Advice needed ASAP!!!! Hatched today

[reb]

Hey, not a dragon owner personally, but got roped into this one since the eggs hatched while my sister was on vacation.  So yes, I know that one usually has 60-70 days to research what to do, and I'm flying by the seat of my pants with only muddled conflicting ideas over the phone and whatever I can find online; don't get mad at me, they're not my dragons and I'm doing my best.  The house-sitter called my bro-in-law, they told her to put the babies in an extra 10 gal. tank they had with newspaper on the bottom.  I was called in at that point to get a light and search out some food.

Right now they are under a 50 watt night-time (red) bulb.  I have been told the day bulb has a greater chance of burning their skin.  Aubrey (house-sitter) put the newspaper in really messy so there are areas on the sides for them to hide in the layers.  This might be because we have been urged to try to separate them out of some fear they may injure each other.  When I came this afternoon I could see six of them; now I can see only three... yet I've been told there's about ten?  So I'm sure some are hiding and sleeping, and I'm not sure if I should try to find them or just leave them be.

I was rushed out to get some food (yikes, pinheads are NOT sold in stores here in CT, they must be ordered or bred) and had to settle for some tiny tiny mealworms and the smallest crickets the pet store guy could fish out, which are still way too big but they're still soft.  I was told I had to get them food right away or they would start eating each other... now I read here that they don't eat for 3 days or so.  So I guess I'm not that worried anymore that none of them rushed for the food (mealworms were cut and put on a bed of finely chopped kale, spritzed with water and sprinkled with calcium.)  Should I try to get the crickets out?  HOW?

The biggest concern currently is that Polly (the mother) is at the bottom of her cage watching and listening.  The tank is right next to her.  She won't look at her own yummy worm salad right next to her, but appears totally devastated that she can't be with her babies.  Should she be?

My sister & family are on their way home and can take over, but they need your advice!  What should be changed in this tank?  Will it work to use cardboard to section off the babies so there aren't too many together?  Any input would be appreciated.

[Thewolfmantom]

The mother will eat the babies. If it fits in the mouth its food.
babies still require the same light as adults.
They will start eating on thier own from 1 to 5 days from hatching. I tend to keep about 4 or 5 per sterlite bin. But i have hatching racks. A 10 gal tank will hold about 5 babys at 1st. I hope this starts to answer your questions. I know you have 100 more.

[reb]

ok, so:

*The containers should be lined as perlite?

*what type of container do you recommend to keep the others in?  How long will that situation work, and what do you recommend longer term? 

I don't know what hatching racks are, and I'm not sure if my sister wants to get any serious breeding, but Polly laid 18 more eggs last week.  These are sitting in moistened vermiculite, 6 each in tupperwares with airholes, in an incubator.  This is the 3rd set of eggs she's laid since April 1st (the 1st round died because we weren't prepared) and I think she's only a year old, possibly less.  Do you think we might want to prepare for this as a regular event?

*They need the UV and daytime lights on day one? 

*I told my sister to order pinheads online immediately.  What should they be feeding them in the meantime?

*From the way Polly is acting, (and even the way Hemi is acting) I am seriously surprised to hear that she would eat them, but I will take your word for it.  Also, for awhile two of the babies were next to each other, one arm around the other.  Super cute; is that normal?

[Thewolfmantom]

Its normal but dont mistake that for any type of sybling loyalty. babys will bite off toes and tails in a heartbeat. I have one now that was hatched in june just loose a foot to a sibling. Im lucky He is gonna make it.
I feed mine 1/4 inch crickets from the start. I put about 5 to 6 per bin to start and then thin them out as they grow. They need the same lighting and temps as an adult.

[Lothario]

Its normal but dont mistake that for any type of sybling loyalty. babys will bite off toes and tails in a heartbeat. I have one now that was hatched in june just loose a foot to a sibling. Im lucky He is gonna make it.
I feed mine 1/4 inch crickets from the start. I put about 5 to 6 per bin to start and then thin them out as they grow. They need the same lighting and temps as an adult.

I agree with him, also you can try buying 1000 1-2 week old crickets to a cricket breeder near you don't go to a petshop they charge more and sometimes they are not healthy. feed them 3-4 times a day. if they are always full and fat the % of canibilizing will go down. good luck on them

[reb]

Thanks for the help!  As far as the suggestion to find a live cricket farm... I don't know where you all live, but I can't find a cricket farm anywhere even remotely near Connecticut.  The best we can do is order online and they won't arrive until Tuesday.  We haven't found any stores that have crickets younger than 3 weeks.  Out of desperation, my sister has bought some wingless fruit flies upon store recommendation... will those be harmful?

[Thewolfmantom]

Nope

[reb]

Another issue:
As mentioned, Polly laid 18 more eggs last week.  Today Hemi & Polly have been mating again.  At what point do we need to be concerned about Polly's health enough to separate them?
(Hemi gets depressed & goes into brummation when he's alone)

[reb]

Hmm... My sister met a veteranarian last year who had bred bearded dragons for many years.  He said he had a pair that mated frequently and he never separated them.  I know she will be calling him tomorrow for advice.

[Xterri-leighX]

I'm sorry but that vet clearly doesn't know what he's talking about... I wouldn't take his advice.