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Keep your beardie happy and healthy with this nutritious diet
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It’s time to feed your newly hatched bearded dragon, but how do you know if you’ve given them enough crickets? These insects are an important part of your bearded dragon’s meal, but the amount they should eat changes as they grow older. Luckily, we’ve covered everything you need to know about feeding your beardie. Keep reading to learn how many crickets your bearded dragon needs to have a healthy and balanced diet.
Things You Should Know
- Give a baby bearded dragon about 70–80 crickets each day split between 4–5 feedings.
- Feed juvenile beardies 20–50 crickets daily over 2–3 feedings.
- Give an adult bearded dragon only 10 crickets a day.
- ​​Supplement your bearded dragon’s diet with dark leafy greens and chopped vegetables.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
How many crickets should a baby bearded dragon eat?
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Give a baby beardie up to 70–80 crickets per day. Use live pinhead crickets that are about 1 ⁄ 8 – 1 ⁄ 4 in (3.2–6.4 mm) long. [1] X Research source Split the crickets between 4–5 feedings each day. Let your baby beardie eat as many crickets as they want during the feeding time so they develop muscles and more body mass. [2] X Research source
- Bearded dragons are considered babies for about 5 months after they hatch.
- Avoid giving bearded dragons crickets that have grown larger than the space between their eyes. Otherwise, the insects could get stuck in your beardie’s digestive system.
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Offer vegetables during each feeding. Give your bearded dragon a small food bowl filled with some finely chopped dark leafy greens, like collard greens, dandelion, mustard greens, or turnip greens. Include some diced or shredded squash, peas, sweet potato, zucchini, or beans for some added flavor. [3] X Research source
- Leave the vegetables in your beardie’s tank throughout the day and remove them at night.
- The amount of vegetables your beardie eats will vary as they get older. When they’re a baby, your bearded dragon will eat more crickets than veggies. Once they start growing bigger and older, they’ll focus more on eating the vegetables.
- You don’t need to use every vegetable during each feeding. Occasionally mix up what ingredients you use to take care of your bearded dragon .
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Section 4 of 4:
Feeding Routine
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Dust any food items with calcium powder . Use the calcium powder both on crickets and vegetables. Just take a pinch of the powder and sprinkle it directly on top of the food to cover it. That way, your bearded dragon gets even more nutrients that it needs to grow strong. [8] X Research source
- Alternatively, put the crickets or vegetables in a small bag or container with the powder, and shake them around until they’re evenly coated.
- Once every 2 weeks, sprinkle a multivitamin powder onto the food instead.
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Remove any hiding spots from your beardie’s enclosure. It’s easier for your bearded dragon to hunt crickets if the insects don’t have places to hide. Clear out the bottom of your beardie’s tank as much as you can so it’s easier for them to hunt. [9] X Research source
- Alternatively, put the crickets in a container that’s too tall for them to jump out from, but short enough for your bearded dragon to climb into.
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Place the food in your bearded dragon’s tank. Feed your bearded dragon at least 1 hour after you turn on their basking light for the day. Set the dish with fruits and veggies in the bottom of the tank and pour in 5–10 crickets at a time. If a baby or juvenile bearded dragon eats all crickets, then add in a few more to keep feeding them. [10] X Research source
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Take out uneaten crickets after 10–15 minutes. Scoop out any crickets that are leftover so your bearded dragon doesn’t overeat. Save the crickets to use them during the next feeding. [11] X Research source
- Avoid leaving dead crickets in your bearded dragon’s tank since they could make your pet sick once they start decomposing.
- Don’t forget to set up the tank again when you’re finished feeding.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat's the most common sickness of a bearded dragon?Clint Bartley is a Herpetology Expert based in Chandler, Indiana. He has over 30 years of experience working with reptiles, and opened Metazotics in 2022, a large reptile breeding facility and specialty store where he oversees a breeding colony of nearly 500 reptiles. Metazotics specializes in reptiles such as colubrids, ball pythons, geckos, tortoises, and more, and serves a national audience with their state-of-the-art online merchandise platform. In particular, Clint is known as an industry leader in Asian rat snake and black rat snake mutations. Clint has successfully reproduced more than 60 species of reptiles in captivity. He was the second person in the United States to produce Archelaphe bella chapaensis (bell rat snakes), and the first person in the U.S. to produce them twice. Metazotics carries a comprehensive line of supplies and habitats, offers all bioactive enclosure needs, and works with local organizations to further their knowledge and understanding of reptiles.The most common ailment of a bearded dragon is related to insufficient UVB lighting, which can lead to bone issues. Without proper UV absorption, these reptiles are susceptible to developing a disease characterized by weakened bones. Inadequate calcium intake exacerbates this condition, resulting in increased brittleness of the bones. To prevent and address this problem, it's crucial to ensure the bearded dragon's habitat is equipped with adequate UVB lighting and to supplement their diet with sufficient calcium to support bone health.
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Tips
- If your bearded dragon refuses to eat, there’s a chance that it could be sick. Contact a vet to find out the best way to take care of your beardie . [12] X Research sourceThanks
- Keep a tank of live crickets in your home so you don’t have to keep buying them. Gutload, or feed, the crickets the same veggies you’d give your bearded dragon to make them more nutritious. [13] X Research sourceThanks
- Determine your beardie’s age before you feed it so you ensure it gets the proper mix of crickets and veggies.Thanks
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Warnings
- Avoid feeding your beardie wild-caught insects since they could have traces of insecticide that harm your pet. [14] X Research sourceThanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about lizard care, check out our in-depth interview with Clint Bartley .
References
- ↑ https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/biological-sciences/Herpetarium-documents/Lizards/new_inland_central_bearded_dragon_caresheet.pdf
- ↑ https://www.beardeddragoncare101.com/wp-content/pdfs/bdc101-caresheet.pdf
- ↑ https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Bearded-Dragons.pdf
- ↑ https://timberlinefresh.com/Timberline/assets/File/WhoEatsWhat_2016.pdf
- ↑ ​​ https://www.beardeddragoncare101.com/wp-content/pdfs/bdc101-caresheet.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/-Bvf4j9H3Oo?t=529
- ↑ https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Bearded-Dragons.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bbpetstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HO-bearded-dragon.pdf
- ↑ https://carolinadesignerdragons.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taking_Care_of_-Your-Bearded-Dragon_062118.pdf
- ↑ https://carolinadesignerdragons.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Taking_Care_of_-Your-Bearded-Dragon_062118.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/biological-sciences/Herpetarium-documents/Lizards/new-rankins-dragon-caresheet.pdf
- ↑ https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:229678
- ↑ https://www.bbpetstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HO-bearded-dragon.pdf
- ↑ https://www.bbpetstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HO-bearded-dragon.pdf
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