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Wanted to get peoples opinions. I cleaned out syds large cage 4ft x 2 1/2ft x 2ft cage and added extra logs and climbing branches and decided to put all 3 adult females in the cage (Syd, Fiesty, Daisy). Daisy and fiesty are the same size but both smaller then syd. Anyways, besides a puffed beard here and there no incidents have happened and its been a few hours or more. My question is, do they establish dominance, hiarchy (sp?)? If any incidents are going to happen will they have happened already or could they be ok for a week and then get nasty for all I know?

Also just a minute ago Syd and Fiesty were puffing up and walked in circles around each other before Fiesty walked away. Kind of looks like their trying to establish an order!? Or are they preparing for a brawl?

They have seen each other over the past year here and there and can see each other from their cages a little. But never have been housed together. I am running out of cage room in that room and need 2 more cages for growing babies and if I can get these girls to house together it will be such a relief.

Now Syd and Fiesty are on two seperate logs, one under each heat light, each with their head high. Silly girls. Daisy cant be bothered.

Any help, personal stories, experience and advice would be great. Thanks, LM

You did it the smart way changing everything in the tank around, then introducing them into a "new" set up. Also in having lots of areas for them to bask and climb.

Yes, they do establish who is the alpha female and don't be surprised if she takes on some male traits

When we decided to try and put some of the girls together, we let them swim in the kiddie pool several times together while we were watching them. We took four girls and it was obvious early on that one of them could not be with the others. She was not mean or harmful to them, just kinda pushy and demanding all the space. She would wedge in between them and slowly move the others off the basking platform. The first 2 we put together was 3 year old LuLu, a very gentle gal and 1 year old Myst.

To our surprise, it was Myst, the slightly smaller and younger one that established she was the boss. A few weeks later we rearranged everything and added Sherbert who was only 7 months, but close to the same size as Myst. Myst thought it was great to have another of "her females" and quickly accepted Sherbert. We did notice that she spent a lot more time stacking with LuLu or always had a leg or some part of her body in contact with her.

Now Sherbert and Lulu are very close, actually all three are and I can not imagine them being as content as they are without each other. We wonder about Myst at times, female sex has been verified and no doubt she is a female, but we have seen her trying to mate Lulu.... I guess Lulu thought they were also, as she presented us with 6 unfertile eggs this spring.

The first few weeks, we would move things around in the tank when we deep cleaned them, but I don't think it was really necessary. The only time we saw a potential problem, was when they are given super worms as they would eat them out of each others mouths or steal them. We solved that by placing a ring bowl (its the bottom off a cricket water dispenser) and each of them take a side and chow down.

Did you ever see beard puffing a little or anything like that? Right now all 3 are running around the cage like fools, up and down logs etc. I dont think they quite now what to think? LOL Should I just keep an eye on them and see if keeping them together is going to work? Or should I seperate them and try the outings together when I have time? They seem to be doing fairly well. ALOT Better then I thought! Hmmmmm....Lindsay

ps...All 3 are making way up to the main basking spot. Wonder how this is going to work out!!!

give them time out of the tank together, get them use to the idea that they are together even in different circumstances. Yes, Myst does the whole puffing beard and bobbing routine, still does it in the mornings. Her and Sherbert both did it the first few days then Sherbert decided "okay, you want to be boss its cool, I'll just hang on Lulu, now they all "kiss" freguently and have no circling anymore.

So you wouldnt put them together yet? Ugh that is going to be a pain to get all their cages back together since I used syds cage to put all the different logs, rocks and stuff in! Right now all 3 are laying on the basking shelve together. Daisy is submissive right now, whatever they say goes. Its Syd and Fiesty who have the need every so often to puff or circle.

i have recently housed two young BD's together and one has done like you said, est. dominance, but the other seems very intimidated around the dominant one, they were very close in size when i got them but now the dominant one is a bit bigger do to the fact that she eats a lot more, the little one isn't eating very well, she hasn't eaten in two days or so, i'm starting to get a little worried about the little one. any suggestions?
sorry about the long post

I always found it best to raise juvies, and sub adults alone for best results. They eat better and grow faster in my experience. The 3 I am trying to house together are adults. Syd is around 2 1/2 years old and Daisy and Fiesty are almost 1 1/2 years old. The two youngest are smaller then Syd still, but with adults you have a little more leway. If I were you I would seperate the youngings until they are a little older. Thats just my opinion though. LM

they have not bitten at each other, they are circling and that is normal, they are deciding who will be the alpha female, as long as they do not bite at each other, ours established that and there was never a problem.

We should have predicted that it would be Myst, she does not like me being near Axe, he is hers as far as she is concerned, so from the personalities of your, you probably can figure who it will be. Our girls unlike males when they establish the pecking order, never nipped or bite at each other and once they all recognized it was Myst, there were best of buddies

Oh ok! I was confused. I am not quite sure who is going to be the alpha. Fiesty is obviously the more "fiesty" one, but Syd is larger and quite bossy during breeding season as she sees every dragon as a threat a possible male who is going to breed her!LOL I am not breedng anymore, but the love is still in the air, you know?

I kept them together and when they went to sleep the two bolder personalities (Syd and Fiesty) fell asleep together ontop of the shelve, on top of one another! Daisy is sleeping against the door half in the air upwards, like babies sleep against cage corners. It seems like she just wants out! She is very submissive and I think shes a little nervous. I dont know. Maybe I am just looking too much into it.

We will see. Lindsay