You might be wondering if your roast chicken dinner is good enough to sneak some treats to your bearded dragon. You know that chicken is healthy and beardies can eat meat so maybe it’s a treat for them?
Can your bearded dragon eat chicken? The short answer to this question is no. The short answer is no. Chicken is not a safe food for beardies. You can only give chicken as a treat on a few rare occasions, but there are some warnings that you should be aware of.
The Healthy Chicken
Chicken is a domesticated fowl, which is usually raised on farms to produce its eggs and meat. They can be found in many countries and are the most commonly observed bird.
Chicken is the most widely used white meat and can be found in many different dishes and prepared with many different approaches. Chicken is rich in nutrients such as selenium and protein as well as vitamins B12, B6, and niacin.
Here are some of the many health benefits that chicken has:
- Protein can be used to preserve muscles and help in the building and repair of tissue.
- Calcium is also processed by protein for healthy teeth.
- Niacin and the B vitamins are good for brain health and energy.
- Selenium is essential for a healthy thyroid and immune function. It also helps with fertility.
It’s obvious that chicken has many benefits for humans. But does it offer the same benefits to bearded dragons as chickens?
Chicken and Your Beardie
Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plant-based food. Bearded dragons usually eat insects like grasshoppers and crickets. They also eat mealworms and spiders.
Are the health benefits of chicken also applicable to bearded dragons as well? Nope! Beardies are not known to have any health benefits from eating chicken.
Continue reading if you are curious as to why chicken isn’t good for bearded Dragons.
Bearded Dragons: The Downside
Bearded dragons are able to eat animal-based foods, specifically insects, quite safely. Chicken is another matter. Most beardies can be found in deserts throughout Australia where food is often scarce. The bearded dragon will not come across chickens in the wild so they don’t have to eat them. These are some reasons chicken and beardies shouldn’t mix.
Phosphorus
This is the main problem. Bearded dragons need certain amounts of calcium to maintain bone health and overall health. Although chicken is high in calcium, it can also be very high in phosphorus which can prevent the beardie from properly absorbing the calcium.
Chicken contains more phosphorous than calcium, which is good for cats and humans but dangerous for bearded dragons. Your beardie should have a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus. The chicken comes in at about 1:16, which is not a good ratio.
Raw Chicken
Raw chicken can be just as deadly for bearded dragons as for humans. Food poisoning due to salmonella, E.coli or bacterial contamination can be just as serious. It is best to avoid giving your beardie raw chicken.
Grilled chicken
Raw chicken is not good for beardies. Cooking chicken, or boiling it, can cause its nutritional deficiencies to be lost. It might be a problem for beardies who don’t like it.
Protein
The high protein content of chicken can make it difficult for bearded dragons to digest. Your bearded dragon could become very sick if you fed him chicken every day. Insects are the best source of protein for beardies. Chicken is far too rich in protein for bearded dragons to handle.
Fat
High levels of fat in the chicken are also a problem for bearded dragons. Foods high in fat can be harmful to beardies as they aren’t able to get the same exercise and activity as wild bearded Dragons. An overweight beardie could be in poor health if they eat too much fat.
Water
High water content in chicken can cause Beardies to become unwell. Diarrhea can be caused by excess water in foods.
Calcium and Bearded Dragons
Calcium is vital for the health of the bearded dragon, as we have already mentioned. Calcium promotes strong bones and health for beardies. If bearded dragons don’t get enough calcium, it can lead to metabolic bone disease that could eventually lead to death.
These symptoms could include:
- Legs bent
- Limping
- A decreased appetite
- The lower jaw becomes more flexible and softer.
- Hard lumps may form in the jaw, spine, and legs.
- He struggles to lift his body from the ground
If the disease does not get treated and calcium levels drop, it could lead to the:
- Tremors and twitching
- Lethargy
- Depression
- End of weakness in the hind
- Seizures
- Death
You should immediately take your bearded dragon to the veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms.
Your beardie needs calcium, which is why chicken should be avoided.
Last Thoughts
Bearded dragons have a smaller digestive system than humans and larger animals. This means that certain types of meats such as chicken will be more difficult to digest. Beardie owners have been known to feed their pets chicken without problems. But is that worth the risk when there are other treats that are safe?
You can only give your bearded dragon bird chicken a small treat once every 2 to 3 months. The best advice is to stay away from chicken. It is far better to give your beardie a treat that doesn’t have any health benefits than it is for his health.
What kinds of meat can bearded dragons eat?
Our live food list indicates which meats your Beardie can consume: Crickets. Kingworms. Waxworms- these fatty worms should be provided only as a treat. Earthworms. Cockroaches. Locusts. Butterworms. Silkworms.
Can bearded dragons consume rice?
No, they can’t; bearded dragons can’t digest grains, hence none of them are acceptable for the bearded dragon diet. They can’t tolerate rice, either uncooked or cooked, like humans can, and eating it might make your dragon sick.
What should be the primary diet of bearded dragons?
Bearded dragons require a varied diet of insects, fruits, and vegetables. Adult dragons normally consume 80% vegetation and 20% insects. For a juvenile dragon, this may imply anything from 80% insects/20% plants to 50-50 (contact your veterinarian about your unique dragon’s needs).
Is it possible for a bearded dragon to consume dead insects?
You should never give dead crickets to your dragon. When a cricket dies, it loses its capacity to hold moisture in its body, and that moisture begins to evaporate, carrying many of its nutrients with it.
Do bearded dragons consume grapes?
Although bearded dragons can eat grapes whole, many owners choose to break them into smaller pieces to make it simpler for their dragons to chew and to avoid choking. Cutting up the grapes also assures that there are no seeds, as even the most seedless grape has a seed.
Can bearded dragons eat tuna?
Fish should not be eaten by bearded dragons. That includes cooked, raw, and fed.
Can Beardies consume lettuce?
With a crisp crunch, romaine is an excellent choice for salads, tacos, and other dishes. Among the common salad lettuces, romaine has the most nutritional value for both bearded dragons and humans. If you want to feed your bearded dragon lettuce, romaine is the greatest option.
Do Beardies enjoy salads?
Vegetables should make up 75-80% of an adult dragon’s diet. A daily salad is well enough if you’re feeding a youngster. Bearded dragons, like humans, are omnivores and require variety.
Can a bearded dragon consume potatoes?
Bearded dragons can eat potatoes, but only on rare occasions. While it is theoretically okay to feed your bearded dragon potatoes once a month or so, it is not required for their health, and there are some nutritional considerations you should be aware of before allowing your bearded dragon to consume potatoes.
Do bearded dragons consume cooked meat?
While bearded dragons may consume cooked, lean meat such as steak, chicken, and turkey, only feed it to your beardie unseasoned and as an emergency protein source if you are unable to obtain their live feeds for any reason