What to Feed Your Baby Bearded Dragon

Tips for Meeting a Young Dragon’s Nutritional Needs

Bringing home your new baby dragon is an exciting experience! However, just like with caring for any young pet, you may have some worries about providing a healthy diet that will meet his nutritional needs. Your dragon’s diet will change as he grows, but we have some feeding tips for those first few months.

Remember the 80/20 rule.

Baby bearded dragons will eat 80% animal matter and 20% plant matter. As dragons grow, this ratio will slowly begin to flip. Adult dragons consume larger quantities of plant matter. While he is growing, your baby dragon will need the additional protein.

Provide high-quality, protein-packed insects.

Because protein is so important for your young dragon, selecting the highest quality of live feeder insects is so important. We have a couple picks for protein-packed insects that will be a great part of your baby bearded dragon’s diet.

• Dubia roaches: While some bearded dragon owners rely heavily on crickets for their hatchlings, we prefer offering baby dragons some delicious Dubia roaches. Dubia roaches offer seven times the nutritional benefits of crickets! For young bearded dragons in particular, Dubia roaches are a great, nutrient-packed food option.
• Phoenix Worms: These calcium-rich worms are ideal for a variety of young reptiles, including baby chameleons and baby dragons. Many bearded dragon owners choose small Phoenix Worms for their hatchlings. Just one serving of Phoenix Worms contains 17.3% protein!
• Mealworms: Tender, buttery mealworms are the perfect food source for baby dragons. They are rich in vitamins A and B and help promote your dragon’s growth and nutrition. We recommend starting with mini- or small-sized mealworms. He will likely continue to love mealworms as he grows!

Supplement animal matter with vegetable and plant options.

Along with those tasty insects, your dragon should be exposed to a variety of vegetables and plants. Because you will be introducing plant matter to your baby dragon in small increments, we recommend starting with leafy greens and finely chopped vegetables that are easy to digest.

Offer fresh food daily.

Both baby and younger bearded dragons should never go more than 24 hours without eating. If you provide food and find that your dragon is not eating it all, simply offer less at the next feeding.

Keep fresh water in your dragon’s enclosure.

Finally, remember that your baby dragon should always have a shallow bowl of water available to him. Even if he doesn’t drink it all, continue to replace it and keep it fresh.

We hope this helps you plan your baby dragon’s diet. Serve your dragon the very best feeder insects on the market from ABDragons! Feel free to contact us with any questions about the right options for your dragon or other reptile.

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