Any luck with commercial dragon food?

My new little guy now gets crickets, pheonix worms and his greens. Im wondering if anyone actually has a dragon that eats commercial dragon food. If so, how do you get them to even try it? I picked some up and I try to keep a little bit in his tank at all times but he is not interested at all. I was hoping to somwhow get him use to it so I can use it as a supplimental food. Im hearing elsewhere that it can be very hard to get them to eat it though.

My beardie eats Rep-Cal beardie food pretty commonly. I just put it in there and he ate it. I didnt do a single thing.

Well, I know this may be totally different, but, I have a Savannah monitor and a Nile monitor and I feed them the canned monitor food from zoomed every once in a while. My Savannah monitor was very willing to eat it and gave no problems what so ever. On the other hand, my Nile monitor did not even look at it.

I tried a couple different things, I put a little bit on a spoon and just wiggled the spoon in front of him/ her, and that gave no interest. Next I tried leaving some in a dish for a couple of hours, no go. Then I got a rat pup, put a glob of the canned food on its back so when he/ she went to eat the rat pup all it got as a mouth full of the canned food, and seemed to like it. So I did that a couple of times with the rat pups and eventually, he/ she just started eating it out of the dish when given.

Granted I don't know what all bearded dragons eat, but possibly try and mix it with something you know they like? Any how, good luck, I hope it helps some. Sorry I don't know much about bearded dragons.

If your beardie is eating greens, it shouldn't be a problem to make the transition to Repcal. I soaked the green repcal pellets until soft, smushed it, and mixed it in my beardie's greens. The dragon will take some in when eating the greens, and eventually eat it minus the greens.

I had several breeding groups of beardies and always made the transition to the rep-cal pellet food within the first 2 weeks after hatching. Here are the 2 methods I used:

Soften the pellets by soaking them, but do not make them 'mushy' though.

Wire method
I first introduced the pellets by using a thin wire and rolling a single pellet in the hatchling tub. One would always grab it and as they start to notice you can place several pellets in the tub and start flicking them with the wire. There are always babies that will not start them in this way. For these beardies I would use the next method.

Hand fed method
You take a baby in your hands gently, and with a softend pellet in your other hand you can apply very light pressure to the lower jaw with the pellet. As the lower jaw opens slightly and they feel the pellet in their mouth, they bite down. They chew the pellets and realize they like it and after doing this for several feedings, they will eat on their own.

The reason I like starting pellets early is because once they identify the pellets as food, you can get them to eat anything you want by simply mixing it in with the pellets. This makes vitamin/mineral regiments very easy as well. And all of the babies grow up eating greens very well.

I have posted a pic of Erwin before, but he is a great example of the hand-fed method with pellets. Plus, he was my buddy. Because he was hand fed, he was EXTREMELY tame. I need to scan more pics of some of the other breeding males but this shows at least that not offering crickets doesnt take away from the health of the animal.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...doo/erwin3.jpg

Ive had luck putting them in their salads along with silkworms/roaches/crickets as their main source of food.

I tried putting two dragons on different types of pellets, as their main source of food, one being repcal, the other I think Zoo med. Both seemed to result in stunting their growth and then not eating extended periods of time, runny colored poop and being somewhat skiddish, which isnt normal for any of the other dragons Ive had. Id need to test more to find out, but im just sticking to good ol' silk worms.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Both seemed to result in stunting their growth and then not eating extended periods of time, runny colored poop and being somewhat skiddish,.

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Interesting. I deffinately have never had a problem with stunting of growth and actually quite the contrary. Ive been asked a few times if my breeding males had german giant lines in them. Which they did not.

I wonder if the runny poop was the food change as opposed to the pellets themselves? My daughter keeps a healthy normal sub-adult male. Pellets are regular part of his diet with greens. He has nice firm dark poop. If the poop was runny and they were skiddish, I wonder if they didnt feel well. Maybe the diet change?

It is deffinately more challenging for sure to change over after they have been eating crickets for awhile.

I love silk worms by the way! I have done many cultures. I just usually ended up with crickets for the hatchlings to start on because I kept Dart frogs, so they were handy. But silkworms over crickets all the way :gj:

I appologize for the multi-post I was unfortunately too late to edit.

Because of the possitive experience I had with pellet food, I was trying to think of what would cause a stunted growth. I wonder if the following might be the case.

1. Someone introduces pellet food with greens and cuts off live prey. The dragon is not eating enough of the pellets therefore not recieving enough protein that a young dragon needs. Growth is stunted.

2. Someone introduces strickly pellets and the dragon does not eat well. And becomes stressed. (runny poop) Growth is stunted

These 2 means of introducing pellets into the diet are what I would consider passive ways. The ways I recommend are much more active. They take work, but the work is relatively short and well worth the effort in the end.

Both were introduced to pellets while still on live prey. Then slowly taking them off. If I can remember right, on the back it says that pellets can be used as the only source of food, claiming that they have every thing that they need. Both dragons had new MVB bulbs, and were handled daily. They were ALWAYS in their " Dark " Stage, and again seemed to not grow nearly as well as my other dragons. One was started at a few months of age, and the other as a sub adult who seemed to hardly grow while on them. Again, this is just with two dragons, but I think the best way to raise dragons is with insects, and pellets just as a treat in their salads. If people do decide to feed pellets, offer dusted insects daily as well, along with their salad.

Dragons are not cheap to raise, anyone who properly owns one knows that well. I get asked alot about pellets and that is why I tried them, because people seem to think that it is a cheaper way to raise them.

i went away to new york for 3 days with my family so i had family friends watch my gizmo and gave him the pellets haha he did not even look at them from what i know most beardies wont eat them but then again thats just the people i know every beardie is different! :D

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Both were introduced to pellets while still on live prey. Then slowly taking them off. If I can remember right, on the back it says that pellets can be used as the only source of food, claiming that they have every thing that they need. Both dragons had new MVB bulbs, and were handled daily. They were ALWAYS in their " Dark " Stage, and again seemed to not grow nearly as well as my other dragons. One was started at a few months of age, and the other as a sub adult who seemed to hardly grow while on them. Again, this is just with two dragons, but I think the best way to raise dragons is with insects, and pellets just as a treat in their salads. If people do decide to feed pellets, offer dusted insects daily as well, along with their salad.
Dragons are not cheap to raise, anyone who properly owns one knows that well. I get asked alot about pellets and that is why I tried them, because people seem to think that it is a cheaper way to raise them.

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I am curious if you remember the Bearded Dragon forums from 10ish years ago. If so do you remember Tom and Jackie Vandiver? I think many people in the midwest will remember this very nice couple from show displays and their website. Large, healthy, and colorful dragons. All raised on Rep-Cal juvenile pellets...no insects. You probably know the benifit of not feeding hatchlings crickets as you went to silk worms. The same can be applied to pellets. There are benifits. It is NOT about being cheap. :colbert:

I was not a huge operation by any means. But I did have several groups and at times was getting 80 babies well started. Feeding 80 babies by hand is in no way cheap :) I'll tell you that. Time=money. I did not have a pet store, nor a business. These were my pets and I raised them because I did presentations for schools and scouts and felt they were a great reptile pet due to the docile nature. Sharing the lizardlove :)

What I do wish to refute is that pellets can not make a good "main" portion of a healthy Bearded Dragons diet. This is simply not true. I know this from raising healthy, vibrant, tame Bearded Dragons. The OP asked how to introduce it, I dont feel adding it to the food is the best way for the reasons I posted. I wanted to give the OP some good methods for her question as well as dispell any misconceptions about pellets.

If you try changing the diet to Pellet Food, just try one of the methods I used. It really does work and if they take to it...unless the formula has changed, if you have the correct set up, you will have big healthy dragons.

I just think that anything artificial isnt the best main diet for these types of lizards. If you look on the back, it says that there is corn meal, which they cannot digest, and they are made of Majorily these fillers , and artificial colors. My concern is about quality and digestability, and that it is drastically lower than it is with dog or cat foods and lack of nutrition is often made up with by throwing in a bunch of random vitamin powders.

Also, are you talking about these forums, or BD.org?

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Also, are you talking about these forums, or BD.org?

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I really havent been there in a while. But it was BD.org, yes. I remember they were great forums. It has been a while. :)

I did find an old Care sheet from the Vandivers. Just to show that I am not the only person did not have issues with pellets. We just use different methods for starting the animals on such a diet. Here is a quote:

"No more crickets! We have done away with feeding crickets/mealworms and vegies except for occasional snacks. We now feed them Rep-Cal bearded dragon food (a dry food - pellets in a jar). A small dish daily for hatchlings up to 6 inches SVL, followed by hand feeding the little ones once a day (usually evenings). Larger dragons 6 inches SVL and up, we give 5-6 pellets daily. Watch your fingers if you hand feed them these pellets. For both the juvenile and adult food, you soak the food in warm tap water about 5 or 10 minutes before you feed it to them. The food should feel spongy."

here is the link for the quote:
http://members.tripod.com/~bearded_dragon/BDCare1.html

They never sold young babies and they were always healthy, plump, and Tame as tame could be. They hit the midwest shows and had some of the best beardies hands down where they attended. So even if one does not agree with how they (or I ) cared for their dragons. One could NOT say they were unhealthy, had runny poop, or were skiddish.

My point was to give the OP what she asked for basically. I did not go to the extreme the Vandivers did with strickly pellets. BUT, I did use it as a main source and the methods I posted for the OP are a terrific way to start it.

I hear ya though about how you feel the best way to care for your beardies :) I dont think everyone will have the time to use the methods I used. But I want to be clear...I know it works BECAUSE I had very healthy, vibrant, and tame dragons. My daughter does now. I would not give the advice otherwise.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

it says that there is corn meal, which they cannot digest,

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I am genuinely interested in finding out where this information about "cannot digest". Could you provide a link please?

I will accept no less than fresh greens and live bugs for my boy. :) I'm sure there are at least a few good beardie diets out there, but I want to be positive he is getting his vitamins and proteins and I'm not about to trust any of those companies that recommend compact UVB bulbs and calci-sand for beardies. In any case, he won't eat anything that's processed or freeze-dried. The spoiled brat.

I'd stick with the crickets and phoenix worms. Sometimes I'll soften the commercial food up with hot water and put it in the cricket carry. That way they eat it and then the beardie gets it as well.

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Originally Posted by Heartlandherper

I am genuinely interested in finding out where this information about "cannot digest". Could you provide a link please?

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I will look for a good link a little later.

Corn itself is VERY hard to Digest, think about what you often see in your OWN stool ;)

Well it seems my little dragon is on Matt's side because this little guy absolutely REFUSES to even try the dragon food. He only wants to stuff his belly with his worms and crickets and occasional greens. I did get him to accept some greens from my hand the other day but as far as the dragon food goes, no go.