Chicken eggs are one of the richest sources of protein and, perhaps, one of the main ways humans can maintain the amount of protein in their daily balanced diet.Although eating eggs is healthy for humans, it is a bit different in the case ofyour pet bearded dragons. Even though eggs aren’t outright harmful, there are a few things to keep in mind before you start feeding eggs to your bearded dragon.Yes, bearded dragons can eat eggs but only in moderation to maintain a balanced diet. Although beardies can eat eggs, they are considered an artificial source of protein for bearded dragons. Interestingly, bearded dragons can eat meat too but only in very small amounts as it is high in fat content. When a bearded dragon is in its baby stages, its diet is 80% carnivorous, and it tends to feed on small insects and other reptiles to eat the amount of protein it needs.On the other hand, an adult bearded dragon’s diet is dominated mainly by fruits and vegetables. They consume the plant products to fulfill their required protein quota. Hence, bearded dragons do not explicitly require eggs in their diet day in day out, but a bearded dragon can have one egg a week. However, you can increase the number of eggs in your beardie’s diet under certain conditions. In case you have adopted a malnourished bearded dragon, it requires more protein than the average amount. You can once consult with the vet about your pet’s condition and then feed it eggs more than once a week.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about Can bearded dragons eat cilantro? and Can bearded dragons eat cabbage? here on Kidadl?Are eggs safe to feed bearded dragons?Bearded dragons can safely eat eggs without any second thoughts, but only if they are fed in moderation and not more than once a week. Along with proteins, eggs offer many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, but at the same time, there are some reasons when beardies shouldn’t eat eggs every other day. Eating eggs obviously won’t kill your pet bearded dragon, but excessive consumption can have harmful repercussions in no time.It is entirely safe if bearded dragons eat eggs as these animal products are rich in nutrients and won’t harm your pet beardie if consumed in a controlled quantity. At the same time, the shell of an egg is an excellent source of calcium but cannot be fed directly to bearded dragons. A specific procedure has to be undertaken so that the beardies can safely consume the eggshells and avoid choking, too.Because the nutritional requirements of a bearded dragon are different from that of a normal human being, they can’t consume chicken eggs the way we do, irrespective of how healthy they are and the benefits they have. Overeating of eggs can lead to a number of issues, including obesity. You must be aware of the various types of vitamin eggs contain and the calcium, protein present in them, and understand how much fat they contain.Whenever a bearded dragon eats eggs, it intakes a lot of fat; an average bearded dragon does not require this much fat in its diet. Obesity must not be taken lightly. You can judge if your pet bearded dragon is obese by touching its body. If you cannot feel its ribs or spinal cord, it means that the bearded dragon is overweight. It can lead to several types of health issues, and you must immediately contact a vet and discuss the way forward.The overeating issue not only leads to weight gain but also fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is caused in most reptiles due to overfeeding, and as the term suggests, it leads to an increase in fat content in the liver. In order to understand how much egg is too much egg, you need to consider the age of your bearded dragon. A baby bearded dragon can eat quail eggs two to three times a week, weighing around 0.31 oz (9 g), whereas an adult beardie can eat quail eggs for a maximum of one to two times per week with no more than one egg every time. In the case of chicken eggs weighing around 1.76 oz (50 g), a baby beardie can have half an egg at a time for a maximum of two times a week. Whereas adult bearded dragons can eat one-third or half an egg at a time once in a week or once in two weeks. Bearded dragons eat quail eggs more than chicken eggs as the quail egg’s calories and fat content are less than the chicken egg and therefore less harmful.Can bearded dragons eat raw eggs?Feeding raw eggs to your beardie might not be the best idea in order to increase your bearded dragon’s protein levels. Raw eggs are unsafe and can gravely harm your bearded dragon’s health. Feeding your bearded dragon with raw eggs is perhaps not worth the risk. You can feed it eggs in some other way, such as by boiling them or making scrambled eggs.All of us are well aware of how healthy eggs are for bearded dragons with all the vitamins and minerals they contain, but they would not be able to benefit from these if they eat the eggs raw. A raw egg can contain bacteria on its surface. It doesn’t matter how thoroughly you have washed the eggs. The bacteria, at times, can still be found on the eggshells.You must be wondering if you can’t feed raw eggs to your bearded dragon. What about the eggshells? They are a rich source of calcium. Well, suppose you want to feed the eggshells to your pet reptile. In that case, you need to properly boil the eggshells before serving in order to remove any existing bacteria from it and make it softer so that it doesn’t cause any indigestion or choke your pet reptile or scratch its inner throat. To make the process more convenient for your bearded dragon, thoroughly grind the eggshells and turn them almost into a powder so that there are no digestive issues. Your bearded dragon can now primarily benefit from this extra calcium and maintain a balanced diet.Can bearded dragons eat hard-boiled eggs?Serving hard-boiled eggs are one of the best ways to feed eggs to your bearded dragon. It can either be a chicken egg or a quail egg, as these two are considered the best eggs to feed your pet reptile among a number of eggs. When you boil an egg, not only does it remove all the bacteria from the eggshell, but cooking it in water does not change the vitamins and minerals contained in the egg.Now, while you cook an egg for a bearded dragon, you must know that it can eat the yolk, too, so do not worry about separating it from the white part of the egg. A boiled egg is a portion of healthy food for bearded dragons, but make sure that your bearded dragon does not eat more than half an egg at a time.Taking a look at the nutrients contained in an egg, a 1.76 oz (50 g) chicken egg contains 71 calories, relatively higher than a number of other food items for your bearded dragon. In the same amount of egg, you can find 0.22 oz (6.2 g) of protein, 0.168 oz (4.76 g) of fat, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, and 0.000018 oz (0.5 mg) of vitamin E.Moreover, you can also find the presence of calcium in the eggshell. There is around 0.00098 oz (28 mg) of calcium present in 1.76 oz (50 g) of the chicken egg. Vitamin D and vitamin E are believed to be the most important ones. They are required for forming strong bones, calcium absorption, and developing muscle health, respectively. To avoid losing these vitamins, it is best to feed boiled eggs to your beardie, cooked in water, and make sure to cool it before it’s fed. Additionally, do not force your beardie to eat an egg if it is in a healthy condition, irrespective of the fact that an egg is high in protein. Your bearded dragon doesn’t need to eat an egg if it isn’t malnourished.Can bearded dragons eat scrambled eggs?Sometimes, bearded dragons do not show much interest in eating boiled eggs, which is a normal phenomenon. The choice and taste of all bearded dragons aren’t the same. What is liked by one of your pets may not be appreciated by another bearded dragon. You can thus include eggs in your bearded dragon’s diet by feeding them scrambled eggs.Scrambled eggs too are high in protein, and when fed properly, they are a healthy source of vitamins and minerals. It is entirely safe for bearded dragons to eat scrambled eggs but make sure that you do not use any extra butter or cheese, or oil to cook the eggs as it is difficult for bearded dragons to digest these dairy products.Also, keep in mind not to use any seasonings you might use while making scrambled eggs for yourself. You may not be aware of it, but if you feed eggs to bearded dragons along with seasonings, it can be pretty toxic and lead to serious health issues. At the same time, serving scrambled eggs cooked with milk and cheese, and oil can increase the weight of bearded dragons.Moreover, researchers have also advised cooking eggs for bearded dragons in a microwave rather than in a pan. Eggs, high in protein, often lose their nutrients to some extent when cooked in a pan. Once cooked, humans should chop the egg into tiny pieces to make it easy for bearded dragons to eat the food without any issue. Thus, boiled and scrambled eggs are the best ways to cook eggs for bearded dragons.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Can bearded dragons eat eggs? then why not take a look at Can bearded dragons eat peaches? or bearded dragon facts?
Chicken eggs are one of the richest sources of protein and, perhaps, one of the main ways humans can maintain the amount of protein in their daily balanced diet.
