Eggs constitute a major part of the human diet – most of us love them just like cabbage. They are not only delicious but also contain essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins. But can bearded dragons eat eggs?
The simple answer is YES – Eggs are a healthy diet for your bearded dragons. Feeding the beardie with eggs provides them with proteins and vitamins such as vitamin A, B12, D, and E. However, since eggs contain a lot of proteins, bearded dragons should be given eggs once in a while. This is especially so for adult beardies which require fewer proteins in their diet.
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[amazon bestseller=”Food for Bearded Dragons” items=”2″ template=”table”]Details: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Eggs?
In the right quantities, eggs are good for your bearded dragons. You can give them eggs to supplement the protein diet they get from feeders insect. Below is a summary of the benefits of eggs to your bearded dragon.
- Eggs Contain Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Eggs contain vitamins and minerals which are essential to your bearded dragon’s health. As long as you are cautious on the high protein content in eggs, your beardie can benefit from the following vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin A: Although bearded dragons require very minimal vitamin A, it helps in enhancing their normal vision, reproduction and developing their immune system.
- Vitamin D: Eggs are rich in vitamin D which helps your bearded dragon in absorbing calcium from their diet. On the other hand, calcium helps in maintaining strong and healthy bones. Low calcium levels are associated with weaker and deformed bones.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E plays a big role in the bearded dragon’s body. Perhaps the most important is its role in boosting their immune system which helps in fighting bacteria and viruses. In addition it helps in red blood cells formation and preventing tissue damage.
- Vitamin B12: Though not very common, vitamin B12 deficiency leads stunted growth, hatching discrepancies, weak leg muscles and high mortality rates. However, feeding your bearded dragon on eggs reduces chances of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Eggs also contain essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, selenium, zinc, folate etc.
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- Eggs Contain Protein
Bearded dragons will readily eat eggs because they contain proteins which are vital in their growth. Baby bearded dragons require diets that are higher in proteins and less in vegetables because of their higher growth rate. Typically baby beardies need 80% proteins and 20% vegetables.
However, adults should be fed on 20% proteins and 80% vegetables. Whether you’re dealing with adult or baby beardie’s, eggs should be given sparingly because they are very rich in proteins.
High protein intake makes your bearded dragon excessively fat. The problem with this is that it may lead fatty liver disease where fat builds up in the liver cells. The liver may eventually fail to function effectively.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Raw Eggs?
A big NO to raw eggs! The bacterias present in raw eggs are likely to make your bearded dragon sick. You may end up with a dead beardie.
Eggs should always be cooked before being fed to bearded dragons to kill the harmful bacterias.
Can Bearded Dragons Egg Shells?
The risks of feeding your bearded dragon with egg shells outweigh the benefits. Although they are richer in calcium than the egg itself, they cannot be easily be digested. Even in their finest form, egg shells take long to be broken down once inside the beardie’s digestive system
Also, because of the poor egg shell digestion, your bearded dragon may end up with lumps of shells in their stomachs which may cause impaction.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Hard-Boiled Eggs?
Hard-boiled eggs come with all the nutrients contained in an egg including protein, minerals and vitamins. So, giving them to your beardie would be very beneficial to their growth and health.
However, as earlier said, eggs should constitute a negligible percentage of their diet. That’s because too much protein can bring about health complications in future. They tend to become too fat and eventually suffer fatty liver disease.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Scrambled Eggs?
Scrambled eggs are just as good as hard-boiled eggs. Again, because of high protein issues, they should be feed in small quantities. However, they should not be cooked with fat the manner we’re used to prepare our eggs.
The reason for this is to avoid adding more fat to their diet. Also, check whether Dragons Eat Tomatoes.
Egg Yolk vs Egg White: Which is Good for Bearded Dragon
Both egg white and egg yolk are good for bearded dragons. They contain vital nutrients that contribute to the well-being of your beardie. But owing to their high protein levels, bearded dragons should only have very little amounts of any of them.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Quail Eggs?
In terms of safety and nutritional value, quail eggs are just as good as chicken eggs. Similarly, you can only give your beardie small amounts of quail eggs because they contain too much protein.
How to Prepare Eggs for a Bearded Dragon?
Now that you have confirmed that eggs are good for your bearded dragons, it’s time to know how to go about preparing an egg meal for your beardie. There’re two ways you can prepare eggs for the bearded dragon.
Scrambled Eggs
- Break the egg open and pour in a bowl.
- Scramble until the egg white and egg yolk blends into a uniform paste.
- Pour the resulting paste into a non-stick pan and heat on a low/medium flame gas burner to prevent sticking. Do not use any frying oil.
- If the egg tends to stick, you can mix it with a spoon without concentrating on the final shape of the egg. Furthermore, you’ll have to break it into small pieces to make it easy for your beardie to eat.
- Alternatively, you can cook the eggs in the oven in bowl without using cooking oil.
- Once it’s ready you can put it in the beardie’s bowl and serve once it has cooled. Ensure you slice the cooked egg into small pieces. You can serve it with their favourite vegetables such as kales, broccoli, collard and so on.
Boiled Eggs
Although scrambled eggs are tastier to your bearded dragons you can also give them boiled eggs. Below are steps for preparing hard boiled eggs for your pet.
- Put the eggs in a pot and add water that just covers the eggs.
- Boil the eggs in high heat until the water boils rigorously.
- Put off the burner and leave the pot covered for 13-16 minutes.
- Once they cool, peel off the shell and chop the egg into small pieces.
- Put the egg in the bearded dragon’s bowl or feeding point. You can serve with vegetables or greens.
Note: You should only serve small amounts of eggs because they are very rich proteins. Too much proteins will fatten your bearded dragon to dangerous extents. Also, avoid adding salt or sauces to eggs meant for bearded dragons.
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Conclusion
Eggs make a very nutritious diet for bearded dragons. That’s because they contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and proteins. However, because of the high protein content, they are only suitable as a once in a while treat.
If you’re already treating your beardies with an insect diet, they already have enough of protein in their bodies. Eggs can be given occasionally to give them variety. Excess protein will only make your pet very fat. This may eventually lead to liver complications or even death.