Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was curious of how many of you dragon owners are able to get you dragons to eat out of a bowl. Whenever i put my dragons roaches in a bowl so i don't have to worry about them escaping she won't touch them. She just went two days without eating a single one. The second i took them out of the bowl she ate them down like she was starving. But here is the problem with that. She will only eat them if i give them a little shove and get them running, even if one runs in front of her while she's eating a different one and stops she won't eat it because it's not moving.

Is she just spoiled? Is this typical behavior. I understand they're not scavengers so only eat living moving things, but the darn thing runs right in front of her while she's got a moutful and still won't go grab it up until i give the roach a little nudge.

Another question is about pellets. How do you get a dragon started on pellets, do i need to soak them, keep them in there dry? I've given her a bowlful of repcal pellets (dry) and she won't touch them. I also have two little baby dragons i'd like to get on the pellets, should i grind them up a bit so they are smaller for them, they won't touch them or any veggies/greens whatsoever?

Thanks for any replies
Jeremy

Both of my 11 month old dragons have no problem eating from a bowl (one has one of those fake rock bowls, and the other jsut has a small dog bowl ) But i think that a thing that helps them with eating from a bowl is that they know thats where the food is. I always feed them at the same spot, and they've become acustomed to it. Also maybe your bowl is high enough to keep the roaches in but so high ur dragon cant see that the raoches are iun it from ground level? Just a thought.

Now about the pellets. I think it differes from each dragon. My male LOVES rep-cal pellets. He'lkl eat them wet or dry, and w/o anything else with them. My female on the other hand is quite picky about them. She'll occasionally munch on a few but only if i mix them along with her salad (which i also normally do for my male, unless i'm busy at the moment, and i jsut fill hsi bowl with pellets until i have a min to rip up sum greens for him.
Your method of jsut giving your dragon a bowl of pellets m ight not work right away. Your dragon might not be aware that these new little colored balls are even food. I'd do this: Mix the pellets in with sum greens (jsut liek crutons lol) and observe whehter or not he eats any, and if he does, whether or not he seems to like them and eats more.

As for the babies with the pellets, i think it's a good idea to get them eating them with their greens. And if they're not eating thier greens, you should work on them eating those b4 u worry about pellets. try handfeeding them the greens, my female was picky about them as a hatchling, and now she loves them. But once u get them eating thier greens, i would break up the pellets jsut a little bit, not so mu8ch that it's powder, but mayve try and break them in half.

Hope this helps

Eric
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1.1.0 Bearded Dragons
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www.funnymanreptiles.com

I started feeding mine dead (can-o-crickets) from my hand. Now I just put them on a flat rock I have in his cage and he goes for them. I know movement triggers their feeding response, but most can be trained to know an item is food even if it is not moving.

I got mine started on Rep-Cal Pellets by soaking them in apple juice. I then fed them by hand for a few days. First day he ate one from my hand, and showed no interest in another. Next day he ate none, third day ate three or four. After that I put them on a plastic coffee can lid on the flat rock and he started eating them. Now he loves them! I would say he eats 20-25 a day, and these are the Adult Pellets. Since starting on the pellets he is putting on needed weight (he was a semi-rescue) and is very active. Anyway, worth a try, but it does take some patience.

He also gets a frozen thawed hopper every week or two, and eats it with gusto. Again, this is a non-moving food item.
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0.1 Western Hognose
1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.1 Common Corn

I have tried endlessly to get my beardie to eat out of a bowl and he refuses to. i even have to put his greens on the sand before he will eat them. as for the food moving i do the same with my beardie i make sure that i shuv his crix infront of him so he will eat them before i leave him because i know unlesss they are moving right infront of his face he wont eat them.
I have never tried pellets getting him to eat greens is on thing, i have to wiggle them infront of him to get him to eat them unless he fancys them then he'll just scoff the lot regardless.
kay