​Should I Breed My Bearded Dragons?

Anyone that owns a bearded dragon knows how easy they are to love. They have a ton of personality and are one of the best pet reptiles available. They are also growing in popularity. Everyone knows someone with a pet bearded dragon. When you see how easy they are to love and how many people would love to have a bearded dragon, it may seem like a good idea to breed your beardies. It is important to know that breeding bearded dragons is not for everyone.

Breeding bearded dragons is quite expensive and there typically isn’t much room for profit. Most people who breed do not typically make back all of the money that they put into the babies by the time they are sold. Baby bearded dragons eat an insane amount of live bugs. You need to provide a large quantity of a variety of bugs for each baby. You also need to have adequate space and lighting setups for the baby dragons. When baby bearded dragons get crowded, they begin to fight and hurt each other. These fights can lead to missing limbs or even death. You also need to consider the fact that you could have up to 30 baby dragons at a time. You will need to raise these babies for at least a month before it is considered safe to let them go to their new homes. If you don’t feel as though you have the space or money for multiple different set ups as well as a large amount of feeder bugs, it is best that you do not breed your bearded dragons.

It is important to consider who would be interested in purchasing a bearded dragon if you do breed them. A lot of new breeders will have a clutch of dragons only to find out that they have nobody that wants to buy them. It is easy to get stuck with a whole clutch of dragons and no new forever homes for them. This is especially true when you don’t have any special morphs that are in high demand. It can be very hard to offload a clutch of normal looking bearded dragons. Most people want the ones with shocking colors and unique patterns. It is also important to know the exact genetics of your dragons if you do want to breed them. Breeding the wrong traits together can cause birth defects and lifelong issues for the baby dragons. Breeding healthy dragons that will live a long and comfortable life is extremely important. Breeding genetically poor dragons is not only irresponsible but can ruin your reputation if you plan on breeding again in the future.

If you have done a lot of research and are confident in the fact that it is a good idea to breed your bearded dragons, it can be a fun and educational experience. The most important part of breeding bearded dragons is always making sure to stay ethical and responsible and to always put the animals first.