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This is my second baby beardie...cat got to the first one (
This one eats MUCH differently. Doesn't seem too fond of crickets, doesn't touch greens,vegetables, or fruit. Doesn't seem to like mealworms, which is probably better at this stage of it's life. So, I read in some of the past posts to try and puree the greens. Did that and he LOVED it, but had to feed it with an eye dropper. **** So, my question is how to get from the pureed greens in an eye dropper over to the fresh greens in a bowl???? ***** I feel better knowing I can get the vitamins in him, but it would be nice not to have to feed him by hand every day AND puree the greens. I've tried not feeding him for 2 days and offering lots of greens, veg., and fruit. Nothing. Afraid to "starve" him longer because he seems so small. Apparently he wasn't eating as many crickets as I thought. I cleaned the cage really well and found MANY crickets hiding. I've, since, gotten rid of the thing they were hiding in. No hiding places for the crickets anymore. Problem is...not any good places for the beardie to hide, either. But I feel like I need to keep close tabs on what this little guy is actually eating. Small poops every day, sometimes every other. Vitamins on crickets every day. Drinks mainly when he's "bathed" every other day. Water in cage constantly...knows it's there because I've seen him in it drinking (only once, though). Any thoughts??

Re the crickets: Try feeding him in a rubbermaid or sterlite tub, put only a few crickets in at a time and you can monitor closer his eating them. Then you do not have to worry baout them hiding or biting and stressing him and he can still have his hiding spots........ BUT baby beardies should not be hiding very much

You might want to get a fecal on him also to rule of parasites or worms being the cause of his lack of appetite on his own.

When you make his salad, also put a small spoonful of the puree on it also, temp him since you know he does like the puree.

ASre you sure your basking temps are right? 95-110 surface temp in the basking area, and around 80 in the cooler area with a midrange between them? Also, birght light intenisty can stimulate their appetite also.

Good luck with him

I will try to take him out to give him the crickets. Not sure if puitting the puree in the bowl will work...ignores the bowl. Not that it's an issue, but what am I looking at to have a fecal done? I used to be a licensed vet tech. and we ran fecals on cats and dogs all the time, but not on reptiles. Am I going to need to bring him in and pay an exam fee?? As for the temps...basking is 100 during the day. Drop to 75 at night. Mercury Vapor bulb for 8 hrs. plus a ceramic ( on thermostat). Fluorescent strip light for daylight hours when the mercury vapor is off. Cool side is about 80-81 during the day. He does not hide a lot. Sometimes I catch him burrowed in the sand at night, but out, usually basking, during the day. Has energy spurts during the day where he runs around and climbs like crazy. Any thoughts on the Parazap I've been reading about in this forum? Checked it out last night, but the vet tech. in me is sceptical of OTC stuff.

problem is. It possible if any of the roving crickets have bite him he is turned off to them and babies that were not raised on greens and veggies take awhile to get them eating them. Just keep offering them and one day they do start eating them, if only a slice of green, they catch on..

Oh... and I think you might have a spoiled beardie too..... remember they can go days without food... he may just figure why bother, the BIG guy will do the chewing for me in the machine so I will just wait

As long as he does not appear to be suffering (thin) or losing weight, let him set his pace, some do go through spurts when they grow and eat like crazy, then almost stop for a few weeks at a time

Could it be too odd of hours? Let me clarify...I have the fluor. come on about 6:30 and the murcury vapor on at 10:00. Meanwhile, I've turned the thermostat up to basking temp by 7:00. I put the greens in. Hand feed the puree...mainly liquid around 7:30. Murcury vapor bulb stay on until 8pm. Little late for a baby??? Problem is that I get home from work around 6-6:30. I want the extra heat for a while after he's eaten the crix...to digest. Too late/too tired to be chasing crickets?? Tried doing the opposite with the lights...m.v. in am and fluor. at night. Must be that the fluor.isn't strong enough cuz he'd be "in bed" by 3 pm. Any thoughts/suggestions on how to make it better for him? By the way, thank you so much for your help!! It's amazing the different info. you get out there for the same subject!!! Hard to know who to believe/follow.