# My RF will only eat Mazuri not veggies



## mel262011 (Sep 6, 2011)

I got Shelly a few weeks ago. The only thing she will eat is the Mazuri Tortoise Diet mixed with some tortoise food. I have put veggies in it too. All she does is eat around them or push them out of the way. Any ideas would be helpful.


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## mel262011 (Sep 6, 2011)

Let me put it this way: Is it okay for my RF to only eat Mazuri tortoise food since she refuses to eat greens or should I just mix them together and hope she eats the greens like I have been doing. By greens I mean collards and mustards and I also put in some shaved carrot and squash.


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## Laura (Sep 6, 2011)

it can only eat what you feed it.. so cut bak on the mazuri and feed only greens and such.. tough love... 
but mazuri is a good food.. so not a bad thing to eat.


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## mel262011 (Sep 6, 2011)

When I got it, the only thing it was eating was the mazuri. My only problem with the veggies is I can't keep them fresh in refrigerater long enough for them to be ate.

I have ordered some Marion Red Tortoise sticks. I am going to feed her those with the greens mixed in. I have noticed that every once in a while she will eat the greens. My solution for the greens is to freeze some of them until I can use them. She doesn't like the bland looking colors.


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## mel262011 (Sep 7, 2011)

Fed Shelly this morning. I tried greens and pellet food. She ignored the greens and ate up most of the pellet food. I think I am going to try Mazuri tortoise diet with Zoo Med Natural Forest Tortoise food so she can get all her nutrients.


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## yagyujubei (Sep 7, 2011)

SO... What's the problem? Just continue to do as you have been. If you mix the mazuri into a wet slurry and add your finely cut up greens...(looks like tuna salad)


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## Jacqui (Sep 7, 2011)

Or if it's a color thing, coat the greens with some fruit that is ground to a pulp or use baby food. Things like mango and sweet potato to coat the greens. Also like above cut the greens up good and mix into the mazuri mush. Then slowly use less mazuri. With time, she should eat greens with nothing added. This is not to say not to feed any mazuri or the red sticks, but also make sure she gets to like greens, too.

 I do like the comparison to tuna salad!


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## tyler0912 (Sep 7, 2011)

Tough love give him his veg and when he gets hundry he will eat!


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## Madkins007 (Sep 7, 2011)

mel262011 said:


> Let me put it this way: Is it okay for my RF to only eat Mazuri tortoise food since she refuses to eat greens or should I just mix them together and hope she eats the greens like I have been doing. By greens I mean collards and mustards and I also put in some shaved carrot and squash.



Mine only rarely eat mustard greens (have you tried them? Quite spicy!!), and do not seem to like collards either- usually prefer turnip and the better lettuces. Shaved carrot is not a great option either for most torts. Try red or yellow bell peppers (for the colors, green is fine for nutrients). 

I would increase the variety of greens and veggies with seeds in them, and decrease the amount of Mazuri or other pellets. Pelleted food is nutrient rich and can lead to overeating and obesity- not a problem if you can offer the right proportion of pellets based on the weight of the tortoise like the label says.


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## mel262011 (Sep 7, 2011)

What other greens can I try feeding it? Anything I get has to be store bought.

Also, can russian torts eat the same thing?


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## cdmay (Sep 7, 2011)

I agree with some of the other comments when it comes to weaning Shelly off the Mazuri by gradually mixing more of the desirable items in with the Mazuri while reducing the amount of it. However my red foots almost never eat mustard greens or store bought collard greens--although they do eat the collards I grow myself. But then collards are not particularly good to feed that often as they are high in oxalates. They are good occasionally but not as a staple.
When it comes to store bought greens red foots seem to like green leaf lettuce, romaine, chicory (escarole) endive and a few others. You can also feed them slightly cooked sweet potatoes, shaved carrots that have been cooked just enough to make them somewhat soft, yellow squash and the occasional pumpkin. 
For fruits they like mango and papaya the best followed by strawberries, bananas, seasonal berries and melons. But go easy on the fruit. I offer fruits usually about every forth or fifth feeding.
Not to create a headache for anyone but personally I do not like Mazuri in general. It is OK every once in a while but it is a grain based diet that is high in sugars and is also kind of oily. Over the years I have fed it to my animals in varying amounts but I have had some negative results when I fed more than a few times a month. I especially do not like feeding it to hatchlings or younger red foots for as number of reasons but mainly because it is very fattening and as you have discovered, addicting for the tortoises. I have also found that it contributes to unnatural looking tortoises with slight to major pyramiding and curled leg scales.


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## mel262011 (Sep 7, 2011)

thanks


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## coastal (Sep 8, 2011)

You can also feed the red Marion food we sell in place of the Mazuri or mixed up or how ever you like. This gets even our picky eater's eating and then they feed on spring mix in time on their own. Another option would be dicing up very fine cactus pad and feed that next to the Mazuri/Marion. Often times the smell of the cactus is attractive and they eat it up. Both options have worked good for me.


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## mel262011 (Sep 8, 2011)

yagyujubei said:


> SO... What's the problem? Just continue to do as you have been. If you mix the mazuri into a wet slurry and add your finely cut up greens...(looks like tuna salad)



I think I will try that.



coastal said:


> You can also feed the red Marion food we sell in place of the Mazuri or mixed up or how ever you like. This gets even our picky eater's eating and then they feed on spring mix in time on their own. Another option would be dicing up very fine cactus pad and feed that next to the Mazuri/Marion. Often times the smell of the cactus is attractive and they eat it up. Both options have worked good for me.



I ordered some of the red Marion food the other day off of your site. It should be here soon. I am going to try feeding that and mixing it with the veggies. Might do 50/50 and see how it goes.


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## coastal (Sep 8, 2011)

Ok, they should love it!


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## mel262011 (Sep 8, 2011)

Can I mix the Marion red sticks with the food for my RT too because that one will only touch pellet food? The people I got it from were feeding it box turtle food.


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## coastal (Sep 8, 2011)

Yes, you can mix it if you like. The red food will get your RF more interested in food over time. Just don't overwhelm it with to many different choices at one time. I would do no more then 2-3 options per feeding.


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## mel262011 (Sep 8, 2011)

So, it is okay for my russian, too. Just want to be clear.


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## coastal (Sep 8, 2011)

Yes, all tortoises and turtles.


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## mel262011 (Sep 8, 2011)

Okay, thanks!


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## Tnewton (Sep 10, 2011)

I would get the mazuri mushy and put green and mazuri in a food processor and mix, this way she cant pick it out. I have done this with my sulcatas and it works great


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## mel262011 (Sep 11, 2011)

Okay so just an update. When I put the Mazuri in the food, she won't eat it. She won't even eat the food mixed. I gave her a mix of turnip greens, romaine, and red/yellow peppers today with just a pinch of the pellet food. All she does is sniff it and walk off, she won't even touch it. A little advice would be appreciated.


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## Madkins007 (Sep 12, 2011)

Assuming all other cares are solid (temps, etc.), I would just offer fresh food new every day (small amounts) until it showed signs of eating something. If you have a Trader Joes nearby, try fresh figs!


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