Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi all

does anybody keep their beardies on bird seed? I assume they can snack on it and it passes through the system?

I have uros on it, but dont ever hear of anybody putting a dragon on it.
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0.1 Crested Geckos
1.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Standings Day Gecko
1.1 Red Tailed Ackie
6.6.30 tinctorius

I've heard of birdseed being used for dragons befroe, it usually end with impaction. Beardies don't have the digestive system that uros do.

Though bearded dragons can eat a small amount of cooked grains, it should be a very small part of their diet, something like 5% and not really necessary. If you are thinking of using birdseed as a substrate, no, deffinitely not. Bird seed, when wet can mold, sprout or rot or all three.
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PHLdyPayne

What about bran?

bran, oatmeal, alfalfa pellets, ect all mold very easily. So if you spray your dragon in the cage or humidity gets too high you have a breeding ground for mold, mildew and bacteria. Not a good idea in my book.

-Bonnie

I dont mist my cage, and I don' mist the beardies in the cage.

Do you think Bran would be fine if it stayed dry?

What else could I use in place of sand/bran etc. ?

I dont want to use paper or tiles.

There are other substrates to use that are much safer than bran. Though many people do use wheatbran as a substrate, it does have risk of mold if it get damp (when dragons poo, the moisture from it is more than enough to dampen the wheat, not to mention provide breeding grounds for bacteria) Though spotcleaning can be done, it is very easy for the poo to get buried by the dragon running around if it goes while you are not around to scoop it out. Another risk with wheatbran is when it is wet, it can stick to the dragon's vent then dry into a hard crust which can cause irritation. Also bran can quickly harbor small bran mites, though not harmful to the dragon, means a swarming mass of tiny flies all over the cage and house.

Other substrates to use are non stick shelf liner (comes in many colors and patterns), plastic table cloth and reptile carpet.
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PHLdyPayne

In case you are curious...

I switched back to newspaper about 2 months ago. I love it. Would never go back to a "true" substrate.

No impaction, easy to clean, can see the feces much easier.

I will try butcher paper to avoid the ink and be able to lay it 100% flat, but a sunday paper goes a long way.
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0.1 Crested Geckos
1.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Standings Day Gecko
1.1 Red Tailed Ackie
6.6.30 tinctorius

I don't like n ewspapers myself, because the ink gets everywhere, turning things dingy and grey. Unprinted newsprint is better, or the brown parcel paper you can buy at any large stationary store (ie Staples, OfficeDepot etc.) isn't too expensive and lasts a long time, if you buy the large rolls.
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PHLdyPayne

I never have an issue with the ink going anywhere. I do swap it out daily - sometimes twice a day - but i have never seen it spread.

I do agree that the rolls of paper would be better though.
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0.1 Crested Geckos
1.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Standings Day Gecko
1.1 Red Tailed Ackie
6.6.30 tinctorius

How about calcisand? It claims to be fully dijestible. Is the impaction still a high risk? How old/big should a dragon be to be safe with the sand substrate?