The Complete Guide To Feeding Your Baby Bearded Dragon

Bringing a new pet home for the first time is incredibly exciting. Of course, if the pet is a slightly obscure one like a bearded dragon, you may find that you’re just a little bit confused. For instance, you may be wondering what you need to feed them, and so much more.

Thankfully, we’re here to help. We’ve written this complete guide to tell you everything that you need to know about feeding your baby bearded dragon. This will allow you to bask in the excitement of having a new pet instead of panicking about what to feed him.

In short, what does a baby bearded dragon need to eat? Well, these gorgeous little creatures need to be eating a balanced diet consisting of greens such as kale and prey food like pinhead crickets.

In addition to this, it’s vital that your new friend eats calcium and vitamin powder too. Make sure that the prey foods you are feeding your bearded dragon are smaller than their head.

To ensure that they don’t choke and to reduce the chances of digestion issues, you need to ensure that all food is chopped up finely for easy swallowing.

Without further ado, keep on reading to learn more about what your new friend can eat, their best feeding schedule, whether it’s important for them to eat too much and numerous other questions! First on the agenda is what your baby bearded dragon can and can’t eat.

What Should I Feed My Baby Bearded Dragon? A Deep Dive

As a baby, your bearded dragon is in a crucial stage of growth. This means that they need to have plenty of great nutrients so they grow up strong. This is especially important since your bearded dragon grows very quickly at this stage in their development.

It’s important to note that much like most people, bearded dragons are omnivores. This means that it’s important for them to be eating a variety of foods, including veg, plants and insects, alongside supplements for calcium.

If you know what to feed them and they are fed correctly, your bearded dragon will grow up to be healthy.

Around 40-60% of your baby bearded dragon’s diet should be insect based protein. Around 20 to 40% of their diet then needs to consist of plans and other vegetation. We’ll explain further below.

What Prey Food Does a Baby Bearded Dragon Need to Eat?

First of all, it’s important to ensure that you never give your little bearded dragon baby any prey foods that are larger than the size of their head.

This is vital since feeding them prey food that’s too big can result in choking and problems with digestion. This is not a joke, and it could even kill your baby bearded dragon.

Here are just a couple of suggestions of the kinds of foods that you could give your little one:

Again though, we must reiterate that you shouldn’t get any of these prey foods if they are bigger than the size of your bearded dragon’s head. You will usually find that you can get them in a wide range of different sizes though so this should not be a problem.

Oh, and another thing – don’t leave any live prey in the tank for a long time after you have fed your pet. Make sure that you double check how many live feeders are in the tank.

Check how many of them have been eaten by your bearded dragon and then take any prey that hasn’t been eaten out of the tank a little while later.

What Veggies Should a Baby Bearded Dragon Eat?

In addition to live prey, it’s also important to ensure that your baby bearded dragon eats plenty of vegetables. They should be eating vegetables a minimum of 3 times per week, but ideally they should be fed each day. They will have a much easier time eating their greens as they get older if they are fed it from a young age.

It can be useful to feed your bearded dragon vegetables every day since it will be easier for them to get used to it, and it’s great for their health.

When feeding your baby bearded dragon, you need to ensure that all vegetables are cut up into little pieces as this will minimize the risk of choking. It’ll be easier for your bearded dragon to eat the food too.

If your bearded dragon doesn’t eat the food straight away then you need not worry. Vegetables can remain in the tank after the alloted feeding time, since your bearded dragon can just eat it whenever they want to.

Here are just a few vegetables that you may want to consider feeding to your bearded dragon:

What Greens Can I Give To My Baby Bearded Dragon?

Like with the vegetables listed above, you should be trying to give your bearded dragon some greens at least 3 times a week, though it’s always better to give them to your pet on a daily basis.

It’s always a good idea to get your bearded dragon used to their greens and vegetables while they are still young, so work a lot of them into their diet when they are babies.

You can also leave greens inside of the tank for a couple of hours after it’s time for your bearded dragon to eat, as they can just eat them whenever they wish to do so.

If you can then it’s worth trying to feed both the greens and the veg at the same time. Also, take a little bit of effort to chop them up before feeding them to your pet since they will be less likely to choke or experience digestive issues.

Here are just a couple of the greens that you can feed to your bearded dragon: 

• Rocket
• Parsley
• Kale
• Clover
• Turnip greens
• Dandelion greens
• Mustard greens
• Coriander
• Collards

Can I Feed Fruit To My Baby Bearded Dragon?

Absolutely! It’s usually okay to feed your bearded dragon most fruits, though there are some that are a little too high in sugar for them.

It’s not good for your bearded dragon to eat too much sugar. It’s not great for their teeth and it can sometimes result in obesity.

Technically, you don’t actually have to feed your bearded dragon any fruit since they will get the nutrients that they need from eating greens and veg. Of course, you can feed them fruit if you want to, but make sure it’s in small portions. You don’t have to give your bearded dragon fruit on a daily basis, either.

A few fruit suggestions for your bearded dragon include: 

• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Figs
• Cherries
• Pineapple
• Raisins
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Melons
• Pears
• Grapes 

Does My Baby Bearded Dragon Need Supplementation for Vitamins and Calcium?

Yes. When your bearded dragon is a baby, they should be provided with calcium and vitamin supplementation. 

This is because bearded dragon often tend to lack in their calcium levels. This can cause some major problems for their long term health, such as issues like metabolic bone disease.

It’s fairly easy to give your bearded dragon calcium supplementation. Just dust their prey food with the vitamins and calcium to the level that they will need. It’s a simple way to keep them healthy. 

You won’t need to supplement as much as your bearded dragon gets older, of course.

It’s worth looking online for high quality calcium supplements though, since you can find a large amount of them that just aren’t good enough for your pet’s wellbeing. It’s better to use Rep-Cal instead, since it’s much higher quality and far more effective. 

What Foods Do I Need To Avoid Giving To My Baby Bearded Dragon?

Just like with humans, there are also foods that your bearded dragon shouldn’t be eating.

We’re going to list a couple of foods below, but it’s worth noting that these shouldn’t be fed to your baby bearded dragon even when they grow up. 

These are just a few of the foods that you should be avoiding giving to your bearded dragon:

Mealworms – these are okay for your adult bearded dragon to eat but your baby may have a hard time with digesting it, so it’s better to avoid it.

As you can see, there are a lot of plants that you shouldn’t be giving to your baby bearded dragon. If you have any concerns then it’s better to speak to a vet before just feeding something to your bearded dragon. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

A Baby Bearded Dragon’s Favorite Meal

Every bearded dragon is different, so it can often be tough to say what your particular pet’s favorite food will be. It’s worth experimenting with it!

Sometimes it can depend on what your bearded dragon was fed when he was young. Sometimes they may get bored of eating certain kinds of food and may refuse to eat them later on.

In general though, most bearded dragons are particularly fond of foods like wax worms of pinhead crickets. Sometimes they may prefer something completely different than this though – this is not an issue. Your pet is unique, after all! 

There are some bearded dragons that are so fond of wax worms that they may decide not to eat anything else! 

The Best Feeding Schedule For A Bearded Dragon

It’s also important to ensure that you are feeding your bearded dragon enough times every day.

It’s worth noting that your bearded dragon will grow to 90% of their maximum length just in the first 12 months of their life, so they’re going to need to have a lot of food to make sure that they grow.

In general, a bearded dragon may eat anywhere from 3 to 5 times every single day. They will usually eat for around 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

If possible you should be trying to feed them most of their live prey during this time. A bearded dragon can sometimes eat between 20 to 60 insects every day, though this ultimately depends on the insects in question and how old your baby bearded dragon is.

When Does a Bearded Dragon Stop Being a Baby? 

A bearded dragon will have different dietary requirements as they grow older, so it’s good to know when they graduate from babyhood to being a juvenile, and then an adult.

When your bearded dragon is between 0 to 6 months old they are considered to be a baby. Then, they become a juvenile at 6 to 12 months old. Finally, your bearded dragon is considered an adult at over 12 months old.

Does My Bearded Dragon Have Specific Heat and Light Requirements?

Yes. In fact, it’s very important to ensure that your bearded dragon has a decent basking bulb and basking area, meaning that the lighting is vital.

Of course, it is important that your dragon is fed food that is high quality, but they may still become unhealthy if they are incapable of basking. It may even make them sick and hinder their growth.

A basking lamp is crucial for the survival of your bearded dragon. It’s even more essential when your bearded dragon is still so young.

This is because a bearded dragon needs to be at the perfect body temperature for him to digest things properly. If they aren’t at the right temperature then they will be unable to digest their food correctly.

This means that they won’t get the nutrients that they need, so growth will be very challenging for them.

Not only that, but your bearded dragon may also experience something known as impaction. Impaction occurs when your bearded dragon’s gut is all blocked up with food that hasn’t been properly digested.

As such, they may end up constipated, putting them in pain. They may not eat as a result too. Basically, it’s not just about the food. Your bearded dragon also needs a good basking area in order to grow up in a healthy way.

Are There Ways That I Can Get My Bearded Dragon To Eat More Vegetables?

Bearded dragons are all unique. As such, some of them may have no issue with chomping on fruit and vegetables. Others may be more reluctant to eat these foods.

If you are struggling to get your bearded dragon to eat vegetables, then there is something that you can do in order to solve the problem.

First of all, start chipping the fruit or veg into really small pieces. Then you should put them into a bowl. When you have done this, you can then put some prey food on the top for your baby bearded dragon to enjoy.

What usually happens is your pet will attempt to get some of the prey food off the top really quickly, and they will end up grabbing the fruit or veg at the same time in their haste. They may not even recognize that they’ve done this.

This tip is generally much more effective when your bearded dragon is particularly hungry. Your baby bearded dragon will likely end up eating a staggering amount of vegetables ust from doing this! 

Is It Possible to Feed Your Bearded Dragon Too Much?

It is indeed possible to overfeed your baby bearded dragon. Actually, you can technically overfeed a bearded dragon of any age.

If you ended up giving your bearded dragon food from 5 to 8 times each day then it’s quite likely that they’ll eat it all. Babies in particular are often very hungry because they need more food to grow. This is generally not an issue.

The concern is when your baby bearded dragon struggles to digest lots of food. 

Your bearded dragon will usually bask after they have finished eating since this will help them to increase the temperature in their body. This is important for them to be able to properly digest the food efficiently.

If your bearded dragon is eating too much then there will come a time when they struggle to digest all of the food that they were given in the last round of eating.

For this reason, it’s usually best to feed your baby bearded dragon around 3 to 5 times a day – no more. This is sufficient for giving them the number of nutrients that they need, and it will also give them adequate time for digestion.

Is It Possible to Feed a Bearded Dragon Too Late In the Day?

Many bearded dragon owners don’t think much about the timing of the meals, but this is actually a vital thing to consider. It’s difficult – people are busy, so it can sometimes be difficult to feed a bearded dragon at a set time.

It can’t be helped. With that being said, it’s very important that you don’t feed them less than 3 hours before you are going to turn off the basking lamp for the night.

As we have previously mentioned, your bearded dragon will digest their food as they are sitting under the basking lamp since they need to be at their perfect body temperature.

If your turn off the lamp soon after you have fed them then it will likely mean that they will have a hard time trying to digest food. 

This can cause all sorts of issues like impaction, constipation and so much more. They may no longer have an appetite too, so it can mean that they will struggle to keep on eating. 

Should I Give My Bearded Dragon Water?

When your bearded dragon is living in the wild, it struggles to find water since it lives in areas that are like deserts. As such, they don’t have many issues with using water from wherever they can get it.

For instance, your bearded dragon can even get water from their prey foods.

With that being said, it’s a different story for a domesticated bearded dragon. You need to ensure that they always have a water source nearby. This may be something like a water bowl that they can use to keep themselves hydrated.

Alternatively, you can also get a spray bottle with water and spray their greens, fruit and veg with it. It will give them even more opportunities to consume water.

You can use this spray bottle to spray your bearded dragon with water too as this will help them to stay hydrated. They will likely attempt to lick the water on their face which can improve their water intake.

Why Is My Baby Bearded Dragon Refusing to Eat?

In some situations, you may find that your baby bearded dragon isn’t actually eating anything. This can be quite distressing for an owner who may not understand why. There are a couple of reasons why this may happen.

For instance, it may occur because of stress. Stress can occur for a few reasons, such as when their tank is next to a window and they can hear scary things like birds.

They may also become stressed when they see things like toys, socks and ornaments since they can sometimes resemble predators. Other pets and other bearded dragons in the house can cause them stress too.

These are all reasons why your bearded dragon may be struggling with their appetite. For this reason, you need to constantly ensure that your bearded dragon is happy.

They’re Shedding

If your bearded dragon is shedding, don’t panic. They will all go through this, and it is very normal. Sometimes the process can be a little uncomfortable and painful though, which can cause them to change their demeanor.

Unsurprisingly, shedding can also be another reason why your bearded dragon is not eating. They may lose their appetite because they are in pain.

You can do a number of different things to help them as they are shedding, so all hope is not lost.

They’re Sick

When you’re sick, do you want to eat? Well, the same can be said for a bearded dragon. When your pet is sick they may end up losing their appetite. It can be rather concerning, especially since it’s difficult to tell what is making them sick and why.

It’s important to take action. If you have any reason to believe that your pet may be sick, it’s vital that you take them to a veterinarian as soon as you possibly can.

This is the sole way that you can receive a proper diagnosis. Google cannot solve the problem for you!

It can be scary to take your bearded dragon to the vets, especially when you consider vet bills. You can make it a little easier if you look online for health insurance for your bearded dragon though. There are plenty of options out there that you can choose from.

Summary

Hopefully, you now know what sorts of things you can give to your baby bearded dragon. Variety is the spice of life, and your bearded dragon truly is spoiled for choice!

The main thing that you need to do is to ensure that you are giving your pet a diet that is well balanced. Ensure that they are getting the right amount of veg, supplements and prey foods so that they can grow up healthily.

If you are ever in doubt about whether a certain kind of food is going to be bad for your bearded dragon, then you should always seek help first.

Don’t just feed the food to your bearded dragon and hope for the best, as this can seriously harm your bearded dragon.

So long as you follow the guidance listed in this article, and you ensure that you have the right lighting in the tank, you can be sure that you will have one happy and healthy bearded dragon on your hands!