Alfalfa

[deanie]

Ok, kids need some advice on this subject. Just what is alfalfa and where are you getting it. Is it the same as alfalfa sprouts in the grocery store, or am I way off base?

[einstein]

Alfalfa sprouts are the pale greens sprouts, seed cases still attached, sold in plastic containers in your grocer's and health food store's produce department or those you sprout yourself. The store-bought sprouts are the ones so highly contaminated with Salmonella...for this reason they should not be fed to your iguana.

Instead you should look for dried alfalfa, which can be found in Health food stores in the forms of tea pouches. You can also get it cheaper if you buy it online in bulk.

Here's a link to Melissa Kaplan's site: www.anapsid.org/sprouts.html

I just bought 4oz of dried alfalfa from mountainroseherbs.com for $2.25. And believe me, 4 oz is A LOT of alfalfa - especially since I only add a pinch on top of my igs' food every other day or so. I've also seen it at baskinglizards.com but it seems to be "on order" for a long time. (I'm sure there are tons more places online too.) It is high in protein so you want to lean toward the conservative side of use.

Hope this helps.

[deanie]

Thanks for the info. That is what I needed.

[Jen]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I fed sprouts to my Igs a while back!!!!!!!!!!!

[prism_wolf]

They should be fine. Just don't feed any more...:-)

[Merlin]

The problem with sprouts is not salmonella! Its the fact that they have ZIP nutrient wise! What you want are the mature leaves. You can get it in healthfood stores or by buying quality rabbit pellets.

[pocochu]

You know what you can do with the rabbit pellets is put them in a blender and make a powder out of them and then just sprinkle some on his food.
This way you know they are all turned to powder where as if you just soak the rabbit pellets in water they might not all dissolve and you would have little hard pieces of pellets which is not good, they can cause an impaction...

[deanie]

Like I said befor thanks for the info. As for Melissa's site, I just went home last night and relooked through her book, and found it in the diet section. But when I asked the question, I was here at work and knew I could count on this forum for a quick answer, so I could stop on my way home. You see I work in a big city, so that is where I have to get my supplies, non to be had in my small home town.
So again thanks.