While adult bearded dragons have a diversified diet, babies require a more high-protein meal to build muscle and body mass. Insects are essential for this purpose. Moreover, baby bearded dragons need to be fed more often than adult bearded dragons. They can consume as many as 70 to 80 pinhead crickets per day. Hence, their diet should consist primarily of insect mealworms.
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Vegetables
Vegetables are a vital part of your beardie’s diet. You should strive to feed your beardie mostly leafy greens. These include collard greens, broccoli, kale, and alfalfa hay. You can also give your beardie other items such as cilantro, parsley, and red or green cabbage. Be sure to check the label for these items before feeding them.
The amount of vegetables that your beardie eats will depend on its size. Subadults should get about 20% of their diets from insects, while adults should eat around eighty percent vegetables. As a rule of thumb, you should rotate different vegetables every few weeks to give your beardie the variety it needs. This will help your beardie adjust to any changes in the tank and ensure that he or she is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals. While too much of any vegetable can cause hyper or hypovitaminosis, rotating its diet is a good way to maintain the right balance of vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables can be very rewarding to a beardie’s life. They will happily devour fruits, vegetables, and even some insects. When it comes to feeder insects, dubia roaches and crickets are popular. Try introducing new vegetables to your beardie slowly so that they won’t be scared of them. And if you have a beardie who’s always hungry, you might as well make him happy!
Insects
Ideally, your bearded dragon should eat 75% insects and 25% vegetables, as outlined in the pyramid of nutrition. While adult bearded dragons may seem more picky about what they eat, they’re actually quite tolerant of a varied diet. As long as you’re consistent with feeding times, you should have no problem feeding your dragon regularly. Insects should be offered six to seven times per week, with vegetables provided at least four times.
However, you should avoid giving your beardie bugs from outside the cage. Bugs that are found outside may contain harmful parasites and trace amounts of pesticides. Instead, buy insects from a feeder insect supplier or local pet store. Aside from insects, plants are an essential part of your beardie’s diet. Moreover, bearded dragons enjoy eating fruit and vegetables, so you can include these in their diet as well.
Pre-prepared diets
Pre-prepared adult bearded dragon diet options can be a great way to supplement your reptile’s diet with nutritious foods. There are many different types of food available, and deciding what is best for your beardie can be a difficult decision. Here are some tips to make sure your beardie is getting the nutrition it needs. Adding fruit to your beardie’s diet is an easy way to keep him or her healthy.
A good source of protein and calcium is mealworms. The problem with feeding young beardies mealworms is that the worms may impaction their gut. Phoenix worms are a much cheaper alternative. If mealworms aren’t available in your area, you can try offering your beardie dried insects instead. But remember to remove any live insects if you don’t plan to feed your beardie live bugs.
Transitioning a bearded dragon to a new diet
Before you introduce a new diet, you should give your bearded dragon some of the familiar foods it’s accustomed to eating, like fruit. Try adding a small piece of fruit to his food, ranging from bananas to apples. Eventually, you can introduce more fruit and vegetables to his diet. You can also offer him small mealworms or wax worms to his food, which may help him learn that vegetables are indeed a source of nutrition.
Another sign that your dragon is undernourished is lethargy. Lethargy dragons often lose their appetites and will likely starve to death. It may also experience some gastrointestinal issues and will begin to show signs of stress. It is important to ensure your beardie’s health and safety at all times. The following tips should help you successfully transition your beardie to a new diet.
