I would like some input from you all...

[Adam]

Most of you may know me by now...been on IZ for nearing a month. I am new to igs, and I think I am coming about very nicely. Since having Camille, I have bought a much bigger tank, cut the cord on a hot rock, bought UVB lighting, vastly increased her diet, and today will buy a taller basking branch to put her within the 12" needed for the tubes to make an impact. All of this progress is because of you all on here and at Herp Center. I appreciate greatly all of your help, and so does Camille, as she keeps getting happier by the day.

But here is my reason for posting...I think I am ok with the diet I am currently providing her, but I know I need more variety, which I will bring in on Friday, once I get my paycheck...I will list what I am feeding her now, and I would like some replies telling me what exactly you feed your igs...I've read tons of pages on nutrition and all, which is fine...but please don't post one of those here. I know what those say, and plan on adhering to it on my next visit to the local grocer...but for right now, I would just like to know what you all are feeding your lovely igs. Thank you for the time and effort, and especially the help you've given me...both Camille and I appreciate beyond no end.

Here is Camille's current, daily diet: (In order of most used...for example: The top listed ones are the basis, and I use less of them as they get further down the list.)

Collard Greens - (cleaned, dried, with stem cut off, and cut into strips)
Turnip Green - (cleaned, dried, with stem cut off, and cut into strips)
Yellow Squash - (cleaned, dried, and diced.)
Zuccini Squash - (cleaned, dried, and diced.)
Sweet Potato - (cleaned, dried, and diced.)
Green Beans - (cleaned, dried, and diced.)

PS: Within a few days, I will be taking more pics of Camille...I just hade a new vinyl sticker made for her tank...it looks very nice, I think. I'll show them on my site within a few days, notifying you all when on this forum.

[Merlin]

Zok's daily staples are collard, mustard and turnip greens. Her veggie salad changes some with each batch but the basics are sweet potato, orange skinned squash (butternut or acorn), green beans, alfalfa pellets, papaya, and cantelope.

[Nanshe]

This week my Ig's diet has been:

Collards - Washed, Dried, Stem cut completly out of the leaf, then cut into pieces about 1.5" x 1.5"

Mustard Greens - Washed, Dried, Stem cut completly out of the leaf, and prepared like the collards

Leeks - Cut off stalk about 5" above root, each piece washed, dried, cut down the center & put into food processor on "slice"

Broccoli - Washed, air dried, flowerettes cut from stem, put into food processor on "chop" (only 1 head of broccoli for 3 Igs for 5 days - low percentage of diet)

Green Beans - Washed, air dried, put into food processor on "chop"

Sweet Potato - Washed, dried, ends cut off, put into food processor on "shred"

Yellow Squash - Washed, dried, ends cut off, put into food processor on "shred"

Chya?? Squash (green squash looks like a pear) - Washed, dried, put into food processor on "shred"

Watermelon - Cut into thin slices, about 1/4" thick (maybe thinner), slices are under 1" long and about 1/4" wide

Muskmelon - Cut like the watermelon

Honeydew - Cut like the watermelon

**Note, I only use 1/2 of each of the Honey dew & Musk melons, and 1/4 of the watermelon, which makes up the percentage of the "fruit" in the Ig's diet, for 3 Iguanas, for 5 days - keepint it a low percentage of overall diet.

I mixed the Collard, Mustards, and chopped broccoli, green beans, & leeks in one large bowl, and that is the main salad they are fed. Then I mix together in a separate bowl the shredded squashes & sweet potato, and sprinkle some on top of their salad every day. The fruit is a small amount in the early evenings as a treat before bed. Sometimes, if I'm up when the Igs are rising, I will hand feed them a few pieces of fruit while they're still in bed

2 or 3 times a month I will feed them a small portion of their favorite treat. For Margarita, it's ramen noodles - she gets about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of them 2 or 3 times monthly. For Elvis & Angel, it's wheat bread broken into pieces. I give them each 1/2 piece of bread in smushed pieces, with 1/2 of each piece dipped in water for hydration. I hand feed their treats to them - except Margarita - she goes after her noodles with such voracity that anyone stupid enough to put a finger in her way deserves to lose it! LOL

I noticed on your diet list, you said you were dicing the squash, sweet potato, and green beans. These items are truly better fed with the squash & sweet potato shredded, and the green beans chopped finely. It prevents any chance of them getting caught in their throat, and makes it so they can get more into their tummy because the pieces are much smaller and less bulky - just an idea.

I hope this is the info you were looking for! Best of luck to you and Camille! I'm looking forward to more pics!

Sincerely,

~Nan

[WillemsMom]

These posts are really helpful to me as I have little imagination when it comes to cooking, and many times I feel sorry for Will that his mom's food is such a boring fare I have already printed out your two posts, but I have a couple of additions and a question.

Willie ALSO gets bartlett pears pureed
papaya pureed
cilantro pureed-now and then
peas and beans pureed
petite carrots pureed-now and then

These are in addition to his collard and mustard greens also pureed.

He loves blueberries and green grapes.

Now two questions.

One, since keeping our igs hydrated is a must, I usually use wet food. I don't dry anything off.

second..broccoli. i have alsways thought this was a nono, nanshe. now you are the second one to tell me they feed their adult igs broccoli. I see you have suggested this is a low portion of their diet. I guess that's the clue to broccoli.

I've found these very helpful and I know Willie is grateful, too. Maybe he'll give up his anorexia sooner

[IguanaKing]

Brocolli isn't necessarily a no-no Nancy, as long as its only fed on occasion. Watch out for those grapes and carrots too, I know you're probably already doing this, but these should only be occasional foods. Since Willy is just getting over liver problems, I think you should eliminate the carrots from his diet.

Blueberrys, Audrey LOVES those, she actually managed to grab a piece of a blueberry muffin I was eating one morning when I had her with me at work.

Basically, igs are a lot like people, they can eat things that aren't good for them on occasion and suffer no ill effects. Well...except for animal protein and toxic vegetables like Rhubarb.

Other then that, I feed mine a variety of foods from what everyone has listed so far.

[EsotericComposer]

This also very helpful for me being a new ig owner and also having a young ig. Right now he diet is mostly greens. A treat of lima beans once every two weeks he gets a few pieces. But atm not many vegges. He loves his greens and loves when I have some banana or apple for him. But atm he's been mostly on greens. Need to bring some vegges into play soon. He loves yellow squash he's had some of that before too. He's not much of a picky eater. I just noticed he prefers esarole and mustards greens over collards.

[rocmills]

Our iggies get the following:

Green salad consisting of:
Collard
Mustard Greens
Turnip Greens

on top of the bed of greens they get a mixture of:

Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Cayote squash
Spaghetti squash
Green beans

and various treats (fruit) on top every couple of days.

--Roc

[JennaAndIguanaGwen]

Ramen Noodles? I've never herd of any one giving thier igs ramen noodles for a snack. I've never even thought about it but know why they would love it. ;D

[WillemsMom]

Rocmills, your menu for your igs is just what I'm trying with Willie to break through his anorexia. Sometimes he'll nibble a bit. I still haven't found the secret to his appetite.

Next time we have Ramen noodles, Will will surely get some. Maybe....?

[IguanaKing]

Hercules LOVES pasta salad, I always give him a little when I have some. I can see that an ig might like Ramen noodles. Mercury didn't and Audrey doesn't like pasta at all though...maybe its just a "guy thing". ;D

[Merlin]

Zok gets a bit of pasta as well as some cooked rice from time to time. Only as an occassional treat.

[Tesa]

This weeks menu for my 5 brats consists of:

Collard, turnip, and mustard greens fed daily.

Current veggies are:
acorn squash, sweet potato, zuchini, yellow squash, green beans, jicama, and butternut squash.

I buy a bunch of veggies, peel and cut them to the size needed to throw into my food processor and then freeze them all together in a big bag. Twice a week I thaw what I need, run them thru the food processor, and put a big "blob" of veggies on top of their greens. All five of them eat the veggies first and then go back to snack on the greens later in the day. At least they are consistent. ;D

[Cyndi]

Kyo's diet is basically the same as everyone elses

Daily: Collard, turnip and mustard greens with kale thrown in every now and then.
His veggie/fruit salad is: yellow/orange squash (alt. weekly), parsnips, gr. beans, a fruit (Cantalope(spelling?), mango, figs, alt. weekly), alfalfa powder. He gets this daily, also.

[prism_wolf]

This weeks menu:

The staples:
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Turnip greens

The additions:
Cilantro
okra (food processed)
Red bellpepper
Pumkin (fresh, unpeeled, shredded)
Grapes

Next week swap out with:
Parsley (a very small amount)
Green beans (food processed)
yellow bellpepper
Acorn squash (fresh, unpeeled, shredded)
Butternut squash (" " " )
Blueberries (if I can find any)

I don't feed any pastas. Once in a great while I will feed banana pancake or a bite or two of muffin..any muffin without nuts.

[EsotericComposer]

Eki gets a mix of weekly-

Collards, Curly Mustard Greens
or
Collards, Curly Mustard Greens, Escarole
or
Collards, Curly Mustard Greens, Clinatro

Whatever the local market hast hat doesn't look like it'll wilt in a day

He gets treats such as-
Pear (omg he bit my finger trying to get the second piece he was so excited).
Apple
Banana
Lima beans

I need to get more veggies in his diet. But he eats so little that it'd waste for the most part. So he eats mainly greens atm. With fruit maybe once every other week.