favourite foods

[gregandsarah]

I can't get my beardie to eat much for greens, he's 3-4 years old but I jsut got him a couple weeks ago.

What do you people suggest for fruits and vegetables. And yes I have tried putting mealworms in with the food. He gets a little like that but not a lot.

He's absolutely nuts at supper time when I give him his crix and worms, he runs at the crick box and pretty much nose dives across the floor.

He's not a carnivor I need to get something else into him. I've been feeding him every day (protein) beacuse he's new and I can't bear to starve him to make the little bugger eat what's good for him.

Suggestions?

[Scotty Allen]

When I was breeding dragons, I used to throw everything under the sun at them. I found they could not resist dandelions, hibiscus flowers, shredded squash. In the meantime, buy your crickets a few days before you need them and feed them a varied diet, sooner or later you'll discover a vegetable(s) that your dragon likes. I have found though that as they get older they are more inclined to eat less of anything. My longest lived female was just over nine years and she ate almost nothing in the line of vegetation but giant mealworms still got her excited.

[drewlowe]

I don't ever feed mine mealies the chitlen can build up and possibly cause impactation, this is a personal thing.

My girl goes NUTS for butter worms!!! That's her favorite even though she only gets them3-4 times a year.

As far as greens go: Kale, collard, mustard, turnip, dandelion greens, swiss chard, endive, snow peas, carrots, sweet potato, green beans, yams, okra, squash, salads should make up 80% of their diets 5 % of it being fruit.

Fruits- most berries, melons, kiwi, mango, water melon, apples, grapes. HEHE you should see the mess my boy can make with blueberries!!!
I have a friend that brings me fruit dishes when i ask and it's a variety of fruits.

Jamie

[Dragon_Slave]

Be careful not to go too heavy on the fruits, and especially stay away from feeding lots of acidic fruits.

[jeff123]

I feed my beardie a mix of mangos and papaya. I put it in kind of a smoothie thing.

[scalawag]

My beardie doesn't dive for the greens either. I sometimes feed wax worms using a small plastic tong, and then I used the tongs to feed some greens and he was curious and then started eating. I'll now try to ween him off the tongs???

[gregandsarah]

Ok, I got squash, blueberry's, rasberrys, blackberry's strawberrys, lettuce, dandelion greens. Sniffed but not much more.

I then mixed mealies with the salad. He just stared at then and when they showed their ugly maggot faces he picked them out. Then stared over the salad tray on the floor at the cricket contaier and as soon as he saw a shadow move he ran over. He is such a little stinker. I haven't got a name for him yet but lil' stinker is starting to stick.

QUestion: would you recommend not feeding him his cricks or worms until he eats his vegetables. I find it hard because he goes nuts at meal time for his protein. Maybe cut the protein down to once every 2 days. I know this is fine but his previous owner had him on protein every day, they did say he ate letuce regularly.

Opinions?

[drewlowe]

What kind of lettuce are you feeding. Iceburg lettuce is no good for them, It's mostly made up of water.

Just as dragon slave said becareful of how much fruits he gets. They should have a diet of 80% salads only 5% of it being fruits.

I would try and cut him back on all the bugs and try to work the salads in.

[gregandsarah]

No iceburg. I've read every care page on the net I've been able to find and nothin's come up. I'm afraid he's a little constipated as well because it's been 3 days and he's eating his bugs. Seems healthy as can be though.

Is it cruel to remove the bugs he jsut gets soooo excited at meal time.

I'm thinking of completely removing all of them except 3 or 4 meal worms in his salad each day until he conforms to a reasonable diet. Problem is I don't think the previous owners did that.

Thanks for the help.

[drewlowe]

No it's not cruel you have to wean him off those bugs. If you continue to indulge him he will not go to salads.

[Big Mike]

I have read that for adult beardies, they should be eating 80%-90% veggies and only 10% of their diet should be bugs. Too many bugs would be like us eating a hamburgers & steaks every meal.

Mealworms are especially fatty and can contribute to fatty liver disease. Not to mention the chitlen.

I would suggest that you lay off the bugs and only offer them 1-3 times a week while offering a variety of greens. He will get hungry and start to eat them eventually.

[Reptiles Galore]

Sorry big mike i think i am going to have to dissargree with you, yes meal worms and other worms are fatty, but crickets should be fed every feeding time, and then just leave fruits and greens for them to pick at.

Aaron

[drewlowe]

Originally posted by Reptiles Galore
Sorry big mike i think i am going to have to dissargree with you, yes meal worms and other worms are fatty, but crickets should be fed every feeding time, and then just leave fruits and greens for them to pick at.

Aaron

I dissagree with that. Insects should not be a main part of the adult diet, salads should. Yes growing babies need thier protein but adults don't need much.

My two adults get salads and rep-cal food pellets every day (except now cause thier "cooling" so they get feed every other day). Mine rarely see any insects. They get crix. maybe 2 times a month if lucky, butterworms 2-4 times a year (the boy gets them 2 times and the female gets extra durring breeding time.) And the occasional silkies, wax, and horn worms. I tried hissing roaches and my male ran and hid behind the girl until she ate its head. LOL I will never feed mealworms to my beardies!!!