Beardie feeder question

[Fallout32]

I'm thinking about getting a beardie but i'm not sure about the feeding. I don't know if i'd be able to keep up with the amount of crickets it needs per day (and also the smell). My question is whether or not it's ok to offer one of the formulated diets as well as fresh greens instead of live crickets. I don't want to get one if i won't be able to care for it properly so please let me know.

[Nasubi77]

They really need the live bugs. There are other options besides crickets, though. Phoenix worms, horn worms, butterworms, roaches. Roaches, believe it or not are extremely easy to keep, breed and don't smell! Once your beardie is 16" there's also superworms which are super easy to care for and are a decent price. Avoid mealworms though..they have a hard outer shell (chitin) which is hard to digest, and their overall nutritional content is not that good.

Also, you could consider getting a juvie beardie, around 6 months or so, because they don't need to be fed as often, only once or twice a day. A baby needs to be fed 3 times a day.

Best of Luck!

[Crazy4Herps]

First of all, most beardies refuse to eat pre-made diets and freeze-dried feeders. Secondly, while these diets are fine and even beneficial to use in addition to feeders, they should not replace live insects in your beardie's diet.

If you are worried about the amount of food, get an adult. Beardies over 18 months of age only need 50 or so feeders a week, while babies can eat up to 300 a day. Your beardie will also need salads.
Here is a great guide as to what is good/bad to use while making a beardie salad.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtrem...Nutrition.html

Crickets are a nightmare. I lasted a few weeks giving crickets to my beardie before I switched. They are loud (which I personally don't mind, I like the sound), they absolutely reek, they die all over the place, and they escape. Like I said, a nightmare.

I started a colony of dubia roaches. Yes, they are big and scary, but they don't jump, climb, smell, make any noise, and these guys could survive an atomic bomb. Which is a good thing for keeping them, a bad thing if they get out. I love my dubias, and so does Budo (my beardie)!

Other great options for staple feeders include turk & hissing roaches (much more difficult to keep than dubias), phoenix worms, and silk worms. Horn and butter worms are high in calcium but also in fat, so be careful with how many you give to your beardie. Mealworms should be avoided altogether; they have very hard shells, called chitin, which can cause impaction in beardies, as Nasubi said.




If you have any other questions, ask away! Beardies are cuddly, friendly, and very funny pets with unique personalities. They are like ball pythons; a must-have for all reptile keepers (imo, anyways). However, they do have many special needs and take up a lot of space and time. Do as much research as you can before acquiring one.

I also highly recommend the beardeddragon.org forums. Just as great as these forums, but about beardies.

Good luck with everything!

[irishanaconda]

I also highly recommend the beardeddragon.org forums.

me too!!!