How many Crickets to feed Beardie?

[Rocket]

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?

 

[Bigbird]

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!

 

[frankc]

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

 

[Chris1]

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.

 

[Tatelina]

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.

 

[Adam]

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.

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[frankc]

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.

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[Chris1]

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.

 

[Bigbird]

Thanks Chris1

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

 

[frankc]

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

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[Adam]

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

 

[Chris1]

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

 

[Bigbird]

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.

 

[Chris1]

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/

 

[Bigbird]

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.