Beardies not eating

[caity]

Sorry to have the millionth beardie-related question on here!

I got 2 8-month old coastal bearded dragons last week, had them for a week now. They seem fairly settled in to the enclosure, happy to sit up on the logs and bask, not scared of me, i'm not handling them too often in case it's stressing them. Everything seems fine, except they don't want to eat!

The first few days I was trying greens (mixes of broccoli, grapes, banana, peas) or boiled egg and dog food, I'd put the food in there with them for about half an hour, while watching them from a distance so as not to scare them, and they didn't touch it. Then on Thursday I went and got some medium crickets, whch they each ate about 3 of before seeming uninterested. I fed them in a big cardboard box separate from their enclosure, so they could chase the crickets and get a bit of stimulation.

Then this weekend I tried greens one day and the egg/dog food mix the other, both without any interest shown. After they didn't eat Sunday morning, I did the cricket thing again, putting them in the cardboard box. This time they had more like 8 each before becoming uninterested.

I'm worried that the crickets won't be enough for them, or a good enough balance. The breeder said they had been eating lots of crickets and woodies, but had also started really chomping into the greens recently, so I'm worried they won't be getting enough food to grow!

Also - I'm buying my crickets, so they're coming in a little plastic box. However, trying to get them out/catch them with tongs is a nightmare! I have been scaring a few out into a plastic bag to shake them around with calcium, but it takes about 20 minutes to get enough in there, and then getting them back is just as bad! Is putting them in the fridge prior to feeding a good option?

Thanks guys

-Caity

 

[sydneytradingco]

Caity,
Dont worry you are doing better than I did! My first little Pygmy Beardie was a NIGHTMARE he didn't aet for two weeks eventually I had force feed him crickets. Even now he tends to eat his greens when i am not there.
Others may have better advice but dont panic and be patient.
As far as the crickets I put them in the fridge for 20 mins [or the freezer for 5-10 mins if rushed] they slow right down and are easy to handle. Your beardies will catch them easier as well.
Dont worry if they appear dead they will come back to life UNLESS as my house mate did you leave them in the freezer overnight!!
Hope this helps,
Steven.

 

[m_beardie]

Putting the crickets in the fridge slows them down, this is how i do it. get a rubber glove and catch them with that- it is really easy that way and it will cut down the time HEAPS.

About the not eating, i have a beardy that's about half the age of yours and i cant get him to eat anything that doesn't move. I tried to make the food look like it's moving and it sorta actually work. i tied it on invisible string. Mine also loses his appetite when he sheds, the past couple of days he has eaten like 1 cricket in the morning and then done some shedding then eaten like 7-8!

Hope i helped a bit,

M

 

[caity]

thanks! I did try using tongs to wriggle some dog food and grapes around....my male (Pogo) wasn't even slightly interested, and the female (Puff) just tried to eat the tongs. She seems to be very interested in brightly coloured things! The first day i got her, she was sitting on the table while i was filling out my forms, and she started trying to eat the bright blue end of my pen.

Adorable, but probably not very nutritious!

Pogo was shedding crazily yesterday, but he didn't finish until about 5pm and i didn't want to feed him when the temp was about to go down a bit....just in case he finally ate and then regurgitated it!

Anyway, thanks for the reassurance. I know that as reptiles they aren't going to starve to death with a week of not eating much, but it's good to know that it should pick up a bit soon!

I'll put some pics up later if anyone's interested

 

[firezone1au]

I found the easiest way to handle the crickets was get a lees brand kricket keeper.
http://www.leesaqpet.com/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.browse&category_id=25
it has 4 removable black tubes that slide out. you just pull one out and gently tap the crickets out. then I have a tupperware type cylinder with a screw lid from woolworths thats deep enough they dont jump out, I tap them into this so as to dust them. then I grab em with 12'' tweezers to drop in to my pygmy.
I dont like to cool them as I'd rather he got his exercise hunting them down. but yeah, the are buggers to grab with tweezers. good luck!

 

[m_beardie]

i would love to see pictures

 

[Chris1]

dogs food is for dogs, try woodies and crickets,..!!

 

[sydneytradingco]

I did see the Kricket Keeper at a Pet shop recently and wondered how god they worked. I may well try one.
I was may be a little vague about cooling them - I find it useful for me to handle and dusty them and to start the feeding process after that they on their feet and jumping very quickly.

 

[caity]

The fourth picture is of Puff, the girl, and the fifth picture is of Pogo, the boy.

In the other three, Puff is always on the left. Hope these pics work!

 

[caity]

dogs food is for dogs, try woodies and crickets,..!!

yeah, they do love the crickets! the dog food i use isn't really dog food though...i call it that for ease of description. It's basically mostly minced meat, but with a bit of vege stuff blended through, peas and corn and things like that. I used it for my dog when I had one, since it was more nutritional and more affordable than anything that came in a can! I also use it to feed the magpies and butcher birds who visit (yes, i know, feeding wildlife is very naughty, but i only feed them a little bit!)

 

[gregcranston]

Did you get them from a private seller or a petshop? Is there any chance they might have been recently treated with any medications for say some sort of parasite? Maybe to make sure they are parasite free for the new owners. This can put them off their food.
But looking at the size, they are pretty small for such meds, they probably just need time to settle in, crickets in fridge may work.​

 

[caity]

I bought them from a private seller (who's actually teaching the TAFE course i'm doing atm on care of reptiles and amphibians) who was really helpful giving me info on what he'd been feeding them, what temps, all that sort of stuff. He probably would have mentioned any medications they'd received previously. But i'll ask him tomorrow night at tafe.

 

[m_beardie]

how old is the one in the last one?

 

[caity]

they're both about 8 months old.

 

[Black_Venom]

Dragons need a regular diet of live insects,woodies,crickets, & greens.
Dragons are a predatory lizard & chase their food ,hunt to eat .
Supplement the insects,cover them with calcium powder & they will eat them easy,NEVER FEED THEM IN THE HABITAT THEY LIVE IN!
can pm me if you want ,Connor

 

[caity]

yeah, the live food isn't an issue. They aren't eating as many crickets as I would like, but I'm going to get some woodies as well to alternate with. I put the crickets in a plastic bag, shake them around with the calcium powder, put them in a big cardboard box, then put the beardie in there to eat them. They don't seem to want to eat very many, but at least it's something.

It's just the greens and the other protein foods like boiled egg and minced meat that they aren't interested in.

 

[Black_Venom]

Eggs are more for montors,mince doesnt move.
Wet the greens let the water drip on there nose then when they lick the water they will eat the greens.

 

[TheBoga]

I feed my male in his enclosure everyday, he's an adult though.

It's near impossible to spend the time to put him in a feeding container then take him out when he's done so I just chuck the woodies/crickets in, put in some greens and go, good luck to any woodie or cricket that tries to have a go at my beardy. Love the crunching sound the woodies make.

MIne hasn't eaten any greens since the day I got him. Hasn't had a bath either.

 

[Chris1]

my adults are lucky to get insects once a week, i take em out on the balcony and throw the roaches around,..fun for all!

 

[Lovemydragons]

I have two adults, hopefully with little ones on the way, but I find putting greens in the enclosure in the morning, it's there all day for them to see, and eventually after walking over or past it all day they eventually eat it. Although at the moment they jump on it as soon as I put it in (they love their salad).
And then they get their jumping/moving food in the arvo when I get home. Think about it, It's kind of like giving kids ice cream before their dinner. Course they don't want the dinner afterwards. Beardies are the same. They're always eat the moving food, but give them greens first in the morning and with nothing else they'll eventually going to eat it. Mine have a mix of Bok Choy, Cos lettuce, endive and they love peas!! A dandylion here and there too are a favorite.
When they were little, wiggling the lettuce helped, and if its still wet from washing seems to be more interesting to them. Dry salad gets thrown around the enclosure like a toy.

Hope this helps.

Monique