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I aquired a four year old female Beardie who is death on crickets but very reluctant to eat any greens or veggies. The lady I got her from said all she would eat were those beardie pellets, and not much of those. Which, by the way, she was feeding to her dry. I got he impression she wasn't heated properly either. Since I've had her, about two weeks now, she's perked up quite a bit and as I said, eats crickets like no tomorrow. I'm attempting to feed the greens and veggies one type at a time and she'll nibble, but not enough to stay healthy. Any hints as to how I can get her appetite back?

Quig

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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Seems like she has an appetite, but just not used to eating greens...cos you say she gobbles up her crickets.

What you can try is put the crickets sans legs (clip them off) into a large and deep steep sided dish together with the chopped greens. And why she tries to eat the lame crickets, she'll also pop some greens in by mistake. Beautiful dragons webpage has details on what greens to give. I'm lucky that my adult dragons do eat their greens, but they tend to be picky about the particular kind of greens I serve.

Dragon slave

She looks pretty good to me, Quig, especially considering everything. It does look to me like she might be a little underformed but should fill in with good care & time.

Don't worry about her not eating greens/veggies at the moment, at least she does show some taste for them. Some beardies have to acquire a taste for them while others readily gobble 'em down.

I suggest offering a variety each time instead of a single type. But if you do offer a single type, "The Bearded Dragon Manual" recommends Romaine lettuce as the best all-around greens and I've found it to be true. But a variety is better.

I also feel that an insect variety is good. I've had excellent results from mixing mealworms or superworms in with the greens. They most always get a bit of greens with every worm & the worms' movement entices them to eat.

A word of caution on mealworms/superworms: Don't give beardies a lot of them the first few times you feed them to 'em. Sometimes it takes some internal adjusting for beardies to digest them due to the chilin (shells) that cover the worms. This can cause beardies to regurgitate them, which usually doesn't affect them much, if any.

I place greens/veggies in the cage after a morning feeding of crickets/worms and leave it in all day. Be sure to mist them for extra hydration for the beardies. It may take a week or two, or maybe even more than a month, but sooner or later they'll look forward to eating them.

Catch ya later!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

> > > Sometimes it takes some internal adjusting for beardies to digest them due to the chilin (shells) that cover the worms.

"chilin" is supposed to have a "T" in it - "chitlin"

Sorry!

HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Chitlins??? Ain't that somethin' y'all eat where you live? No sweat, I understand. Hi Mike, thanks for the advise

Quig

She really doesn't look in bad health.. I was just concerned because at four years of age I would think she'd be eating greens and such.
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

The word is chitin, by the way
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Leave me alone, I've got food on my mind. Ha! Ha!

Whaddya expect from a hillbilly?

Catch ya later, Quig!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Romaine isn't the 'best all around green', it actually is very poor nutrition wise. However, it is a good starter green to get stubborn dragons eating greens. They seem to like the taste of romaine more than many other greens.

Thus, mix romaine in with a more healthier green, such as mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens etc. I also suggest finely chopping them, as though feeding them to babies, and use silkworms or hornworms as feeders, instead of the crickets. These can be dropped in and on the greens and they will hang onto the greens, or even eat them, and when your dragon crabs the catapillers, they will get all the greens stickign to their bodies and feet. Thus they get a taste of the greens.

You can also just offer greens, giving some insects towards the end of the day, or just skip insects altogether for a couple days, then offer them with greens. (have greens available all day long). This may seem like starving your dragon, not giving her any insects at all daily, but she is a good weight and a couple days with no food won't hurt them. But if she drops weight alot, etc, then try and hand feed her greens. Adding some sweet fruit (strawberries, blueberries, mango, peach, apricot etc) or bright red edible flowers (nostromums..or something like that, see link below, or pansies (make sure these are well washed, or at least never exposed to chemical fertilizers or insect sprays). Dandelion flowers are good too. Sometimes the bright colors can cause your dragon to eat them.

www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
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PHLdyPayne

> > > Romaine isn't the 'best all around green', it actually is very poor nutrition wise.

That's quite an interesting claim that is in stark contrast to what "The Bearded Dragon Manual" states, would you be so kind as to present your proof?

Thanks!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

This thread was deleted for a reason. So give it a rest.

Proof is easy to get, just check any nutrition chart on the nutritional contents of Romaine. I also don't remember reading in the Bearded Dragon Manual that Romaine lettuce is a good all round green to feed. It is useful to help get stubborn feeders to eat because of the taste, but it should never be offered exclusively as it lacks just about everything a dragon needs, other than water.

www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20dv.html
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PHLdyPayne

Hi there!
For the record, I'm not trying to be argumentative or personal.

I've always felt that if a person disputes something another person says, and they state their claim as if it were a fact, then it's common courtesy to provide some sort of proof.

It's very important to keep things in context, but I realize that sometimes it's difficult to see some things in the context of which they were presented because our minds are already thinking a different way. Happens to the best of us, even me.

Please allow me to quote an excerpt of my first post:
"I suggest offering a variety each time instead of a single type. But if you do offer a single type, "The Bearded Dragon Manual" recommends Romaine lettuce as the best all-around greens and I've found it to be true. But a variety is better."

Now then, in your previous post, the one to which this is a reply to, you said, "It is useful to help get stubborn feeders to eat because of the taste,..."

Please recall that the member was talking about his dragon being reluctant to eat greens. I cannot find where he asked what's the most nutritional green. So therefore, my post was well within context.

Also keeping in context, or not, is your latest comment; "...but it should never be offered exclusively..." For the record, I never said that it should. In fact, I said "a variety is better."

I'm not trying to be a smarty or be sarcastic, so if this comes across that way, I apologize. I'm just trying to point out the way I see things in this thread.

As for your comment: "I also don't remember reading in the Bearded Dragon Manual that Romaine lettuce is a good all round green to feed."

Sorry, but I can't help but feel you're calling me a liar on this one. But your clan won't see it that way, I'm sure. And I could be wrong about the way I feel about it. I very much dislike to be called a liar. Nobody can point out a single lie that I have told as a member of these forums, or can tell of one that I have told, period. Nobody. It's not my style.

I honestly can't help what you remember & what you don't. I suppose there's a chance that maybe you read an earlier version than the one I have stting in front of me right this minute. Those that have the same version I have know that I speak the truth. On page 57, the 2nd sentence of the 1st paragraph begins "The overall best green in our opinion is romaine..." "The Bearded Dragon Manual" (Vosjoli. Mailloux, Donoghue, Klingenberg & Cole)

I believe that statement is made in the context of getting dragons to eat greens because it is written under the 2 - 4 month old bearded dragon feeding guidelines, when they first mention feeding greens to dragons.

The nutrition data link you provided in your last post can be of use, just like I said the other link could. It is important to keep it in context, though. The percentages shown are based on human consumption, according to a 2,000 calorie daily diet. But still, the average person should be able to draw a reasonable conclusion, so I'm not discrediting it.

Are you aware that the nutrition data site lists different percentages for mustard greens & romaine lettuce than the 503extreme site? There is a discrepancy there. Not a big one, but enough to wonder which one is right.

I'm under the impression that you're thinking in the context of which green is the most nutritious overall. That is not the context that I posted my first reply in, nor is that the context of this thread.

There's one more thing I'd like to say. BDlvr and I exchanged a few e-mails and I think we've come to realize that even though we may view some things differently, we still have a lot of things we can agree on. Especially our main goal of improving the lives of Bearded Dragons. I believe we've set things behind us, wiped the slate clean and will carry on. I would like for you & I to do the same thing if you can. If not, I can understand.

Either way, I hope I'm through as far as this thread is concerned.

Have a great day!
Mike
(HappyHillbilly)
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American