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Hi, I was wondering how often I can feed my beardie pinkies.(or if I should at all) he's almost 3 and and he gets one every two months. I've herd so many different thing ranging from feeding them 1 every week to only when they need fattening up for breeding. He is a little chunky but not obease or anything. He loves them but I dont want to keep feeding them if there not good for him. Thanks alot
Shanna & George(my beardie)
Never, they're not good for them. They're very high in fat and can lead to fatty liver disease, carry a ton of parasites and are a major impaction risk.
Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps
I feed pinkies only when they awake from brumation. I usually give them like 10-15 over the first month of being awake.
Also, I will feed a couple to my female when she is mating and a few right after she lays eggs.
I get a bag of 100 from rodentpro.com
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For a non breeding male that is healthy, I suggest not feeding them pinkies at all, or very rarely (maybe one or two a year). Though I don't think there is much problem with parasites, as most are species specific, it is still possible a species of parasites that can infect bearded dragons could be using the pinky as an intermediate host. Freezing typically kills most parasites, depending on how cold your freezer actually gets.
Giving the wide variety of feeder insects now available, crickets, silkworms, butterworms, superworms, various kinds of roaches etc. adding pinkies really isn't necessary.
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PHLdyPayne
Absolutely correct, feeding f/t will eliminate the parasites (btw, worms are worms and not really species specific but some parasites are). There is still the issue of impaction and the fat content though. In my experience a few supers will do everything possitive that a pinkie will do without the dangers. With a healthy diet there should be no reason that they are needed though with the exception of occasionally a female that has had a hard breeding season.
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Heart Mountain Herps
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