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 #2006523


Beardeddragonguy
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 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Ok,

First let me tell you what I got. I’ve got a nice healthy male Bearded Dragon (over 18 months) that I have had for almost a year. He is very healthy and has good light/heating/food/etc. He is jusst a normal type.

Then, this weekend I went to a reptile expo and got a nice female beardie. She is old enough to breed and is an orange. I got home, and put them in the same cage (this beardie was in a cage with other males and females at the reptile show so I thought it didnt matter.) Well first thing that happens is my male goes crazy. Bobs his head/darkens throat/bites the fleshy part of her neck/ and starts mounting. You know, the usual. Obviously I had no clue this was going to happen, and now they are in the cage together, i think doing it and I’m not sure what to do. They have definately slid to third base Im just not sure if it was successful.

Both of the lizards have not gone into a brumation, and they are just in the normal heat and have good basking spots and diets.

So my question is what the heck do I do now? I would know how to breed, but I’m not sure what to do here because it wasnt planned. Should I........

Keep them together and just continue feeding them normally and keeping the heat the same.....

Seperate them into dierent cages and prepare for babies and make a suitable nest area for female...

Think it wasnt successful and now start to put them into brumation for future breeding......

Just see what happens.......


Also, just so no one tells me not to breed, I can keep all the babies and have space. Secondly my plan was to breed but I honestly didnt think they would breed until after brumation.

Need your guys help. Thanks!



05/17/09  06:11pm

 #2006525


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2006523


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Should I just start feeding her REALLY healthfully and assume she is pregnant? This is like an accidentally pregnancy (if pregnant).

Thanks I would like to know soon because they are doing it right now I think.
05/17/09  06:15pm

 #2006943


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2006525


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

This is what im thinking. Seperate them and feed them both really healthfully for about a month an a half and have the heat high. If there are no signs of pregnancy by the end of the month or two months, then I will start a short brumation for about 3-4 weeks. Then when I bring them back I will go crazy on the feeding and get her fat and healthy and then stick them in the cage together..

Does that sound good?
05/18/09  10:03am

 #2007292


BeardiePal
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2006943


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

I have to say that I have learned in the past to keep them together for a week and separate them for a week and then do it again......if they are doing the head bobbing, arm waving dance then they are probably doing the deed, LMFAO...be ready for eggs at Day 20 to Day 30. Be ready for multiple clutches from one good breeding...keep us posted...let us know how things are going...Take good care Beth
05/18/09  09:11pm

 #2007355


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: BeardiePal   In reference to Message Id: 2007292


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Thanks for the info! Yah thats what I think I am going to do. I will keep this thread updated. Man day two and the males beard is still black, bobbing head, and no matter what I do he doesnt take his attention off her (unless I stick a superworm in his face of course!) and they are still going at it!!

Also,

How much supplement should I give my female.

Ive got calcium powder supplement, and vitaman spray (with beta carotene, the good stuff).
05/18/09  11:02pm

 #2007787


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2007355


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Today I separated them, for the fact that the female wasnt eating.



05/19/09  08:37pm

 #2007956


Dragongirl6
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2007787


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Beardeddragonguy, you should ALWAYS quarantine ANY new animal before even considering breeding or mixing with your current animals, especially if she was in with a lot of other beardies at an expo being handled by a lot of different people. She should have had a stool sample checked, a vet check, and at least a one week quarantine before breeding.

Also, your female is already stressed out from moving, switching environments, and a probable shift in diet as well. Why stress her out more by immediately putting her in a cage with a dominant male?

Please have stool sample checks for both and wait a while before trying to breed if this didn’t take.

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t breed them or can’t take care of the babies or anything. It’s just generally a good idea to take things slowly and make sure both animals are healthy and well adjusted before having them reproduce.
05/20/09  04:05am

 #2008288


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: Dragongirl6   In reference to Message Id: 2007956


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Ya I agree. I honestly didnt know my male was going to do this and I didnt know I shouldnt put them in the same cage right off the bat. I have taken her out of the cage and am currently building her a nice 2x4 wooden cage. THanks for the info I guess I chocked a bit. But I learn from my mistakes.
05/20/09  05:47pm

 #2008507


DragonKeeper86
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2008288


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

First of... be prepared to have to keep the babies for a WHILE after they hatch (if she is in fact gravid). Normal crosses are not very desirable and will be hard to sell unless you sell them at a ridiculously low price.

Like Dragongirl said, she should have been quarantined before introducing her to your male. You should have also researched before automatically assuming it would be ok to put them together... what did you think was going to happen? You’ve had a male all alone in his own tank for who knows how long... of course he is going to be dominant and try to breed her lol. I don’t mean to bash you like this, but you should have used common sense here before putting 2 animals of the opposite sex together like that without doing some research. A male and female should NEVER be kept together unless its for INTENTIONAL breeding. Especially before she has even had a chance to acclimate to her new environment. If you are not prepared financially and do not have the proper equipment to care for the babies and she is gravid... you should just freeze the eggs so they don’t hatch. If you DO decide to keep them... read "Breeding Beardies 101" in this forum, Ill bump it up for you to read.

Make sure you know what your getting yourself into before hatching the eggs. It is a huge commitment, and can be expensive unless you have a constant food supply breeding. Make you you have enough tanks to separate no more than 5 babies into each tank. You can just use plastic rubbermaids with a long fluorescent strip going over the top of them all and a heat light for each one to make it cheaper.

Just do your research man. Good luck... if I came off as rude, it was not intentional.

By the way... how old is the female? How much does she weigh? What are you feeding? You mentioned whether you should feed a high quality diet from now on... does that mean your not feeding a high quality diet now?
05/20/09  11:30pm

 #2009246


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: DragonKeeper86   In reference to Message Id: 2008507


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Not rude at all, but I do deserve a slap in the face. I dont know what I was thinking I shouldnt have done that I had a serious brain fart (more like a turbo lax brain). I feel realy bad I couldnt even sleep last night because of it. But she is in a different cage now(a nice custom built 2x4 all for her self).

Yah I didnt know that was going to happen when I put her in the cage. Because if you notice at the reptile show they are all together and its not like they are humping each other every other minute. But it was a mistake.

Yes I know normal crosses arent desirable. I am not in it to make money. But however if I posted them for sale for 10 dollars in my local paper I am sure I could get rid of a few.

Also someone asked if I wasnt feeding a healthy diet. Yes I am, but I asked because I am wondering if I should give the female extra vitmins. I would assume 3 days a week spray the food with vitamins, and then 2 days a week give her calcium powder.

Thanks guys.
05/22/09  09:57am

 #2009608


DragonKeeper86
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2009246


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Don’t beat yourself up over it... its all a learning experience... and I guess you learned something new right? lol. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way... Ive chosen to learn the hard way my entire life, so don’t feel bad haha. The best thing to do now, is to make sure you study up on the breeding process if she is actually gravid now. Ill tell you right now... your going to make more mistakes, its just part of the hobby, but as long as you do the best you can, and learn from them, then don’t worry about it.

Sometimes its ok to keep large groups of them together. They establish a hierarchy of dominance and don’t act the same as they would put in a one-on-one setting. She was probably used to living in a colony like that whereas you male was not. As soon as he saw he, he was like, "Oh, DAMN! Nows my chance!" lol.

So, I guess you will be learning about breeding now huh? Look at the bright side; at least you’ll get the experience right? You could even just calculate how much you have spent on raising the babies (ie, incubator, new enclosures, UV lights, basking lights, fixtures, thermometers, thousands and thousands of crickets, etc.), and base the sale price on that. You can at least try to reclaim some of your money back that you put into it. There are also ways of saving money, but you can ask when the time comes.

If they come out with some color, you can probably sell them locally for like $50+ or so. If you have to ship, I doubt anyone will pay $100 (50 for the animal, 50 for shipping), to get a normal cross, so if you do ship, you can sell for like $20-30 maybe. You can also call around to local pet stores and tell them your going to be having some baby dragons, and if they want to buy them from you... you may be able to get them all off at once that way. There are TONS of online classifieds too, also local herp societies there might be that could have an online classified section. Seattle (where I live), has a herp society with a nice online forum with classified section and stuff. Theres also craigslist too.

If she is gravid, you will have to make some dietary changes, as well as calcium/multi vit. changes. Read Breading Beardies 101... it has pretty much everything you need to know, and is a very accurate source.

Let us know if you start feeling eggs forming pretty soon. I think you’ll start to be able to feel them around only 10-15 days, so it happens fast!
05/22/09  10:46pm

 #2009637


Dragongirl6
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   Message To: DragonKeeper86   In reference to Message Id: 2009608


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Be careful about who the babies go to though! If you sell to pet stores, make absolutely SURE that they know proper husbandry and will actually care who buys them, and give them good advice.

If you sell them for $10, make absolutely SURE that the people buying them will have good husbandry and give them a good life.

Also, if you’re just in it for the experience, I would recommend only incubating a few of the eggs. They can lay up to fifty eggs in a clutch! I would freeze some and hatch maybe 5-7 eggs (assuming a few won’t hatch). That way you have a more manageable number.

Good luck!!
05/23/09  12:53am

 #2009650


DragonKeeper86
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   Message To: Dragongirl6   In reference to Message Id: 2009637


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Yes, I meant to say a pet store that deals with a lot of reptiles and knows what their doing... not just any pet store lol. Selling them for $10 will get A LOT of kids who will beg their mom’s to buy one for them cause its such a good deal, and normally the mom/dad has absolutely no idea how big they will get, and the actual care and equipment so they will give in. Make sure if you do sell them cheap to make it known why you are doing it, and also make it known that you will only sell to people with some reptile experience. Usually asking the buyer a few basic questions about beardies can let you know exactly how much they REALLY know lol. Just ask random questions like. "so how big of a tank do you think your gonna start with? What kind of lighting are you using? What are you gonna feed it?" You can tell if they don’t know anything. Ask questions before just giving advice... give them a chance to show you what they know so you can decide. Also... do it over the phone, cause any kid can google "bearded dragon care" and get everything they need to convince you in a few minutes.
05/23/09  01:29am

 #2015175


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: DragonKeeper86   In reference to Message Id: 2009650


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Dragonkeeper,

Thanks alot for the info. Well bad news, well you could take it as good news, but I think my female is gravid. I really dont know the feeling of what they are supposed to feel like but she feels like she just ate 10000 mealworms. Like she isnt bumpy on the bottom like their are eggs, but she is blown up a little bit and just bigger. Is she graved?

I think now is the time where I make a nest box.

Ps - Yes i learned the hard way but whatever there is no turning back just hope for the best.
06/02/09  01:32pm

 #2015180


Beardeddragonguy
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2015175


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Oh and yah my female is very restless and is just everywhere. Make a nest box? and leave her in their without heat?
06/02/09  01:38pm

 #2015277


Krusty
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   Message To: Beardeddragonguy   In reference to Message Id: 2015180


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Fill a rubbermaid of 60-75 gallons with sandy dirt that is moistened, but not totally wet. Put her in there and have it be 80-85*F in the dirt. If you need a lamp or heat mat to get these temps add it. My reptile room is 82*F most of the year and I don’t need extra heat, but most do. She’ll dig a tunnel - turn around and lay - and fill the tunnel back in if she’s gravid and ready to lay. They usually scratch and dig a hole when ready to lay but normally would not do that.
06/02/09  04:01pm

 #2016013


BeardiePal
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   Message To: Krusty   In reference to Message Id: 2015277


 Bearded Dragons - ??Possible Breed??

Once again, Krusty is right, my girls appear to be very anxious, pacing back & forth, scratching, and attempting to dig right through the newspaper & glass. Usually they quit eating 2-3 days before laying, and then become very nervous acting. My laybox looks like this and I hope this helps...Take good care Beth



I just use the screen top to hold my heat light...disregard the plywood...that was just an experiment that didn’t work at the time. Hope this helps...I use brand new topsoil and put 80 pounds of it in my lay bin. That is just 2- 40 pound bags...Take good care Beth

be sure there are no additives like fertilizer, etc.



06/03/09  10:31pm


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