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What age should we breed?

D

dragonchick88

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We just bought a 6 month old baby bearded dragon today. She is gorgeous! Thing is she is a lot smaller than our 2 yr old normalx red/gold male. What age should bds be bred? and how will we know if she is ready to be bred to him? PLEASE HELP! IM SO CLUELESS ON THIS PART!
 
Breeding Age

Females should be bred at NO YOUNGER than 18 months. Please, for the health of your dragon, keep the male and female separated until the female is at least 18 months old. From there, it will depend on her size. She should be AT LEAST 300 grams.

Breeding females at a young age and when they aren't large enough to handle it can take years off your dragons life, and females have a tendency to become eggbound if they are bred too young.
 
Now, please know I am not saying you haven't done it before (breed beardies), HOWEVER, if you are planning on breeding know that it is a lot more work than you realize... Ours had her first two clutches this year. Every egg (besides two that didn't last beyond a couple weeks for different reasons altogether) has hatched or is hatching... We have had a total of 27 hatch, one is still hatching right now! Well, I don't know how much experience you've had, but the little we have in the past couple months with our babies made us realize it's not so simple to find homes for these little guys! Plus, it's NOT a quick way to make a buck (they are EXPENSIVE!)... lol, sure, they are cute, and fun, but they are lots of work.
 
I second that

I would have to agree with you. I am NOT looking forward to the day my 30 babies are ready to find new homes. I just imagine the times that I've had one to find a new home for...and multiply that times 30...YUCK!!!!
 
We know its alot of work, we have seen the experience the "friends of the family" have went through with their dragons this year. We are prepared to handle them. Plus our reptile vet is my sister in laws mom. We already have buyers and a good friend of ours owns a pet shop that wants 6 to put in his shop. Plus my fiances mom wants 2 and his little sister wants one. We have been thinking this stuff through and counting how much money and how much food we will need and everything before we do put them together to breed them.We also have taken the precaution to make sure she is given extra nutritional care because we know that breeding and the stress of the male wanting to breed all the time will stress her out. Um also how long will we need to keep them together? Until she lays her eggs?
 
Well, since your female is only 6 months, you will need to wait one year (until she's at least 18 months old) before breeding them... that is a biggie...
 
I read the at least 300 grams and was surprised. Do you have dragons your breeding at 300 grams or is that something someone else has told you? 300 grams is a very very small dragon

We do not breed dragons that are under 500 grams and most are over 600 grams. We do have a wait list for them and I have never had problems placing them, but due to health and timing this year, we decided to take a break. Since I had several 2 year olds that were well ready to breed, I let a few go to good friends and all those were over 600 grams, so I was curious about the 300 grams statement.

Debra, the females are only in with the males to breed and then they return to their own enclosures, we do not house them together, too stressful on the females.
 
If they are both ready and wanting to breed... it will only take a few minutes. IF they do not breed or display breeding traits in that time, try again another day or the next season.

Bearded dragons breed VERY easily when they are both ready, but trying to force them to when they are not can be very damaging.

Like the other poster said, they should be at least 18 months and even then, some females are not ready. ONce they are that old, take your clues from them, a female that is ready to breed will certainly let the male know it :)
 
What are some signs she is pregnanat besides looking fatter? Does she like act different or not eat as much or what? I know we should take her to the vet to make sure but what if she is pregnant, shoudl we split her up from the male after that?
 
Is the the 6 month old female you just bought that you have in with you 2 year old male?????

YES, she should be split up from the male, she should never have been placed with him at all.

Not only is she too young, Every vet or person who works with these tell you ALL bearded dragons should be quarantined for 90 days before exposed to an established dragon in your home for both of their sakes. The stress that put the little female under on top of in a new home is really bad

Putting a new not even half grown female in with a 2 year old male is inviting serious problems, especially for the poor female. I am sure everyone warned you about that.

It's called gravid, they do not get pregnant as they do not bear live young, but lay eggs and you really should not think about breeding until you learn about them, what to expect and how to handle it and the cost involved, which is very great for an even healthy female and offsprings.

Sorry I am trying NOT be upset, but I know you were warned about this
 
IF I misread your post, I am sorry, but it appears you are saying you have her in with him now and how can you tell if she is gravid... not something you are asking about for a year or more down the road
 
Everything that Cheri said was completely accurate, there was no reason to have them in the same cage. This is stressful to the females even if they are full grown, tenfold to a six month old. And if she is gravid, which i would pray that she isn't, it should become obvious through her behavior in the next few weeks. She will eat much more, by the way give her lots of calcium, and you will be able to feel the eggs in her stomach. Breeding her this young will at best stunt her growth. She is at risk for being egg-bound, and also not getting the vitamins that are important for this time of her life. I hope for her sake that she is not gravid, and that you get her away from the male as soon as possible.
 
NO NO NO NO SHE isnt in the tank with him, she is in a 30 gallon by herself as of now, she willnot be put with him till next spring when she turns 1 yr old. I was just wondering so then I would know ahead of time.
 
Thats ok I understand most people on here just want to help and get the best for the animals. I knew about not having her with him until she is 18 months to a 1 yr old so Im really only asking these questions so then when we do start breeding I knw this stuff and dont have to ask something right up to the moment they breed. ( get what Im saying or did I kinda say that in a confusing way)( sounded confusing to me :) )
 
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