Looking after a Bearded Dragon and time management

[ChrisPortman]

Hi All,

Wondering if I could get some thoughts, or if anyone is in the same boat. I'm looking at getting a bearded dragon in the next few months.

I work full time, leaving the house between 630 and 7 am and returning anywhere from 530 - 7pm. I'm wondering if there is a routine (given that I'll be the only one doing any feeding, especially when it comes to insects) that accommodates this sort of lifestyle. I'm thinking that as it gets older it will be easier as the diet switches mostly to veggies, and I can put them out before the lights come on and then offer a few insects when I get home before the lights go off (does this sound valid?). My main concern is as a youngster when the diet is predominantly insects and lots of them in a sitting feeding before work will be difficult given that the lights will have to come on at something like 5am and thus probably off relatively early in the evening before i get a chance to offer another feeding.

Appreciate your thoughts.


Thanks,
Chris

 

[gregcranston]

Shouldn't be a problem IMO, get lights/heat to come on at 6am. Feed it as you are walking out the door, then get them to turn off at 8:30 after feeding it again as soon as you get home.

 

[ChrisPortman]

Hi, Thanks for the feedback.

Also, I noticed the Hawsbury Herp Society is having an expo in the first week of March. Last year it was awesome! But if I waited till then to acquire a baby Central Bearded at the expo, would it be to late?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Sutto82]

There's also the Castle Hill show on the 12th of Feb (from memory), I know of a couple of Beardy breeders that will have babies there for sale.

 

[Chris1]

you could always get a slightly older one if youre worried about the insect feeds, like 3-4 months old so its not so critical if ur late and miss the occasional feed,...

i found the baby routine a bit difficult (doing similar hours to urs) since i dont like feeding in the cage.

its no problem at all with the adults, they take care of themselves!!! (dump some salad in and off you go)
insects are a weekend thing for my adults.

 

[Reptar859]

Shouldn't be a problem IMO, get lights/heat to come on at 6am. Feed it as you are walking out the door, then get them to turn off at 8:30 after feeding it again as soon as you get home.

Hi Chris this is the routine i am using for my baby Pygmies and im having no problems at all they are 8 weeks old now and have more than doubled in size. Just leave some greens in aswell they might start eating it, mine havent touched it yet though.

 

[ajandj]

Yoda is almost 12 months old now and up until 2 months ago, l was still feeding insects twice a day and offering salad/veg 3 time3s a day (as they dry out)

 

[Defective]

you could get a feeding rock? put calcium powder inside along with crickets and shake then unplug the hole and the crickets come out in there own time and you don't have to worry.