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Post by reptymom on Apr 12, 2006 17:24:18 GMT -8
Just curious how much an adult ig can pack away in a week..My biggest concern about getting an ig is availability of fresh greens through winter. I live out in the country so summertime greens are no problem I grow my own..But in winter the local store has nothing..Walmart has a limited selection of Kale, collareds a sometimes mustard green. I have to drive a long way to get there but dont mind..Im wondering about growing something indoors in winter so the drives can be less often.But cant figure anything out till I know how much igs eat..Thanks
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Post by IguanaKing on Apr 12, 2006 17:33:16 GMT -8
A full grown ig, with the right heat and light, can easily eat between 7 and 8 POUNDS of fresh veggies in a week. They are quite amazing in their ability to eat. ;D
For indoor growing, you might consider taking a leaf of various greens and putting them in water in a well-lit window. Many of them, eventually, will actually flower and produce seeds while sitting in the water. I'm not sure if the resulting crop will be enough to feed a full-grown ig though.
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Post by reptymom on Apr 12, 2006 18:02:52 GMT -8
I can order seeds and get collard and kale seeds local,Ive grown both before, I personally like to eat them too. I dont have problems getting the regular veggies, just the variety of greens
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Post by Merlin on Apr 13, 2006 5:21:22 GMT -8
You are going to be hard pressed to grow enough greens inside to feed a full grown ig. Unless you just turn an entire room into a greenhouse or light garden! The kale is an occassinal food not for every day feeding. Your basics are Collard, mustard and turnip greens. Where are you located? Walmarts here usually have all three pretty much year round.
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Post by MAR on Apr 13, 2006 8:01:38 GMT -8
As Merlin asked where are you?
Greens need a lot of light which would cost a fortune to offer in the winter. A south facing wall of windows will really help with this or a green house / solar patio room thing. I know collards like cold weather to grow in but don't know how cold mustard and turnip will still grow in. If they can take near freezing temps you may be able to construct a cold box type thing against a southern wall at your house.
I have dandelion and alfalfa growing as a ground cover in some potted trees I grow (lime and avocado. Short of flooding these with light they are pitiful little plants over the winters -- granted I don't give them much of a dormancy period.
There are several online gardening forums which could help in the idea of growing greens under lights or in green house conditions -- gardenweb comes to mind. On a side note I would love to see photos of the green houses the Israelis built a few years ago -- acres under roof and fully controlled automatically -- these green houses were the state of the art and still have not been replicated else where on earth.
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Post by reptymom on Apr 13, 2006 9:45:24 GMT -8
I live in Kansas and in winter walmart usually has kale and collards but thats it..They do carry swiss chard on occasion so while this is not an ideal green food it would do in a pinch...I have to check with another store that I know of in the city that might be more reliable..
Also what about growning greens in the igs cage? wouldnt the reptile uvbs work to make the plants grow too? Or would the iggy destroy them before they could grow?
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Post by Merlin on Apr 13, 2006 14:33:58 GMT -8
The iggy would destroy them. As well as deficate on them! And the plants you need aren't going to grow that quickly. Check stores in neighborhoods where there is a population of Black folks as well. The same greens we are talking about are part of their ethnic cooking.
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Post by MAR on Apr 14, 2006 9:13:02 GMT -8
Not just black neighborhoods but any ethnic shop with produce. Apparently typical Americans don't eat the good stuff. Italian shops around Detroit or St Louis usually have dandelions. Collards are not uncommon in southwest Europe cuizine.
Most iguanas will take out plants growing in the cage within a day. If they don't eat them they will flatten them and kill them that way. The main requirement in growing greens is the lighting and to get enough light the greens would have to take over the entire basking spot - the plants don't need UV though. A bunch (4 to 8) of 4' tubes over a 2'x4' tub would allow you to grow some greens and with some intense gardening you may be able to pull it off but you will be pushing nearly every "law" in gardening. You would further stand no chance if you were one of those thinking you can do this with out the application of fertilizer. You would also have to start this early so you have mature plants by the time the outdoor garden goes under. This would also have to have a hedge on hand if anything were to go wrong with the growing bin(s).
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Post by Patrick on Apr 14, 2006 9:50:24 GMT -8
Hi Reptymom Well my oldest which is 7 yrs old eats around 4 cups of greens a day and a cup of veggies, right after breeding season and it pick up from there tell about the mid Nov. and then back in to breeding season. How much does an adult iggy eat? Well that is a hard question to answer because so many eat differently. I have seen 10 yr olds only eat a hand full of food at a time and I have seen 10yr olds eat like horses. But like IguanaKing said that is what I would plain on. The problem is no adult iggy eats the same and you can only go by what other people iggys eat, some will eat a lot and some will eat a little. Most and I Repeat Most Iggys in the wintertime are usually in Breeding or are gravid and they will start eating less and some not at all. What I would do is worry mostly about spring and summer that is when your iggy will eat the most. And then they can really put it away. Well I hope this helps Patrick
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Post by IguanaKing on Apr 14, 2006 9:55:06 GMT -8
How about fresh parsley and cilantro? Can you get those Reptymom? They make good substitute greens when other things aren't available, or just as additional variety even when other greens are available.
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Post by reptymom on Apr 14, 2006 13:05:25 GMT -8
I didnt think they would eat parsley, Im pretty sure that we have that even in town.
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Post by reptymom on Apr 14, 2006 13:06:19 GMT -8
I really need to talk to our local grocer and see if she can order in some of these greens.That would be the greatest thing.......
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Post by MAR on Apr 14, 2006 13:59:45 GMT -8
Parsley and cilantro can be fed regularly but is not a great choice for a major part of the greens portion. My ig will pass on the whole salad if I mix in something like that or carrot tops.
Grocers, and most any other stores for that matter, will order and stock something if it is asked for directly. Early on they may require you to order some amount of the greens so they are not left there with a rotting case when all you wanted was 1/2 a pound.
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Post by IguanaKing on Apr 14, 2006 15:32:00 GMT -8
You might also ask the produce manager about the greens some produce departments actually throw away after chopping them off the tops of turnips. But, then again, that would depend on whether or not they receive whole turnips or if they have already been processed.
I forgot about the taste thing with the parsley and cilantro...some igs love it, others hate it.
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Post by Merlin on Apr 14, 2006 17:26:58 GMT -8
There is also endive, escarole and watercress.
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