Beardie became too picky

[stalincat]

As of today my baby beardie (11 weeks) won't eat anything apart from silk worms. Yesterday he was eating like a pig, but today he turns his head away from everything apart form silkies. I can't feed him only silkies! It's a) ridiculous, b) expensive, c) liquidizes poo. How do I get him back to eating everything? Or is he just not hungry today?

 

[crocky]

My guys go on hunger strikes sometimes when I feed worms BUT I only do this every so often. They will eat when they are hungry. If it is indeed him saying, I want silkies then don't give in for a few days. I am sure he will take his regular staple. But in the event it is something else have you check his basking spot temp etc? Poo look good?

My guys as they have gotten older also will not eat at one sitting but chow down at another. Make sure to offer greens too and regular baths, I sure you know that but worth mentioning. He is fairly young so I would not suspect brumation so if all the other parameters like temps, poo, lighting are in order I think he will be fine .

 

[stalincat]

Thanks!
Well I gave him crix, he turned his head away. Same with locust. Put a slikie on a branch - he ran at it and munched it instantly. I tried to offer him food in an hour - same story! He ignores everything! Again, I gave him a silkie - he ate it instantly. So, I figured His Majesty wants silkworms. I put some calciworms in his greens, most of them are gone now. Don't know if he ate them or they escaped.
His basking lamp is connected to a thermostat, it's around 100F. His poo was a bit runny, but he had 3 silkies yesterday. I've been giving him silkies every day.
He seems a bit cranky today. He puffed his beard at me for the 1st time and tried to escape when I got him out to weight him. He really didn't enjoy being handled. Which is weird cause he's usually quite calm.
He is just finishing his shed, only his tail left.
Also just seen him scratching/digging his basking platform. Weird.

 

[crocky]

I bowl feed all my guys. I use dubias, I love that feeder, much better meat ratio than crickets and easy to keep and breed if you want. You can get 1k nymphs for $39.00 shipped and they will last you a good while. Mine eat about 40 a day each. I feed twice a day.

My guys love the roaches! Never actually fed crickets until I got my Cham last week and I hate them! Hoping to get him over to dubias

Once a month I order horns and give them out sparingly. They LOVE them

 

[stalincat]

None of my animals eat dubias. Rocky (beardie) ate 1 a couple of days ago and ignored them since. Even Ripley (who would eat anything) doesn't like them.

 

[crocky]

Do you free feed? If not try putting them in a shallow smooth sided bowl.

 

[stalincat]

Alright, will go try it now. Hope His Majesty will eat something today :S

 

[stalincat]

Do they go on food strikes? It's my 1st beardie, so I'm not very experienced.

 

[crocky]

Hehe, funny how they own us! I found that if I put right many in there all the scampering intrigues them.

 

[Olimpia]

One day does not a food strike make. Probably, he's not too hungry today and since you keep offering him his current favorites, silkies, he has no reason to eat anything else because every hour you give him a silkworm! lol

Offer some different food tomorrow and if he doesn't take anything then leave it, he'll probably be hungrier the next day. But don't give in every time, otherwise he'll definitely smarten up and learn that if he waits a little bit he'll just get a tasty silk worm instead.

 

[stalincat]

Olimpia, thanks! I'll try to be strong and resist giving him silkies=) But you know how hard it is when they are like that *sigh*

My question about strikes was more general, I want to know if they tend to go on food strikes like chams do. I've been lucky with my chams so far.

 

[crocky]

Certainly not implying he was actually going in a food strike but may be the start is all. Keep in keeping on he will eat, beardies are too much of a pig not to

 

[stalincat]

thanks. Hopefully he will eat tomorrow

 

[stalincat]

today he eats only calciworms. Maybe he's bored of crix and locust?