodroaches as well.


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## Bigbird (Apr 16, 2007)

*Beardies not eating*

Well, I gave them their evening meal and neither one of them ate a thing! :? 

I am getting a little worried now as it's nearly three days since Bill (they are called Bill and Ted) has eaten. Up to Saturday, he was the one that would coming running to the front of the tank as soon as he saw me get the feeding box down. Now, whenever I put him in it, he just ignores all the crix and tries to get out. Ted didn't eat anything tonight either - just tried to get out of the box too. Although he was eating up to last night.

I have to go to Sydney this weekend so will be away for three days. A friend is coming round to feed them for me and change their water and veges etc, but I know I am going to spend all weekend worrying if they haven's eaten properly by the time I leave. I ended up just chucking a few crix in the tank tonight in the hope that they will eat them during the course of the evening / night, butI haven't seen either one of them eat any of the yet.  

Any ideas / tips would be greatly appreciated.


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## frankc (Apr 16, 2007)

*hi*

I was always told not to leave crixs in the tank as they hide and the dragons can't eat them and then at night they crawl over the beardies while they sleep annoying them,someone please correct me if I am wrong but that is what I have been told.
I guess if they don't like the boxes like you say don't put them in it,have you tried hand feeding them the crixs?Remember that some beardies are fussy so they may not want what you are offering.Give it all a try,crix,woodies even mealworms(I know that they are not good for them but the occasional one is fine).Recheck you cage temps,have they got a basking area of 32-35 degrees?and a cool end?How are they pooing?Are you overhandling?They may be stressed.Just a few things to keep in mind,otherwise just keep offering.


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

*Hi frankc*

I know I’m not supposed to put the crix in the tank, but thought maybe if I just chucked a few in there they would eat them as they find them. I will be cleaning the tank tonight so will see how many crix they have eaten, if any. Their cage temp averages 30 degrees with a warmer basking spot and a cooler end. I don’t think I am over handling as I only tend to handle them when I feed them and that’s only to move them in and out of the feeding box. Maybe they are still stressed from being out of their tank on Saturday. There seems to be one poo in the tank per day so either one of them isn’t pooing or they are alternating days so I will have to keep an eye on that.

Maybe they have just gone off crix, which is weird because they went nuts for them before. If they’re still not eating properly by the time I get back from Sydney, I will get some woodies to see if they prefer those.


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

Forgot to mention before that your beardies are beautiful - I hope mine can grow up to look that good! 

It will be shame if you have to get rid of one though.


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## Chris1 (Apr 17, 2007)

if you want to make sure youre beardies have a good meal before you leave, mush up some dragon pellets using hot water (mushes them quicker), and feed them by dripping it on their noses using a needleless syringe.

so they dont get cold while their out and youre feeding them put them on a microwaved bag of rice wrapped in a towel.

they might just not be eating because their coming up to a shed, but you'd probably be happier leaving them with full tummies.


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

*Thanks Chris1*

That's a good tip! If they don't eat normally, I will definitely give it a try!


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## frankc (Apr 17, 2007)

*hey bigbird*

Hey bigbird,thanks they are cool little guys. I am fortunate though because they will eat anything so I don't have the trouble that you are having.Yeah it would be unfortunate to have to get rid of one but I can't have 2 males together because they will kill each other so either get another girl and separate them or sell one.I don't won't to seperate one by himself after being with others as he may get lonely which can cause eating probs.They are all shedding again but still eating well,doesn't sound like you are handling too much at all.I handle mine alot more than that and so do my kids.Can you post a pic of your enclosure maybe someone can give advice on it,just in case it may have something to do with it(then again maybe not)worth a try.Otherwise give what chris said a try.I know mine love pellets in warm water,gives off a great smell and they eat it up real fast.I hope they start eating soon.Is there someone around your area that can stop by your place and check things out for you?Good luck I am sure with persistence you will pervail


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

> _Good luck I am sure with persistence you will pervail_


 
Thanks. I will try everything I can. If there's no improvement by next Monday, after I'm back from Sydney, then I will take them to the vet.


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

Are beardies poos supposed to be dry like in pellet form?

My beardies poos aren't runny, but they aren't dry either. They're shaped like a pellet (like a long oval), but squashy. They have always been like that.


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## Adam (Apr 17, 2007)

Yes that is pretty normal, their diet controls their stools.


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## Chris1 (Apr 17, 2007)

if the white part gets too hard they probably need more fluids, but squishy sounds fine.


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

That's ok then. I just read somewhere that there poos are in pellet form and it made me think they should be hard.

Can anyone recommend a good book(s) reagrding bearded dragons and the care of them?

I have one and have read heaps on the internet too, but would like to buy one really good reference book to keep at home. My book is good for the basics, but doesn't seem to answer all my questions and in some areas I find it doesn't have as much detail as I'd like.


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## Chris1 (Apr 17, 2007)

i cant recommend any books, but this is a pretty informative site and theres some good people on the forum too. 

http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/


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## Bigbird (Apr 17, 2007)

*Vet Visit*

I have decided to take them to the vet tomorrow as I have come home and Ted isn't looking very good at all. His breathing looks shallow and irregular and he's barely moved. He doesn't flinch when I put my hand near him. I haven't fed them yet so we will see how they go with that.

Bill seems a bit better and ate a small amount of veges that I hand fed him. He's running around a fair bit and head bobbing so I think he's ok. I just hope he eats his crix.


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## frankc (Apr 19, 2007)

*hey*

Good luck and I hope the little guys are ok.fingers crossed for you.cheers frank


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## Aslan (Apr 19, 2007)

*Bigbird *- Definately let us know how he is going - check your temps and maybe seperate him to check if he is passing his food. Could be too cool for him or possibly an issue with impaction...


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## MelShaw (Apr 19, 2007)

Bigbird said:


> Can anyone recommend a good book(s) reagrding bearded dragons and the care of them?
> 
> I have one and have read heaps on the internet too, but would like to buy one really good reference book to keep at home. My book is good for the basics, but doesn't seem to answer all my questions and in some areas I find it doesn't have as much detail as I'd like.


 
I bought a book recently and it was very thorough.
About $40.00 in pet stores much cheaper online, it is from the US but our dollar is very strong. 

Amazon.com: The Bearded Dragon Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems): Books: Philippe De Vosjoli


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## dragons75 (Apr 19, 2007)

Yeah the Bearded dragon manuals great as well as the keeping bearded dragons book and the reptile keepers guide Bearded dragon edition Check ebay they pop up there reguarly


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## Bigbird (Apr 23, 2007)

Well, the vet said that they both look in pretty good health and are active and alert so that's good. He advised me to increase the temps in the tank and to also increase the amount of UV light, which I did. The next day (Thursday), Ted seemed to perk up enormously! He ate his crix and was generally looking a lot better and now looks like he has put on a fair bit of weight. Unfortunately though, Bill has taken a turn for the worse over the weekend and is looking quite a bit skinnier than Ted and very lethargic  . My friend who was looking after them for me over the weekend due to me having to go to Sydney said that Bill ate three crix on Friday and she's pretty sure he's eaten none since. He wasn't at all interested when I offered them to him this morning. Ted has been eating pretty well all weekend and certainly was running around after the crix when I fed him this morning.

I don't really know what to do now. I have stopped feeding them outside the tank as they both just seem to get distressed when I do that and ignore all the crix so I am feeding them in the tank, but then all the crix hop away pretty quickly so I'm not sure exactly how many they eat and that also means I have keep clearing the tank of the excess crix. Is there anyway I can force feed Bill? I don't want to hurt him as he's still so small, but I obviously don't want him to die either.

The vet also mentioned that if I had spoken to him before buying Bill and Ted that he would have advised me to buy 4 if I wanted to end up with two as there would be a strong possibility that two wouldn't make it. Obviously, I wasn't too happy on hearing that  . 

Any advice is, as always, greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the book recommendations too.


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## Chris1 (Apr 23, 2007)

try hand feeding to save teh crix escaping.

try the syringe feeding mushed up pellets, or pressing the point of a diagonally sliced bit of bean between his lips to see if he takes that.

my Bug would have died if she hadnt been force fed as a kid...teh guy who i got them off was surprised how big and healthy they were when he came over a year later. he said he didnt expect them to survive. (i wasnt very happy about that either)

or put a drop of the mush on his lips, and press the bean in to make him taste it, then he should lap it up quite willingly.


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## Dragoness (Apr 23, 2007)

Hi Bigbird,
Sorry to hear your little guy isnt eating, Ive bombarded Chris1 with questions, as one of mine is the same. Ime halfway through a worming course with him, and Im currently just forcefeeding him every day. I got 2 at once as well, then discovered at about the 3 month mark that one was being very dominant and had to seperate them. I thought this would fix my non eating problem, but nope, Caesar still wont eat. Is more than happy to be force fed though, happily laps away off the spoon. As chris said, you mash up pellets, I mix in a little chicken and veg baby food and add a tiny amount of calcium and vitamins. He gets this once a day (in the morning so he has all day to digest) and while hes not growing like his brother (who is 3 times the weight!) he seems happy and healthy. So hard to know what they want/need, I guess you just keep trying until something works. Good luck, keep us up to date.

Chris1 - how long do you microwave the rice for? I know thats a strange question, but Ive never microwaved rice before (Im assuming its raw rice, not cooked!)

Cheers


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## Chris1 (Apr 23, 2007)

i microwave a 2kg bag fro about 4 mins, depends on the microwave though, just so its toasty warm, but not hot, and wrap it in a towel.


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## Dragoness (Apr 23, 2007)

Cheers Dude


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## Bigbird (Apr 23, 2007)

Hi Dragoness

Yes, I remembered that you were having dramas with yours too. It's just so weird because when I first got them it was the complete opposite! Ted was the lethargic, non-eating one and Bill ate everything in sight! Now they have swapped.

I read somewhere (think it might have been one of Chris1's posts) that beardies don't eat when they are about to shed. How long does this last for? I think that Bill has just started shedding so I'm hoping that might have something to do with it.


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## Chris1 (Apr 23, 2007)

its generally only for a few days before they shed.


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## Bigbird (Apr 24, 2007)

*Update*

Well, they both ate last night. Bill ate about three crix and Ted about five I think. I also fed them both some mashed up pellets with vitamins and calcium, which they ate and got all around their faces  !

This morning they ate too. Bill had two or three crix and Ted had four or five. I am back to feeding them out of their cage, but now I am shining a light on them while they are in the feeding box and this seems to have helped. Bill still doesn't seem quite right though. He just sits on the log with his eyes closed and that's about it :? . He is definitley shedding though so maybe this has something to do with it. Ted seems to be ok. Running around and pretty alert. 

I weighed them both last night too and neither one of them has put on any weight since last week, which is a bit of a concern.


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## Chris1 (Apr 24, 2007)

haha, how cute are they with mush all over their faces,.. 
try giving him a warm bath, (not hot) to help with the shedding.
put a face washer in the bottom of the bathroom sink so he has somethign to grip to.

baths are good fro them


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## Bigbird (Apr 24, 2007)

Yeah, I think I will bath them tomorrow.

I gave them a bath last week, but I don't think they liked it very much. I think that may have been because I didn't give them anything to grip to though so they were kind of sliding all over the place! I will remember the face washer this time!

And yes they were very cute with green mush all over their faces!


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## Bigbird (Apr 30, 2007)

Just thought I'd update you all.

Well, things have improved a lot!  They are both eating twice a day and having about 5-6 crix at each meal. I know some of you said to let them eat as much as they want in a 10-15 minute period, but the vet said not to let them overeat so I am limiting it to the 5-6 twice a day for now. Yesterday was good too as they both started eating the veges from the dish in their cage (Chris1 - it was the first time that I gave them the asian salad mix that you recommended and they seem to really like it so thanks for that!).

They both are pretty active and run around a fair bit, although one of them does like to spend a lot of time sitting in the plant! They are both pooing well too so that's good. Hopefully all will continue to go well.

I have attached a couple of pictures - sorry a couple of them are a bit blurry.


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## Chris1 (Apr 30, 2007)

aww, arent they cute!

glad to hear they like their salad and are eating well again!

must be a huge relief for you!


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## Aslan (Apr 30, 2007)

I wouldn't concern myself about them over-eating at that age - they will just grow into it, they won't become obese at that age...but 5-6 each meal seems like a reasonable amount regardless...

Try sprinkly some ground up Beardie pellets onto their greens - it's a good way to get them onto pellets and basically makes a good nutritional supplement regardless even if just sprinkled on their salad regularly...

Great look youngsters too


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## Bigbird (Apr 30, 2007)

> _Try sprinkly some ground up Beardie pellets onto their greens - it's a good way to get them onto pellets and basically makes a good nutritional supplement regardless even if just sprinkled on their salad regularly...
> _


 
Great idea! I will do this tomorrow! Thanks Aslan!  

Also, at the moment I am dusting the crix with a mixture of calcium and vitamins (4:1 calcium:vits) once a day. 



> _must be a huge relief for you!_


 
It certainly is! 

I am going to leave them on the asian salad mix for awhile until they are used to eating from the dish and then I will try them on some other fruits and veges. I bought some dandelion, endive and red mustard seed the other day so hopefully I can grow them out the back and then there is no need to keep buying them. That's if they grow. I'm not very good with plants (much better with animals!) and managed to kill a cactus that was given to me the other day! :lol:


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