Feeding Bearded Dragons
Salads
Bearded Dragons should be fed salads daily, as much as they will eat. Chop food into small pieces, or use a food processor. (Not mush, just small) This way your dragon can't just pick out his favorites, and gets a healthy mix.
The salad part of the diet should contain mostly vegetables (20%) and greens (70 - 80%), and a 10% maximum of fruit.
If you choose to freeze a large batch of food, add some (1/4 tsp) crushed brewers yeast to replace vitamin B lost during freezing process. Thaw the food to room temperature before feeding.
The occassional treat won't hurt. Only give treats once every couple of weeks, not everyday. My dragons love blueberries, cherries, red bell peppers, and waxworms.
Provide proper heat to aid digestion. Bearded Dragons must heat up to 105 degrees to properly digest foods.
Good Bearded Dragon Foods List:
collard and turnip greens, mustard and dandelion greens & flowers, watercress, arugala, spring greens mix,
parsnip, leeks, radish, okra, escarole, endive, winter squashes*,
snow peas, green beans, pole beans, bush beans, snap beans, snow beans,
raspberries, pears, blackberries, pricklypear, figs (fresh, or dried then soaked to
reconstitute),
pears, strawberries, dates, cantaloupe, papayas, plums, kiwi,
soaked raisins, mangos, apricots, blueberries, cherries,
supplements*, vitamins*, alfalfa hay or pellets*
*Winter Squashes
Butternut is reportedly most nutritious.**Summer squashes are good also, but slightly less nutritious
*Alfalfa Hay or Pellets
Alfalfa hay is an excellent addition to the diet and is high in protein. Rabbit food pellets ground and sprinkled on food everyday (mix it in) are good source of alfalfa. Alternatively, pellets can be soaked while you are chopping the rest of the meal, and added at the last minute. **NOT the same as alfalfa sprouts! Protein is derived from Mature Alfalfa.*Vitamin Supplement
HERPTIVITE Multivitamins*Calcium Supplement
Use one that does not contain phosphorus. Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3*Brewers Yeast
For previously frozen foods only. Freezing food depletes vitamin B, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of crushed brewers yeast tablets per 3 1/2 cups food replaces the vitamin. (mix it in)*Supplements
Most dragon owners dust the feeder insects rather than the salads. With an adult dragon, if you are using proper UVB lights and replacing them every 6 months or so, supplements may not be necessary.For calcium supplements, dust the insects 3 times/week, and vitamins can be used once/week.
Bad Bearded Dragons Foods List:
spinach, beets, beet greens, celery stalk, swiss chard (when over-used), brussel sprouts,
broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, cauliflower, bok-choi, kale (when over-used), cabbage,
onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots (when over-used), spinach, sprouts, cucumbers,
zucchini, mushrooms,
rhubarb, grapes, bananas, watermelon,
An Explanation of "Bad Foods"
Most of the foods mentioned in the bad foods section are there because they lack nutrients, or they impede the absorbtion of nutrients. Foods with high vitamin A content should be used with care as bearded dragons can overdose on vitamin A (vitamin A toxicity). See our vegetable comparison chart for more information on common veges.Most vegetables or greens can be used in moderation as long as the main salad diet comes from the 'good' foods list.
Feeder Insects
Bearded dragons enjoy a wide variety of insects, and variety is important to overall health. Staple insects include crickets, superworms, butterworms, and silkworms. Waxworms make a nice occassional treat only as they are high fat. Some owners also offer roaches, and hornworms.Whichever you choose to use, always be sure to feed appropriately sized insects. The rule is the insect should be no larger than the space between the dragons' eyes. Larger insects can cause paralysis or death.
Crickets are great for getting your dragon running around and moving, and worms are an all time favorite. Most dragons absolutely love getting worms of any type, and will jump several feet to get one!
Do Not Offer...
Mealworms are not recommended due to their chitin. Also note that wild caught insects may carry parasites causing illness, and that lightning bugs are fatal to dragons. I do not recommend offering pinky mice, they are very hard to digest.How many insects to feed?
Baby BDs until 4 - 5 months of age, should be fed as many appropriately sized crickets (crickets are best for babies) as they will eat within 10 minutes, 2 times/day. This is usually between 30 - 80 crix/day. You should also offer salads, but many small babies will not eat much salad at this age. Try offering the salad early in the morning, before the dragon is full from crickets.As they age, they will eat more salad and less insects. Dragons over 5 months of age need only 30 insects/week. These can be given as 4 - 6 per day, or 10 every other day, whatever suits you. At this time they should be eating more salad.
Dragon won't eat his salad?
If your young dragon hasn't completely come around to the idea of eating salads, try placing appropriately sized silkworms under some leaves, or hand feed a leaf with a worm wrapped in it. (Silkworms are very high in calcium and have no chitin, making them an excellent feeder insect even for smaller dragons.)ALWAYS be sure to remove uneaten insects from your dragons tank. Dragons sleep very deeply and a hungry insect may chew on a sick/weak/or sleeping dragon. Don't think such a small insect can't make a dent, they are veracious eaters and can cause serious damage.
How to feed insects to your dragon
If you are using a particulate substrate such as sand or wheat bran, feedings should be done in a seperate tank to avoid ingesting the substrate. If the tank is slippery (ie - glass or paper) it maybe difficult for your dragon to chase down his crickets. In this case, you can wet the paper slightly so it sticks to the bottom of the tank.Many people do not like to handle the insects, and use tongs to pick them up. You can also use some old chopsticks if you have them around (and can use them!).
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