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Hi, I have a baby that I am told is 6 weeks old. I have been reading the posts here with great interest but still have questions.
First, what do baby's eat? I have timothy hay in with her now. I put some grass from my yard for her too. I have 4 Russian torts so I will be giving her some of the grasses and weeds growing outside for them. She should graze at her leisure right? But what should I use to give her the calcium and vitamin powder. That is three time a week or more?
Second, The substrate is dry bed-a-beast and of course the hay. The basking light is set to 95 with the other area's cooler. She has a hide, a water dish and a few rocks to crawl onto. Not to high, don't want her to hurt herself? I read one thread about humidity. Do I have to spray her area down? I thought they were desert torts? Hot and dry.
Want to get her off to a good start while I read and read and ask more questions.
thanks so much in advance. Gracie says thank you too.

Pictures!!! Welcome!

janiedough Wrote:Pictures!!! Welcome!

LOL everyone loves the pictures. I will try to get some tomorrow. She is down for the night.

torts4me Wrote:Hi, I have a baby that I am told is 6 weeks old. I have been reading the posts here with great interest but still have questions.
First, what do baby's eat? I have timothy hay in with her now.

The really little babies have trouble eating only hay. I buy the "salad-style" hay from Carolinapetsupply.com/ First you put down a little bit of moistened packaged lettuce. The package called "Spring Mix" is a really good mixture of young leaves of escarole, endive, raddiccio, etc. Then you take a pinch of the hay and sprinkle it over the top of the greens. Once or twice a week you can add a pinch of calcium powder. Because you have moistened the greens, anything you sprinkle over the top of them sticks and the baby has to eat it too. You can also take the scissors out in the yard and clip some grass for your baby. Cut it up in small bites and sprinkle it on the greens too. But don't get grass from the Russian pen or grass that might have fertilizers or bug killers on it.

As for the humidity thing...in the real world, a sulcata digs a burrow to China. Way down deep in the earth, the ground isn't as dry as it is on the surface. Also, the tortoise pees and poops down in the burrow making it even more humid. So you need to have a substrate that you can moisten. The lights quickly dry out the surface of the substrate, but it usually stays a little moist underneath. This helps the baby grow smooth and lessens the chance of pyramiding.

Yvonne

emysemys@pacbell.net Wrote:

torts4me Wrote:Hi, I have a baby that I am told is 6 weeks old. I have been reading the posts here with great interest but still have questions.
First, what do baby's eat? I have timothy hay in with her now.

The really little babies have trouble eating only hay. I buy the "salad-style" hay from Carolinapetsupply.com/ First you put down a little bit of moistened packaged lettuce. The package called "Spring Mix" is a really good mixture of young leaves of escarole, endive, raddiccio, etc. Then you take a pinch of the hay and sprinkle it over the top of the greens. Once or twice a week you can add a pinch of calcium powder. Because you have moistened the greens, anything you sprinkle over the top of them sticks and the baby has to eat it too. You can also take the scissors out in the yard and clip some grass for your baby. Cut it up in small bites and sprinkle it on the greens too. But don't get grass from the Russian pen or grass that might have fertilizers or bug killers on it.

As for the humidity thing...in the real world, a sulcata digs a burrow to China. Way down deep in the earth, the ground isn't as dry as it is on the surface. Also, the tortoise pees and poops down in the burrow making it even more humid. So you need to have a substrate that you can moisten. The lights quickly dry out the surface of the substrate, but it usually stays a little moist underneath. This helps the baby grow smooth and lessens the chance of pyramiding.

Yvonne

Here is her picture.
Why not grass from the russian pen? What about the weeds I planted from the russian mix seed I got from Carolina pet supply?

Shes a cutie, congrats on your baby.

Congrats on obtaining Gracie. She is a sweetie. I'm sure Yvonne cautioned you from gathering food from your Russian pen because that is sort of like keeping differing species together. You wouldn't want to give Gracie any parasites or natural flora from the Russians (as they do poo and pee in their habitats-thus on the foods growing in them). These could be different than Gracie’s and could cause her to get sick. That is why we do not mix species. However if you have food growing for your Russians where they are not kept by all means they can be fed to her as well.

OMG she's so cute!

So when percy poops in his hide I should leave it there? For the humidity? It stinks but I will do it if it helps him.

Janiedough, think of it like this, Africa is their natural habitat. Ranging from Mauritania thru Chad, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sudan. During the summer highs can reach 115 F (46 C) During the dry season Sullys often dig 6, 10 even 15 feet deep to find a more cool humid area to sit out the mid-day heat Yes in these dens they poo and urinate which will keep humidity up.

Most of us do not replicate these habitats for our sullys. If they poo on the top of their substrate I would clean it up. It will do nothing for their humidity on the surface. If your sully is outside and digging burrows or dens then you probably are not worried about cleaning their poo out. Especially if it is 6 feet deep or more.

If you want to know more about where your sullys come from (their natural habitat) check out some of these areas, Mauritania, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Eritrea. Their habitat is Southern Sahara, dry regions, woodlands, and semi desert grass- and shrub land

Here is a map of their habitat range in Africa

Crazy1 Wrote:Congrats on obtaining Gracie. She is a sweetie. I'm sure Yvonne cautioned you from gathering food from your Russian pen because that is sort of like keeping differing species together. You wouldn't want to give Gracie any parasites or natural flora from the Russians (as they do poo and pee in their habitats-thus on the foods growing in them). These could be different than Gracie’s and could cause her to get sick. That is why we do not mix species. However if you have food growing for your Russians where they are not kept by all means they can be fed to her as well.

K good, the russians have not been out there yet so I can still trim for her as well as them. Its been sunny but not warm so the plantings are growing great, but the torts are still waiting. I am also thinking that the substrate in the tables needs to be thicker so I can keep the bottom part moist. I am using bed a beast dry. I will have to pour water on it at least once week to keep it moist below. Sound ok to you? Gracie ate her first dandelion today. So cute!

Man this makes me so tempted to get a baby just so I can raise it all the way to adult.