Wat is the best food for bearded dragons?

Question

i am going to get some food for my bearded dragon and i would like to know wat is the best food for them.

Answer 1

Just for starters any food item should be no bigger than the space between the eyes, any bigger is a risk of impaction.

Juveniles should be offered crickets or woodies 2 to 3 times a day, as much as they can eat in 5 - 10 mintues. They should also be offered greens/vegetables every day, spraying these with water can help keep them fresh and keep the beardie hydrated as young animals don't often drink by themselves from a water dish.

Adults only need to be fed crickets or woodies once per day ( once again as much as they can eat in 5 minutes ) along with the greens/vegetables.

The insects need to be dusted with a calcium powder, how often depends on their age : under a year old ( every day ), 1 to 2 years ( 6 days ), over 2 years old ( 5 days ), prebreeding or gravid ( 6 days ).

Staple foods can include : crickets, silkworms, woodies, alfalfa (plant not sprouts), prickly pear, collard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole and all types of squash

Occasional foods include : alfalfa sprouts, peeled apple, apricot, green beans (canned or raw), kidney beans (canned), lima beans (canned), blueberries, bok choy, celery (stalk and leaves), peeled cumcumber, dahlia flower, grapes, mango, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, raw pumpkin, seedless raisins, strawberries, raw zucchini, kale.

Hope this helps! =)

Answer 2

Feeding your Bearded Dragon will require handling bugs. Yes, we said BUGS... Crickets, mealworms, wax worms, oh! And possibly pinkies. Bearded Dragons are omnivores, meaning that they will eat veggies and small animals. Insects should be a daily staple of your Dragons diet and greens should be available at all times.

Bugs -

The size of the food items you feed your Dragon is extremely important. All food that is offered should be smaller in width than the Dragons mouth. Use caution in choosing the insect size, as too large of a cricket can cause health problems (i.e. - blockage) while digesting. The same applies with mealworms, use small mealworms for small dragons, and increase the mealworm size as the dragon’s size increases. A hatchling, up to 2 months will eat mostly insects, picking at finely chopped greens here and there.

2-week-old crickets (3/8 inch in size) should be offered 2 - 3 feedings a day, only in the amount that the dragon will eat at one feeding… A juvenile Dragon (2 - 4 months) will eat approximately 20% greens to 80% insects... 3 week old crickets should be given 2 times daily and small (1/2 inch) mealworms can be added to their diet. 4 months to maturity should be fed approximately 4-week-old crickets once or twice daily. The small mealies may be replaced by larger ones and king mealworms may also be added. Pinky mice can also be added to their diet once a week, depending on the size of the dragon. Adult dragons need to be fed adult crickets, king mealworms... once a day or every other day. Pinky mice, if used, should be fed sparingly - unless feeding a gravid adult.

Bearded dragons are voracious eaters, especially when they are young. If you are not feeding the hatchlings enough, and if they have cage-mates, they will nibble toes and tail-tips - if it moves its food. If your dragons are not eating well, something is possibly wrong. The most likely problem is that the cage temperature is incorrect: their bodies must reach high temperatures in order to digest their food. If they are digesting slowly, they will not eat well. First step - Check Temp.

Gutloading -

Crickets and mealworms are readily available at most pet shops. These crickets and mealies are generally not high in nutrients directly from the pet shop and will need to be fed well (Gut Load, baby cereal, fresh fruit & veggies) before being offered to your Dragon. This is called 'gut loading'. I recommend 'gut loading' crickets for 24 hours before feeding. We use an orange, carrot and a potato for moisture, and a mixture of baby cereal and Gut load for nutrients.

Veggies -

There is a huge selection of 'leafy' greens which are high in calcium to feed your Dragon, some of which are... kale, argula, collard & mustard greens, parsley, dandelion greens and flowers, endives, radish, carrot and turnip tops, escarole and chicory endive. For more of a variety, mixed into the greens may be many other veggies such as squash, corn, peas, carrots (shredded), sweet potato, cucumber, zucchini, green peppers, chard... also chopped fruit such as cantaloupe, apple, blueberries, peaches, pears, grapes, plums, raspberries... all chopped finely to avoid choking. The main idea in their diet is variety.**Do not feed your dragons iceberg lettuce as is has very little nutritional value and may give the dragon the 'runs' - prompting dehydration.

Dragons will also munch on other greens. If you take your dragon outside or allow it to roam about the house - please be sure to check that the possible munchies are not poisonous.

Supplementation -

Another 'must' for Beardies is a Calcium supplement - We use Rep-Cal Calcium - with Vitamin D3 and occasionally Miner-All. The dust can be placed into a baggie and crickets 'shake -n- baked' in it before feeding... and the liquid can be sprayed onto their greens. The form of the calcium is a preference, but its presence is definitely necessary. At least one feeding every other day should be calcium supplemented. **One day a week, we supplement with a multivitamin such as Herptivite. Caution should be exercised when using a multi-vitamin supplement, as reptiles are susceptible to vitamin A toxicity.

Water -

Bearded dragons require a dry cage, but need to get a lot of water from sprayings and eating fresh vegetables. The hatchlings should be sprayed twice daily on their heads, keeping the spray directed onto their heads as long as they keep lapping up the water. Adults should be sprayed a few times a week. This simulates the natural way dragons get water by l*****g up drops of dew they find on plants in the morning. Some do learn to drink from a shallow water pan, but if they get thin or dehydrated it will be necessary to get them to ingest more water by increased spraying and by misting their fresh vegetables. If using a water dish, the water MUST be changed daily and if the dish has been defecated in - it must be cleaned immediately.

Owner of:

1 bearded dragon

1 hieroglyphic turtle

1 red claw crayfish

2 buggies

1 dog

1 cat

Answer 3

I feed all of mine calcium dusted crickets and always a variety of vegies. Like one day it Will be roman lettuce and carrots and then the next it will be spinach and small choped up tomatoes. Just a little bit of everything. Peas,broccoli. If I see a little stand on the side of the road or some hole in wall produce shop I stop because they are cheep and usually cheep. Plus it helps me eat better by having fresh veggies and fruit in the house. Every now and then I'll give them a little fruit or an hibiscus flower, they love them. All kinds of worms are good for treats.

Answer 4

crix and veggies should be their staple diet but mine eat Rep-cal pellets and he loves them but the promblem with these is that u have to train your beardie to eat them out of the bowl.

Answer 5

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...

scroll down, there is a complete list. Crix/silkies/hornworms are the best staple feeders. Nothing larger than the size in between their eyes.

Answer 6

veggies and crickets

Answer 7

Gut loaded crickets dusted off with calcium or multivitamin cricket balance powder is the most healthy thing you can feed them.

The best vegetables you can feed them are romaine lettuce, mustard greens,  and dandelion greens. Kale and certain fruit are healthy occasionally, but if you feed them that on a regular basis they get sick.

Waxworms and silkworms are great treats you can give them.