The Expert Tips for Bearded Dragon Breeders

In breeding bearded dragons, of course it requires putting together the male and the female in one cage. The male and the female bearded dragon must be place together after the environmental conditions returns to normal.

This is after the cold days. On these days, the bearded dragon will regain their natural appetite in eating more food which is the best time to breed them. So what are the proper things you need to do as a breeder? Here are some expert tips that might help you producing and hatching eggs to the maximum:

Pre-Breeding Period

• Do not breed beardies at a younger age. If you do so, the female beardie will die early. It is best to breed beardies at least 18 months old
  
• After you place the male and the female together when the temperature goes back, feed them heavily with food. Let them eat more food every day especially the female bearded dragon for they are the ones carrying the eggs.
  
• Administer Calcium and Vitamin D supplements with standard multivitamin regimen. It should be done every day, this is essential for the eggs to calcify and prevent nutritional deficiencies.
  
• After one month of loading vitamins of foods, you can now see the courtship behaviors of the male and female bearded dragons. You may notice that the throat of the male beardie will darken and will nearly become black. Head bobbing is their way of showing interest to the female beardie. The female beardie on the other hand will show the same behavior if she like the male bearded dragon. They might also show arm waving sometimes as a sign of likeness to each other.

Copulation Period

• Do not be alarm when the male bearded dragon bits the neck of the female beardie. This is part of their copulation; sometimes the male will chase the female before doing the act. It will occur a couple of times within the first few months.
  
• Take care of the female bearded dragon cautiously especially when the cage is too small, the male bearded dragon sometimes gets too aggressive and the female beardie will try to escape and becomes stress. It may affect the egg production. You better transfer them into a large enclosure to prevent injuries. The most important thing is on your part; always observe the way things are happening between the two beardies.

Laying Period

After 4- 6 weeks, here comes the laying period, give more details to the laying area, set up the area ideal for laying eggs. It must be large and full of moist soil and sand.

• Remember the eggs won’t hatch on their own if you just leave them there. 
  
• Dig a hole and place the eggs gently over it, do not turn them upside down.
  
• On the first clutch, you may find infertile eggs which are yellow when held up with a candle. Eggs will have a gelatin like texture.
  
• Fertile ones are pink and when you feel it, the texture is the same with leather. You can see the developing embryo inside.

Incubation Period

• Set up your incubator the same time you make the laying area of the female bearded dragon. It will be very difficult if you have the incubator after the female beardie has already lay. Prepare it ahead of time.
    
• The incubators temperature must be 82 – 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

Follow those expert tips and surely you are on your way to a great maximum beardie production.

Successfully Breeding Bearded dragon