Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently decided to try the pellets. I found a 4.5lb bag of the rep-cal pellets at reptilesupply for 10 bucks. I didnt think i would be able to get my adults to eat them at all, but i thought id give them a shot. When i got them they smelled good enough to eat myself. After a few days of mixing them in my greens to get them used to em, they wont stop eating! They love them. I had my lil girl sissy, who i thought was about her peak weight gain over 50 grams since using them. I have since been able to cut down on the crickets which is a major plus. Im hoping to get more opinions or peoples expeiance with this stuff. If its as good as it seems, why doesnt everyone try it? this stuff is a ton cheaper then crickets, dont have to worry about the smell, and a 4.5lb bag lasts over a month with all 4 of my adults!

Only problem ive had is i havent been able to get my juveniles to eat the juvenile pellets. They totaly ignore it. Anyone have any ideas how to get them to eat it. I would still feed them crickets, but it would be great to have them eating the pellets too for maximum weight gain.
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0.1.0 Yellow/German Giant Beardie (Helga)
1.0.0 Chris Allen red x Red flame bearded
0.1.0 Orange x Redflame bearded (Stevie)
0.1.0 Flaming tiger x Pastel
1.0.0 15 year old Eastern Box Turtles (Radar)
0.1.0 Brown Basilisk (Leroy, I know shes a girl!)
0.1.0 Adopted Beardie (Sissy)
0.1.0 Rescued Beardie missing limb (Lefty) Being taken in by the mid-michigan reptile rescue.

Too many leos to count.....

I have read on this forum that some people soak their pellets in fruit juice to get the beardie more interested in eating them. I would try apple or maybe even cranberry.
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Josh Ellis
Kaufman County Dragons

OK,
thanks for the tip. I have never had a problem with my adults. After three-four days of mixing them with their salad, they started eating them no problem. Just my little ones. Never had any of them, that ive seen eat the pellets.

thanks again
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0.1.0 Yellow/German Giant Beardie (Helga)
1.0.0 Chris Allen red x Red flame bearded
0.1.0 Orange x Redflame bearded (Stevie)
0.1.0 Flaming tiger x Pastel
1.0.0 15 year old Eastern Box Turtles (Radar)
0.1.0 Brown Basilisk (Leroy, I know shes a girl!)
0.1.0 Adopted Beardie (Sissy)
0.1.0 Rescued Beardie missing limb (Lefty) Being taken in by the mid-michigan reptile rescue.

Too many leos to count.....

Pellets can sustain a beardie without anything else. They are a complete diet. I spray them with a little water and thats it. I give an ocassional waxworm just to satisfy the dragons prey drive for moving critters.

It seems like everyone has gotten away from them, but it seems like that was the big movement several years ago. Is there something wrong with using them? (I'm just re-entering the hobby)

Thanks

Ya, the repcal juvie pellets are a great filler diet. I'd still use some live prey but it definitely cuts down how much. BD's can be picky about them, I get all of my babies on them as soon as possible after hatch. You can try soaking them in apple juice or water (pedialite, etc.), the younger ones seem to like them softer and this will usually help. Rolling them around or a vibrating dish also works sometimes. I've really never had much of a problem getting the dragons on to them, even the hardest one only took about 3 days of tough love (nothing offered but pellets) until he broke down and tried them, now he'll pick them out of the salad and leave the greens lol. I keep a dish of dry ones in with my adults at all times so they can eat them whenever they want. Babies and juvies just get them in their salad at feeding times.

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

A laser pointer, point it at the pellets and wiggle it around a bit. That will usually drive them nuts lol, if you've ever seen someone play with their cat with one of these, bd's react about the same.

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

!
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Don't choose your friends by show,
feathers float but perils lay low!

I didn't have any luck with the juvenile pellets or the adult ones, but my Beardie loved his baby food. Another good way to give them nutrition and introduce them to vegetables is to buy a mixed veggie baby food and chop up fine pieces of veggies and greens. This works for a finicky eater.

A lot of people I talked to that had Beardies have used the pellets and also the canned food, it's shredded and smells kind of sickly rotten/sweet. Those both have good nutrition.

Sekhautet

As an afterthought, if you decide to give them the crickets instead of the pellets, you can feed them in a smaller empty tank. That way, you can totally be sure that they won't pick up any unwanted debris from their cage.

Rep-Cal pellets (only the green ones! ;D ) are practically the only (non-wiggling) thing Oolong will eat. He gets greens, too, but he usually only eats those if they're stuck to the pellets. The pellets definitely keep him fat (I beleive he was around 500g the last time he visited the vet) & sassy, but he does have a huge problem w/ chronic abscesses on his head. No idea if his eating a more varied diet would have any effect on that, because we can't convince Oolong to try it.
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~Alice

1.0 Bearded Dragon (Oolong)
0.1 Rabbit (Meat Bunny)
1.2 ferrets (Fairy, Noodles, Zilla)
8.4 cats (Angel, Goblin, Hush, Jesse, Kirin, Sammy, Squee, Toes, Feets, Gypsy, Kana, Raisen)