About Your Bearded Dragon`s Diet & The Vital Nutrients They Need, Part 2!

---

You need to know that the amount of feedings per day, the amount of supplements per day and the insect-to-vegetable ratio will all depend on the age of your beardie. You may discover that a younger beardie will ignore their vegetables while older, adult beardies gobble all of them up!

A guideline for feeder insects and vitamin supplements, which by the way, are a MUST, is as follows;

Babies from 0 to 6 months- Feeder insects 2 to 3 times daily. Dust the insects with calcium EVERYDAY and a multivitamin supplement, 4 to 5 times a week.

Juveniles, from 6 to 10 months- Feeder insects 1 to 2 times daily. Dust with Calcium daily and the multivitamin, 4 to 5 times a week.

Sub-Adult, from 10 to 14 months- Feeder insects 1 time a day. Dust with Calcium 5 times a week and a multivitamin 3 times a week.

Adults, over 14 months- Give feeder insects every other day or so, depending on your beardie`s appetite for them. Dust with calcium 5 to 6 times a week and a multivitamin 3 times a week. as per  http://joselyn.articlealley.com

There are a few very important things to know about when & how to feed them. First, for young beardies, feed them as much as they can eat in a 5 to 10 minute period, then remove whatever is left.

For Adults, it is recommended to offer a mixture of greens about an hour after getting up in the morning and offer crickets and a fresh salad mix at least 2 or 3 hours before it`s ‘lights out’ at bedtime.

This will ensure your beardie`s body has time to reach the proper temperature, therefore it is easily digested. If the food does not digest properly, it will rot in their stomach and cause numerous health issues.

It is much safer to buy the insects, plants and flowers, instead of collecting them in the neighborhood yourself, as these may contain  bacteria and parasites that could harm your beardie. You can opt to grow your own plants and insects, but this will require much more time, though it will be cheaper in the long run.

Never feed your dragon supplements that contain Phosphorus and/or Oxalic Acid because they bind Calcium from other foods and causes them not to be absorbed by the dragon`s body.

Be sure to spray down those veggies with water, before giving to your beardie, it not only hydrates your dragon, but helps keep the veggies fresher, longer, under the heat lamps. There are lots of foods for them at amazon.com, so check it out! For more info, you can visit: www.caringforbeardeddragon.com

Image source  en.wikipedia.org  used with permission

Related posts:

1. About Your Bearded Dragon`s Diet & The Vital Nutrients They Need, Part 1!
2. Does Your Bearded Dragon Have Metabolic Bone Disease? Causes, Signs & Treatments!
3. If You Have A Bearded Dragon, Here`s Some Facts/Myths You Need To Know, Part 2!
4. Here`s A Lighting Guide For Your Bearded Dragon
5. Do You Have A Bearded Dragon? Expert Tips On How To Bathe Them!