How Often Should a Bearded Dragon Eat? (A Complete Feeding Schedule)

Figuring out your bearded dragon’s feeding schedule is one of the most common questions for new and experienced owners alike.

I’ve cared for my own dragons for years, and I’m here to share a straightforward, vet-approved plan that prioritizes your pet’s health.

This guide will walk you through daily feeding routines for babies, juveniles, and adults, plus exactly what to feed them at each stage.

Understanding Age-Based Feeding Frequency

Getting the feeding frequency right is one of the most common questions I get from new owners. The single biggest factor that determines how often your beardie eats is their age, and their needs change dramatically as they grow. I’ve raised several from tiny hatchlings to grand old adults, and tailoring their schedule is key to their health.

Hatchling Bearded Dragon Feeding (0-3 Months)

Hatchlings are absolute eating machines! They are in a massive growth phase and need a ton of protein. You should offer your hatchling live insects two to three times per day, letting them eat as many as they want in a 10 to 15-minute window each session. I remember my little guy, Pogo, would easily put away 50+ tiny crickets a day.

Their diet should be heavily weighted towards insects. A good rule of thumb is that 80% of their diet is live prey and 20% is finely chopped greens. Always have a shallow dish of fresh greens available, even if they mostly ignore it at this stage-it gets them used to the idea.

Juvenile Bearded Dragon Feeding (3-8 Months)

As your dragon hits the juvenile stage, their growth starts to slow just a bit. You can scale back the feeding frequency. I recommend offering live insects to juveniles twice a day, again for a 10-15 minute all-you-can-eat buffet each time.

This is the time to really push the greens. Shift their dietary balance to about 50% insects and 50% fresh salads. Make sure their salad is always available first thing in the morning. This encourages them to nibble on veggies before their main insect meals later in the day.

Adult Bearded Dragon Feeding (18+ Months)

Once your beardie is a full-grown adult, their metabolism slows way down. Overfeeding protein is a fast track to obesity and liver problems. An adult bearded dragon only needs a meal of live insects once per day, or even every other day. My oldest, Smolder, gets a big salad daily and insects just 3-4 times a week. Knowing the right feeding frequency is crucial for their health.

The adult diet flips completely from the hatchling stage. An adult’s diet should consist of about 80% fresh greens and vegetables and only 20% live insects. Pay close attention to their body condition; if they’re getting chunky, cut back on the bugs.

Building a Balanced Bearded Dragon Diet

Feeding the right amount is only half the battle. What you feed them is just as critical. A balanced diet prevents metabolic bone disease, ensures proper organ function, and keeps your dragon active and bright-eyed. Variety truly is the spice of a healthy beardie’s life. If you’re wondering should I feed my bearded dragon daily, a complete feeding guide can help you build a reliable daily plan. It breaks down portions by age and size, and outlines the right mix of insects, greens, and supplements.

Best Live Insects for Your Beardie

Not all bugs are created equal. You want to provide a mix of staple feeders, occasional treats, and ones that are great for hydration.

• Staple Feeders: These are your everyday, nutritious go-tos. Dubia roaches, discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae (calciworms), and crickets are excellent choices.
• Occasional Treats: These are like beardie junk food-high in fat but low in other nutrients. Waxworms and superworms should be given sparingly, as a rare reward.
• Hydration Helpers: Hornworms are fantastic for this. They are mostly water and are great for a dragon that might be slightly dehydrated.

Always, and I mean always, “gut-load” your insects 24-48 hours before feeding them to your dragon. This means you feed the insects nutritious foods (like carrots, sweet potato, and leafy greens) so that nutrition passes on to your pet.

Essential Greens and Vegetables

The foundation of your adult dragon’s diet is their daily salad. I make a big batch for the week-it makes mornings so much easier.

• Daily Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and turnip greens. Escarole and endive are also fantastic staples.
• Great Veggie Mix-ins: Butternut squash (shredded), bell peppers (all colors), and snap peas. These add color, texture, and different vitamins.
• Fruit as a Rare Treat: Think of fruit like candy. Blueberries, raspberries, and mango can be offered once a week or less in tiny amounts.

You must avoid iceberg lettuce and spinach. Iceberg is just water with zero nutritional value, and spinach binds to calcium, preventing your dragon from absorbing it properly.

Creating Your Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule

Figuring out a feeding schedule can feel confusing, but it really boils down to one major factor: your dragon’s age. Their life stage is the single biggest determinant of how much and how often they need to eat. I’ve raised several dragons from tiny juveniles to full-grown adults, and watching their dietary needs evolve is one of the most fascinating parts of pet ownership. Many keepers follow a bugs daily guideline, tailoring the number and size of insects to each life stage. From hatchlings to adults, a daily, appropriately sized insect meal supports growth and health at every life stage.

Juvenile Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule (0-5 Months)

Baby and juvenile bearded dragons are like tiny, scaly eating machines. They are in a massive growth spurt and need a ton of protein to support it. To keep growth on track, a clear feeding plan helps. This complete feeding guide shows how much a baby bearded dragon should eat by age.

• Feeding Frequency: Offer live insects 2-3 times per day.
• Portion Size: Let them eat as many appropriately-sized insects as they can in a 10 to 15-minute window.
• Salad: Provide a fresh, finely chopped salad daily. They might ignore it at first, but it’s crucial to build the habit.

I remember my juvenile, Puff, would easily put away 30-40 small crickets in a single day. Do not limit their insect intake at this stage; their bodies are working hard to grow strong bones and muscle.

Sub-Adult Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule (5-18 Months)

As your dragon hits the “teenage” months, their growth starts to slow down. You’ll notice a significant shift in their appetite and dietary needs.

• Feeding Frequency: Reduce live insect feedings to once per day.
• Portion Size: You can start to offer a set number of insects, typically around 20-30 medium-sized feeders.
• Salad: Their daily salad becomes much more important. They should be eating it readily now.

This is the stage where I gradually shift the balance from mostly protein to a more even mix of protein and veggies.

Adult Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule (18+ Months)

A fully grown bearded dragon’s metabolism is much slower. Feeding them like a juvenile would quickly lead to obesity and health issues. For a proper feeding plan, babies and juveniles are fed daily, while adults are typically fed every 2-3 days to prevent overfeeding. For more details, refer to our bearded dragon daily feeding guide.

• Feeding Frequency: Live insects should be offered only 2-3 times per week.
• Portion Size: A serving of 30-50 appropriately-sized insects per insect-feeding day is usually sufficient.
• Salad: This is now the cornerstone of their diet. A fresh, varied salad must be provided every single day.

An adult dragon’s diet should be roughly 80% fresh salads and 20% live insects. My adult dragon, Smaug, gets his bugs as a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday treat and devours his daily “salad bar” with gusto.

Best Practices for Feeding Time

How you feed is just as important as what you feed. A good routine keeps your dragon healthy and makes your life easier.

Insect Feeding Technique

• Always dust insects with a calcium supplement (5x a week) and a multivitamin (2x a week).
• Use a dedicated feeding bin to prevent your dragon from accidentally ingesting substrate from their main enclosure.
• Never leave uneaten live prey in the tank, as they can stress or even bite your dragon.

A simple plastic tub became my go-to feeding station; it keeps things clean and helps my dragons associate the tub with mealtime.

Salad Preparation

• Chop greens and veggies into bite-sized pieces, no larger than the space between your dragon’s eyes.
• Create a colorful mix! I call it making a “rainbow plate” to ensure a wide range of nutrients.
• Offer the salad first thing in the morning. This encourages them to nibble on it throughout the day.

A hungry dragon is more likely to try their salad if it’s the first thing they see. Patience is key, especially when transitioning a bug-loving juvenile to appreciate their greens.

Proper Portion Sizes and How Much to Feed

Figuring out the right amount of food can feel like a guessing game, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve found that the most reliable method isn’t about counting individual insects, but about watching your dragon and using their own body as a guide.

Feeding by Life Stage: A Simple Guide

Your dragon’s age is the biggest factor in determining how much to offer. Their needs change dramatically as they grow from a hungry baby into a mature adult.

• Baby Bearded Dragons (0-4 months): At this stage, they are eating machines designed for rapid growth. You should offer them as many appropriately-sized live insects as they can eat in a 10-15 minute period, two to three times per day. Do not limit their intake of live prey during these dedicated feeding sessions. A small salad of finely chopped greens should also be available daily.
• Juvenile Bearded Dragons (4-12 months): Their growth is still fast, but it’s starting to slow. Reduce live insect feedings to twice a day, again allowing them to eat as much as they want in a 10-15 minute window. Their daily vegetable salad should become a larger part of their overall meal.
• Adult Bearded Dragons (12+ months): An adult dragon’s diet flips. The bulk of their nutrition should now come from fresh vegetables. I feed my adults a substantial salad every single day. Live insects are now more of a supplement, offered only once a day or every other day. A good portion for an adult is about 10-15 appropriately-sized insects per feeding session.

How to Measure a “Properly-Sized” Insect

This is a safety rule I never break. Offering prey that is too large is a common cause of impaction, a serious and potentially fatal gut blockage.

• The absolute maximum size for any insect should be the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes. If the insect is wider than that gap, it is too big.
• When in doubt, always choose a smaller insect. It is much safer for your pet.

Reading Your Dragon’s Cues

While the guidelines above are essential, the best tool you have is observation. A feeding schedule is a framework, not an unbreakable law.

• A dragon that eagerly hunts down every last cricket is likely still hungry.
• A dragon that loses interest after a few insects is probably full.
• If your dragon consistently leaves a large portion of their daily salad, you might be offering too much and can adjust the amount to reduce waste.

Trust your instincts and your dragon’s behavior-they will almost always tell you what they need. A healthy dragon has a plump, but not bulging, tail and a well-rounded body without visible hip or spine bones.

Supplementing for Health: Calcium and Vitamins

Think of supplements not as an optional extra, but as non-negotiable health insurance for your bearded dragon. Even the most perfectly planned diet can lack the specific nutrients they need to thrive in captivity. In my own experience, consistent supplementing is what separates a dragon that merely survives from one that truly glows with health. Curious about what vitamins bearded dragons actually need? A practical guide on calcium with D3 and multivitamins can help you tailor supplementation.

The Critical Role of Calcium (and Vitamin D3)

Calcium is the superstar of bearded dragon supplements. How much calcium do bearded dragons actually need? Giving too much calcium, or supplementing too often, can cause health problems even as you try to prevent bone disease. Without enough of it, your dragon can develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), a serious and painful condition that softens and deforms their bones.

• Calcium with D3: This is your go-to supplement. Vitamin D3 is essential because it allows your dragon to actually absorb the calcium from their gut. I use this one most frequently.
• Calcium without D3: Use this version if your dragon gets regular, natural sunlight (not through a window) or if you use a high-output UVB bulb that is known to produce sufficient D3. It’s a good option for variety.

Getting the balance of D3 right is key, as too much can also be harmful over the long term. When in doubt, a calcium powder with D3 is the safer bet for most indoor-only dragons.

Don’t Forget the Multivitamin

While calcium is the headliner, a good multivitamin is the crucial supporting act. It provides a spectrum of other essential vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin A, which is vital for their eyesight, skin health, and immune system.

• Look for a reptile-specific multivitamin powder.
• These often contain a balanced mix of vitamins that are not always present in sufficient quantities in their daily greens and insects.

A deficiency in Vitamin A, for example, can lead to eye issues and a weakened immune response. I’ve seen dragons become more vibrant and active after their owners introduced a consistent multivitamin schedule.

A Simple Dusting Schedule That Works

Here is the straightforward schedule I follow with my own dragons. It’s easy to remember and provides a fantastic foundation for their health.

1. For Juvenile Bearded Dragons: Dust their live insects with a calcium powder (with D3) at one feeding every single day. Then, dust their insects with a multivitamin powder two times a week.
2. For Adult Bearded Dragons: Dust their live insects with a calcium powder (with D3) at one feeding, 3-4 times a week. Dust with a multivitamin powder one to two times a week.

The easiest method is to place the insects in a small bag or container with a pinch of powder and gently shake until they are lightly coated. You’re aiming for a “ghost-like” dusting, not a thick, pasty coating that the insects could get stuck in.

Pro-Tip: Gut Loading is Half the Battle

Supplement dusting is only part of the nutritional picture. Always “gut load” your feeder insects 24-48 hours before offering them to your dragon. This means feeding the insects highly nutritious foods like leafy greens, sweet potato, and commercial gut-load diets. A well-fed insect is a much more nutritious meal for your pet.

Recognizing Signs of Feeding Issues

Getting the feeding schedule right is one thing, but you also need to watch your dragon’s body for the real story. Their physical condition and behavior will always tell you if your feeding plan is working or if it needs a quick adjustment. I’ve learned to do a weekly “body check” on all my dragons, and it’s saved me from a few close calls.

Overfeeding and Obesity Warnings

It’s surprisingly easy to overfeed these enthusiastic eaters, especially when they give you that “I’m starving” look. A chubby dragon isn’t a cute dragon; it’s an unhealthy one facing serious health problems.

Watch for these clear signs of overfeeding:

• Prominent, squishy fat pads on the top of their head that bulge outward.
• A thick, round belly that sags noticeably on both sides when they are standing normally.
• You cannot easily feel their ribs or spine because there’s a thick layer of fat over them.
• Fat rolls at the base of the tail and around their limbs, sometimes making their legs look shorter.
• General lethargy and a lack of interest in exploring or moving around their enclosure.

If you notice these signs, it’s time to cut back on fatty feeders like waxworms and reduce the overall portion size of their salads. I had to put my big boy, Basil, on a strict “salad and dubia” diet for a few months, and his energy levels improved dramatically.

Identifying Malnourishment or Starvation

On the flip side, a dragon that isn’t getting enough to eat will show you in heartbreaking ways. This can happen from illness, stress, or simply an inadequate diet.

Be alert for these red flags of underfeeding:

• Sunken fat pads on their head, which should be plump and firm.
• Their hip bones, spine, and ribs are very prominent and sharp to the touch.
• The base of the tail becomes thin and bony instead of thick and muscular.
• Loose, wrinkled skin, especially around their body and limbs, indicating weight loss.
• Lethargy that is different from basking laziness; they show little to no interest in food or movement.
• Dark stress marks that appear on their belly and chin and do not go away.

A malnourished bearded dragon is a veterinary emergency, as their health can decline very quickly. If you see these signs, especially a lack of appetite, please consult a reptile vet immediately to rule out parasites or other underlying illnesses. Understanding why your bearded dragon isn’t eating can help you act quickly. Common culprits include improper temperature, lighting, dehydration, or stress, with practical fixes such as ensuring correct basking temperatures, adequate UVB exposure, proper hydration, and offering appealing, varied foods. Proper nutrition is the cornerstone of their welfare.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of feeding bowl is best for a bearded dragon?

Use a shallow, heavy-bottomed dish for salads to prevent tipping and ensure easy access, while a separate, smooth-sided bowl or container is ideal for live insects to contain them during feeding sessions.

What is the best time of day to feed a bearded dragon?

Feed your bearded dragon in the morning or early afternoon to align with their natural basking and digestion cycle, allowing them to properly metabolize food with the help of their heat and UVB lights. Stick to a consistent feeding window for the best time to feed. In most cases, the best time to feed is during or just after a basking session when digestion is most active.

How should I feed crickets to my bearded dragon?

Always dust crickets with calcium or vitamin supplements before offering them, and use a dedicated feeding bin to prevent escape and avoid leaving uneaten crickets in the enclosure, as they can stress or bite your pet.

Final Thoughts on Feeding Your Bearded Dragon

Getting your dragon’s feeding schedule right boils down to their age, appetite, and overall health. Remember that a consistent, age-appropriate routine is the bedrock of their well-being. A complete feeding schedule tells you exactly how often to feed at each life stage. Stick with the staple of gut-loaded insects and a daily salad, adjusting the insect frequency as they grow from a hungry juvenile into a mature adult.

Trust your own eyes and your dragon’s cues more than any rigid timetable. The most successful feeding schedule is one that keeps your specific pet thriving and at a healthy weight. You know your scaly friend best, and that attentive care makes all the difference.

Further Reading & Sources

• How Often Do Bearded Dragons Eat? Feeding Chart by Age – Dragon’s Diet
• Bearded Dragon Complete Food Guide – Zen Habitats
• How To Feed Your Bearded Dragon | Veterinary Hospital