# Chicken Gizzards - My new favorite Tegu food



## DMBizeau (Jul 1, 2010)

SO after getting tired of cleaning up pieces of ground turkey flung all over the bathtub, I finally decided to try chicken gizzards and I have to say I don't think I will ever feed turkey again. All of my tegus except my red are big enough to eat them without me having to cut them up and they absolutely love them! And the bonus is they don't fly apart when my tegus shake them.
I know I am not the first person to bring this up, but I just wanted to put another positive story out there.

Here is some nutrition info found on the web. Nutritionally they are both very similiar, the gizzards actually have less fat for the amount of protein you get per serving and include some vitamin C as well. Ground turkey also contains saturated fat although im not sure what effect this has on reptiles. Not to mention chicken gizzards are less then a dollar a pound retail.

Raw Chicken Gizzards 1oz
26 Calories
1g Fat
5g Protein
2% Vitamin C
4% Iron

Raw Ground Turkey 1oz
43 Calories
2g Fat
1g Saturated Fat
5g Protein
2% Iron


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## Herplings (Jul 1, 2010)

I tried Chicken Gizzards about a week ago and my Tegus and Monitors love them.
They have never been big fans of Ground Turkey. Not to mention the Gizzards are cheap and easy to get.

I agree with you for sure. :roon


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## Nafun (Jul 1, 2010)

Ground turkey is only about $1/lb here. But there are a ton of turkey farms in my town.


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## slideaboot (Jul 1, 2010)

Do you supplement them with calcium as well?


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## DMBizeau (Jul 1, 2010)

slideaboot said:


> Do you supplement them with calcium as well?



I feed whole foods once or twice a week, so I personally don't supplement them with calcium.


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## laurarfl (Jul 1, 2010)

Each meal should have a 1.5 or 2:1 Ca: P ratio. Even though you are feeding whole prey items once or twice weekly, it's not enough calcium throughout the week to counteract the phosphorous content of the gizzards, ground turkey, fruit, eggs (without shell), etc. I would really suggest a calcium supplement on any meal that does not contain bone or a healthy amount of calcium.


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## slideaboot (Jul 2, 2010)

laurarfl said:


> Each meal should have a 1.5 or 2:1 Ca: P ratio. Even though you are feeding whole prey items once or twice weekly, it's not enough calcium throughout the week to counteract the phosphorous content of the gizzards, ground turkey, fruit, eggs (without shell), etc. I would really suggest a calcium supplement on any meal that does not contain bone or a healthy amount of calcium.




How do you measure something like that, though? I always kind of wing it when I calcium dust. Is there a more scientific or accurate way of ensuring that I'm properly dosing?


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## carcharios (Jul 2, 2010)

I feed my guys chicken gizzards as well but the necks have vertebrae on them so with feeding the necks, you're tegus will be getting the calcium they require as well. And as I mentioned earlier, the bones are fully digested because they don't show up in their stools and my tegus have shown no signs of impaction.


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