# Can you feed a bearded dragon boiled egg?



## [email protected] (Jan 9, 2009)

hi all i wanted to ask can you give a bearded dragon a little bit of boiled egg 

i have seen countless topics all over the internet about this and they all say yes and no 

and i dont know what the real answer is and i don't want to go and do anything just in case 

so i want to ask you on here as this is reptile forums UK 

can i feed my bearded dragon a little bit of boiled egg ? 

matt.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

I can't see why it would do any harm in moderation. Free range would be better for your reptile (and for the chickens too of course)


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## Tiliqua (Dec 6, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> hi all i wanted to ask can you give a bearded dragon a little bit of boiled egg
> 
> i have seen countless topics all over the internet about this and they all say yes and no
> 
> ...


There is no "real answer" - you have to weigh up the evidence and make your own decision. Nutritionally, I agree with DragonFarm. However, I never feed eggs to an egg layer. Do you want them to see their own eggs as food?

Mark.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Presumably you would shell the egg, eat the majority yourself, and give a small amount to the beardie in small pieces. 

It would be a way of increasing the nutritional variety in the diet.


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## Jebb (Jul 3, 2013)

I don't know if this helps but I watched a doc on Meerkats and the only non live food they could entice the meerkats with was boiled eggs, they said they went wild for hard boiled eggs, wouldn't touch them if they were uncooked though...fussy buggers, they'll be timing them and want soldiers next.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Tiliqua said:


> There is no "real answer" - you have to weigh up the evidence and make your own decision. Nutritionally, I agree with DragonFarm. *However, I never feed eggs to an egg layer. Do you want them to see their own eggs as food?*
> 
> Mark.


I think you've just solved the problem of over breeding beardies. Everyone, feed your beardies eggs!!!

Never had a problem with feeding egg-layers eggs though to be honest.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Surely, if you want to give a reptile the ideal nutrition to create eggs, then you might think eggs would be the ideal food to give them !

I was reading a recently published Australian written book on 'Australian Dragons' at lunchtime, and it says there, that ground nesting bird eggs are part of the natural diet of beardies.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Fantastic topic,

I have studied the consumption of eggs in wild reptiles in great detail for my new book so this is very fresh in my mind.

Eggs of all kinds, insect, avian and of course reptilian make up a very valid part of a reptiles diet. Eggs provide vit A and E of course and are a fantastic source of Ca.

This "could" be one of those very important missing links I captive care! The main issue is of course that a commercial hens egg has been selective bred to appeal to humans. They are very fatty and simply huge now. This is in direct contrast the many of the ground dwelling birds that occur in the wild range. Lets take the African quail finch for example. I am 100% convinced that these make up a large part of many of the African species. It is a small waxbill like bird that spends its life on the ground. The eggs are similar in size to that of a wren. Then look at the size of the most common reptile eggs. They are vastly smaller than commercial hens eggs.

then cooking isn't common in the wild, so feeding raw should be fine also.

I would actually look to include egg in a balanced and measure way and as part of a full and varied diet.

why not use quail eggs and feed once a fortnight or so.

I am sure that this is one of the missing gems of reptile care!!

john


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## PDJ (Jul 24, 2013)

Arcadiajohn said:


> Fantastic topic,
> 
> I have studied the consumption of eggs in wild reptiles in great detail for my new book so this is very fresh in my mind.
> 
> ...


 
Been following this with interest. I have some smallish hens eggs. If I whisk one up how much should I give my 10 month old bearded dragon, I thought maybe a couple of teaspoons. Maybe a lightly poached left to go cold would be ok also.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

the truthful answer is that no one knows for sure. We are just starting to explore the subject and as such a period of trial and error must start.

We can learn form the wild. I wold in fact use very small eggs and offer them in the shell, one at a time in the viv. If the dragon breaks it and consumes it you will see very quickly. or yeah try poaching one, cooling and trying that.

I really hope to learn more and more about this topic myself as time progresses. please let me know how you get on!

john




PDJ said:


> Been following this with interest. I have some smallish hens eggs. If I whisk one up how much should I give my 10 month old bearded dragon, I thought maybe a couple of teaspoons. Maybe a lightly poached left to go cold would be ok also.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

One important factor, as I said already, is that chickens that are allowed to feed on greenery (free range) will produce eggs with more vitamins/minerals. Thats not guess work, its proven. 

But also generally speaking shop bought eggs, will be infertile, and that makes a difference. Fertile eggs have quite different vitamin levels. If you know somebody who keeps some backyard birds with a cockerel (like I do), its worth considering asking if you can buy some of those. They may be the best eggs of all for your reptile (if you are using chicken eggs). I also keep quail, so I might test them out, and see if my lizards like them or not. Certainly morios love to eat hard boiled eggs, and I use them as gutloads sometimes, as part of the mix.


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I feed hard boiled hens egg to my Skinks and they love it. I also feed duff or surplus Leo eggs (whole and raw) to my Eyed lizards and they go down a treat.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

great point!




Dragon Farm said:


> One important factor, as I said already, is that chickens that are allowed to feed on greenery (free range) will produce eggs with more vitamins/minerals. Thats not guess work, its proven.
> 
> But also generally speaking shop bought eggs, will be infertile, and that makes a difference. Fertile eggs have quite different vitamin levels. If you know somebody who keeps some backyard birds with a cockerel (like I do), its worth considering asking if you can buy some of those. They may be the best eggs of all for your reptile (if you are using chicken eggs). I also keep quail, so I might test them out, and see if my lizards like them or not. Certainly morios love to eat hard boiled eggs, and I use them as gutloads sometimes, as part of the mix.


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## Jebb (Jul 3, 2013)

Dragon Farm said:


> One important factor, as I said already, is that chickens that are allowed to feed on greenery (free range) will produce eggs with more vitamins/minerals. Thats not guess work, its proven.


You would need to make sure the eggs you were buying were grass fed chickens then, as eggs classed as free range do not have to be from a chicken that is allowed to "range" outside, they can also be kept in a shed etc. the free range term is based on the area the chicken is allowed rather than what it is fed on.

edit it seems it's depended on which country you buy your eggs, in the UK there the rule seems to be the hens need access to the outside "at some point in their life"

So to be sure you are buying grass fed chicken eggs, I would still say you would need to look for more than the "free range" label.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Are you 100% sure about that ? I think you are talking about 'barn eggs' which I believe are classified as different class to free range, which need to be allowed access to the outdoors to be called as such.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

See this link for Uk guide to egg production systems from your friends at the RSPCA. 

Laying hens farming - Laying hens welfare - Chicken welfare


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## Jebb (Jul 3, 2013)

Dragon Farm said:


> Are you 100% sure about that ? I think you are talking about 'barn eggs' which I believe are classified as different class to free range, which need to be allowed access to the outdoors to be called as such.


I got my source from Compassion in world farming so maybe not the best source.

defra (department for environment food and rural affairs) state that...


*Free range*

_*In free-range systems, the birds are housed as described in the barn system above (I have included it below). In addition birds must have continuous daytime access to open runs which are mainly covered with vegetation and with a maximum stocking density of 2,500 birds per hectare.*_
*Barn*

_*The barn system has a series of perches and feeders at different levels. The maximum stocking density is 9 birds per square metre and there must be at least 250cm square of litter area/bird. Perches for the birds must be installed to allow 15 cm of perch per hen. There must be at least 10cm of feeder/bird and at least one drinker/10 birds. There must be one nest for every 7 birds or 1 square metre of nest space for every 120 birds. Water and feeding troughs are raised so that the food is not scattered*_

I would like to see these "runs" and what access the hens have in reality!


Sainsburys in the UK sell woodland eggs, which sounds far superior to the above!


J Sainsbury plc / Working with the Woodland Trust


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

In conclusion, as I said before, barn eggs will be fed on cereals/soya only. While free range will have access to cereals, green food, and some wild food too, like the odd fly, worm etc. 

The woodland system is an improved version of free range, more like the sort of habitat than come from in the wild (woodland, not open fields).


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