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'None veg eating' 8wk old beardie!!

260 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Towner 
#1 ·
Hi all, we got our 8wk old baby beardie last sunday.
He's only eating on average between 3-6 small crickets a day (except y'day with perseverance & he excelled himself & had 12!)
I've tried a variety of fruit & veg daily chopped up in tiny pieces in his bowl (kale, strawberries, grapes, celery leaves...) but he's shown absolutely no interest.
I'm so worried about him as he's so small!
There are many differing opinions about not feeding a young beardie mealworms due to the chitlin but wondered if i could put a few in his veg bowl to coaxe him?!
He also so lazy & doesnt particularily chase his food, so i chase it & keep putting it in front of him which i worry may stress him out!
I have a 100 watt bulb in 4ft viv (with dimming thermostate) but wondering if he's too hot?!
I understand he may still be unsettled but would appreciate any tips on feeding please!
Thanks in advance
Karen (& ziggy!)
 
#2 ·
baby beardies tend to be more insect oriented, then as they get older they'll eat more veg. Mine has never really been interested in veg, but still has it because sometimes she'll have a leaf or bit of strawberry or something. Don't stress about it just yet, just keep feeding her the dusted bugs for now and offering the veg and i'm sure you'll be fine =]
 
#3 ·
Great relief Kiel, thank you for your reassurance.

Is it normal for him to be only eating the occasional 3 crickets?
I will try him with them randomly throughout the day, but could easily spend an hr at a time picking the cricket up, putting it near him, it running off, beardie not moving & so it goes on!
I do 1 cricket at a time but wont leave til i've seen him eat it so know its not left in viv - so time consuming but like to perservere as sure he must be hungry (sure he must be sick of me - plus viv always open so battle with temperatures!)
Grrr 1 big worry & headache!
 
#4 ·
your fussing over him too much, that could in itself be the problem.

Babies need a couple of weeks to settle in, go into his viv to clean and feed only and other than that leave him alone. Move stress is hard on them and he will have no clue who that big monster is that keeps throwing bugs at him ;p

he will eat when he is hungry, If he goes a full week with absolutely no food, then you can start to get a tad concerned. Until then he is fine.

Imagine a scenario a bit like this.
Mom says. dinner is ready
You: Not hungry, sulking
Mom. Dinner is ready.
You: grrr, not hungry.
Mom. Dinner is ready.
you. ok already, leave me alone.
Mom. Dinner is ready. I'll bring it up to your room.
You. get off my case already.
Mom. Here. I brought you your dinner.
You. GET THE....OUT OF MY FACE.

Get the idea yet? :p

Double check all your temperatures, basking, hot, cool. as your a new keeper I'll just add that please be careful not to confuse your basking temperature with your hot side temperature. They are totally different things.

A guide on how to set and check your temps for your perusal. Please read entire thread as there are tweeks to the setup at the end. Its a guide only to try explain how your dimmer stat and temps are set, each viv will be slightly different.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/698250-how-set-up-beardie-temps.html
 
#5 ·
Thanks nicnet
I've read lots of your posts & had already read your link on setting temps last night which has been a massive help as it is such a mine field, going to try swapping his 100w bulb to 60w.
I'm leaving Ziggy alone, to wallow in his huffiness as the scenario is exactly as you put it - sure he'd tell me to p... off if he was able to!!
(feel like he's my 4th child & trying to coaxe him with fruit & veg!)
 
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