To breed bearded dragons, you must create their natural seasons to bring the females into heat. This is called preconditioning. Before starting preconditioning, you should make sure that both your male, and female bearded dragons are healthy, and mature enough to be bred.
Preconditioning Steps:
The first step is called the photo-period, and is intended to simulate the winter season. Your UVB light will need a timer on it, and you should be gradually reduce the amount of light hours every day until you reach 10 hours of light, and 14 hours of darkness, reduce the heat in the enclosure by changing the wattage of the basking light. Ideally, the basking spot should be a maximum of 78 degrees, while the rest of the enclosure should be kept between 64 to 67 degrees. While you are simulating the photo-period, you should decrease the food being given to the breeding pair. All together, the photo-period should last around 6 weeks. After this period, you can gradually change the lighting back to 12 hours of night, and 12 hours of light.
After the photo-period has ended, you will need to provide more food than usual, and, where possible, offer fattier foods, such as meal worms and crickets. You will also need to ensure the female has plenty of calcium for egg production. This is an important step that will help put weight, and condition your bearded dragons, getting them ready to breed.
After around 4 weeks after the photo-period, you should make sure that the males and females are kept together. If there are more than one pair in the tank, you may notice that the males will become aggressive toward each other, and start to fight. The females will show obvious signs of submissiveness such as waving their arms, and bobbing their heads slowly. Once the female becomes fertile, she will begin looking for a place to lay her eggs. This is usually a soft, sandy place. Make sure that you provide such an area for her, by placing a mixture of play sand, and garden soil. Moisten this mixture and place it on one side of a container so that it slopes to the other side. Make sure it is deep enough so the dragon can dig down and be completely hidden. Put a heat light over the dirt to heat it up. The females are easily identifiable when they are pregnant, as they will appear much heavier than previously. It will be obvious when she is ready to lay because she'll dig constantly in her cage. That is when it is time to put her in the egg laying bin.
The Eggs, And Incubation
Once your female bearded dragon has laid her eggs, make note of the spot they have been placed. Then after she has finished, dig the eggs up with a spoon. It is vital that you are careful not to rotate the eggs when shifting them. Place them in a container with a moist substrate like vermiculite. It is possible to make your own incubator, although it is often easier, and the success rates are much higher with a bought incubator. The temperature must be kept at 85 degrees at all times, and must never go below 83 degrees. Eggs will need to be kept moist; you can do this by placing a small container of water at the bottom of the incubator, and misting the eggs with a fine spray regularly. For the first week check the eggs every other day and remove any that are leaking or moldy.
Hatching, And Caring For New Born Lizards
After 50 to 70 days the eggs should start hatching. The eggs will usually hatch within 24 hours of each other. Sometimes this may take a little longer. Just before the hatchlings emerge, you will notice that the eggs will begin to collapse. Once the hatchlings have emerged from their shells, it is time to place them in a rearing tank. The hatchlings will be very hungry, and need to be fed often to stop them from chewing at tails and toes, which do not grow back. Hatchlings must be fed very small wax worms, and crickets. Make sure that you don’t feed them food that is larger than half the distance between their eyes, or you may cause them damage. Hatchlings need to be fed 3 times a day until they are 4 months old. After this, you can reduce their meal times to once per day. As hatchlings they eat 90% insects and 10% vegetables. As they grow this will gradually flip by the time they reach adulthood. Offer the hatchlings foods such as greens, and flowers as well as worms, and crickets.
Preconditioning Steps:
The first step is called the photo-period, and is intended to simulate the winter season. Your UVB light will need a timer on it, and you should be gradually reduce the amount of light hours every day until you reach 10 hours of light, and 14 hours of darkness, reduce the heat in the enclosure by changing the wattage of the basking light. Ideally, the basking spot should be a maximum of 78 degrees, while the rest of the enclosure should be kept between 64 to 67 degrees. While you are simulating the photo-period, you should decrease the food being given to the breeding pair. All together, the photo-period should last around 6 weeks. After this period, you can gradually change the lighting back to 12 hours of night, and 12 hours of light.
After the photo-period has ended, you will need to provide more food than usual, and, where possible, offer fattier foods, such as meal worms and crickets. You will also need to ensure the female has plenty of calcium for egg production. This is an important step that will help put weight, and condition your bearded dragons, getting them ready to breed.
After around 4 weeks after the photo-period, you should make sure that the males and females are kept together. If there are more than one pair in the tank, you may notice that the males will become aggressive toward each other, and start to fight. The females will show obvious signs of submissiveness such as waving their arms, and bobbing their heads slowly. Once the female becomes fertile, she will begin looking for a place to lay her eggs. This is usually a soft, sandy place. Make sure that you provide such an area for her, by placing a mixture of play sand, and garden soil. Moisten this mixture and place it on one side of a container so that it slopes to the other side. Make sure it is deep enough so the dragon can dig down and be completely hidden. Put a heat light over the dirt to heat it up. The females are easily identifiable when they are pregnant, as they will appear much heavier than previously. It will be obvious when she is ready to lay because she'll dig constantly in her cage. That is when it is time to put her in the egg laying bin.
The Eggs, And Incubation
Once your female bearded dragon has laid her eggs, make note of the spot they have been placed. Then after she has finished, dig the eggs up with a spoon. It is vital that you are careful not to rotate the eggs when shifting them. Place them in a container with a moist substrate like vermiculite. It is possible to make your own incubator, although it is often easier, and the success rates are much higher with a bought incubator. The temperature must be kept at 85 degrees at all times, and must never go below 83 degrees. Eggs will need to be kept moist; you can do this by placing a small container of water at the bottom of the incubator, and misting the eggs with a fine spray regularly. For the first week check the eggs every other day and remove any that are leaking or moldy.
Hatching, And Caring For New Born Lizards
After 50 to 70 days the eggs should start hatching. The eggs will usually hatch within 24 hours of each other. Sometimes this may take a little longer. Just before the hatchlings emerge, you will notice that the eggs will begin to collapse. Once the hatchlings have emerged from their shells, it is time to place them in a rearing tank. The hatchlings will be very hungry, and need to be fed often to stop them from chewing at tails and toes, which do not grow back. Hatchlings must be fed very small wax worms, and crickets. Make sure that you don’t feed them food that is larger than half the distance between their eyes, or you may cause them damage. Hatchlings need to be fed 3 times a day until they are 4 months old. After this, you can reduce their meal times to once per day. As hatchlings they eat 90% insects and 10% vegetables. As they grow this will gradually flip by the time they reach adulthood. Offer the hatchlings foods such as greens, and flowers as well as worms, and crickets.
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