# to chop or not to chop



## marcy4hope (Dec 13, 2012)

i have a 16 month old sulcata and a 2 month old leopard. a few months ago, i was just tired of chopping up cactus and spring mix for my sulcata, so i bought a small food processor to chop it up for me. i love it, but i was wondering if the sulcata is old enough that i should really be putting his spring mix in his bowl whole? i had read somewhere that they need to tear the lettuce to keep their lower "mouth" from getting overgrown. is this correct, or does it really matter if i'm chopping his food finely or not? i'll still chop for the 2 month old regardless.


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## dmmj (Dec 13, 2012)

18 is probably old enough to eat stuff whole, I was told a long time ago that larger pieces of food strengthens their neck muscles, I don't know how accurate that is, but after a certain age I feed their food whole to them and they should have no problem tearing through it.


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## ascott (Dec 13, 2012)

> 18 is probably old enough to eat stuff whole, I was told a long time ago that larger pieces of food strengthens their neck muscles, I don't know how accurate that is, but after a certain age I feed their food whole to them and they should have no problem tearing through it.



Ditto


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## marcy4hope (Dec 14, 2012)

my hubby called me earlier and said that my sulcata ate almost all of his food this morning. first - this is a big deal because he's been sick, but also this is the first morning i left all of his spring mix whole and didn't chop a thing.  thanks.


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## Tom (Dec 14, 2012)

I don't usually chop anything for any of mine. My hatchlings are fed whole young cactus pads, leaves and weeds. I do chop the grass for babies and adults because if I don't their poops get all strung out. My grass for my adults is easily 12-18" tall, so I cut it into 6" pieces or so. For the babies, I chop up tender young grass into really small pieces. Adults get whole pumpkins, but on the occasion I feed some to the babies, its grated. Everything else like hibiscus leaves, mallow, mulberry, sowthistle, dandelion, plantain, etc... is left whole.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Dec 14, 2012)

I do as Tom does. All my research has yet to show the baby tortoises getting anything chopped in the real world.


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## Redstrike (Dec 14, 2012)

With everyone else on this one. What else are they going to do all day? May as well give them a puzzle to eat, keeps them problem solving and engaged.


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## Tom (Dec 14, 2012)

I find that they are more able to tear off bites if they have the weight and the drag of the whole leaf to pull against. Makes them use their feet and legs too.

I literally put whole leaves into my brooder boxes with the brand new hatchlings that are still absorbing their yolk sacs.

The only time I would chop food is if I was trying to introduce something new and they were being picky and I had to mix the new stuff with the old.


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## mattgrizzlybear (Dec 14, 2012)

I don't chop up my babies food. Only big things or hard to bite things like grapes.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 14, 2012)

I chop until they're about a year old.

This way I can include lots of different "tastes" that they mayby might not eat otherwise. Some of the wild edible weeds smell pretty pungent and I don't think they'd eat them on their own. But when chopped up small and mixed together they eat everything. Also, this way I can add minerals, vitamins and calcium and mix it all up and they don't get picky about tasting the supplements.


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## kanalomele (Dec 14, 2012)

I am chopping for a new baby leo that got off to a rough start. I don't think that his lower jaw developed normally. So while he has whole leaves available. I am chopping very finely bites of his weeds and grass just to make sure he is able to get the nutrition he needs. I only chopped for my own hatchlings for a very short time, and always offered whole leaves as well.


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## KingInCulver (Dec 14, 2012)

i don't chop, but will cut into smaller pieces with scissors depending on the food, only because for the stringier fibrous things, if i don't cut it i'll find my hatchling dragging his food all around his enclosure because he didn't finish biting it off. its a little destructive. also difficult if it's coming out his back-end as one string too... awkward. long whole dandelion leaves are usually the only culprit. but i'll just cut those to about half his length to avoid that.


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## marcy4hope (Dec 14, 2012)

thanks a lot for the advice. i think i'd started chopping the food more for my sulcata because he's so darn picky and it was a way that i could sneak other foods into his spring mix. but, i'll be leaving it whole now. i won't chop up my new babies food as much either and see how he does as well. thanks!


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## RedfootsRule (Dec 14, 2012)

Unchopped is probably better then chopped for neck muscles, but I always chop. The reason is, I feed a very wide variety to my red foots, young and old, and if I don't chop it they pick a favorite food and eat just that. If I chop it all up small, they eat everything. It gives me a lot more control over their diet.


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## Laurie (Dec 15, 2012)

Most things I leave unchopped for my babies. I was chopping everything at first, but after watching them eat, it appeared they were having an easier time getting pieces off of whole food. They were able to use their feet to help tear the food and its probably good exercise for their neck muscles as well.


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## Yellow Turtle (Dec 15, 2012)

I still chop my grass cause my torts still show less interest in eating them. For other greens and cactus, no more chopping for them.


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## BodaTort1 (Dec 15, 2012)

I chop for the same reason Redfootsrule states. I mix a variety of greens and veggies every morning, it also is easier to feed them Timothy hay and Mazuri every other day. My torts won't eat either unless it is mixed with greens. It also is easier to give their vitamins by sprinkling on top. in the afternoon I give them whole cactus pads and other veggies whole and they eat grass and weeds in their pen all day long so they get plenty of neck exercises and jaw work.


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## Edna (Dec 15, 2012)

I love to hear the sound of my tortoise crew ripping through their leaves and stalks. As a morning sound, it's right up there with the coffee maker, sausage sizzling, and NPR.


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## marcy4hope (Dec 15, 2012)

Edna said:


> I love to hear the sound of my tortoise crew ripping through their leaves and stalks. As a morning sound, it's right up there with the coffee maker, sausage sizzling, and NPR.


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## Yellow Turtle (Dec 15, 2012)

marcy4hope said:


> Edna said:
> 
> 
> > I love to hear the sound of my tortoise crew ripping through their leaves and stalks. As a morning sound, it's right up there with the coffee maker, sausage sizzling, and NPR.



Yes it is fun to watch them eating grass on the lawn. There have different ways of eating. My radiata will eat the grass like chowing it from where it grows, but my aldabra will pull the grass each time when eating it, creating some sound. Fun to watch.


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## mainey34 (Dec 15, 2012)

I do not chop anything for my 2 year old sulcata.


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## Tortus (Dec 16, 2012)

I stopped chopping when my leopard was about 2 months old and I got lazy one day. I put a bunch of larger leaves in the bowl, and watched it use its front legs to hold them down as it violently tore chunks out of them. Maybe that's what those spikes on the legs are for? To help with feeding? I noticed when it rips off a piece that's too big it will drag its arms across its mouth to break it off.

The only thing I continue to chop is cactus pads since it won't touch larger pieces. I chop it as fine as possible and mix it with the Mazuri every couple days.


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## EKLC (Dec 16, 2012)

My torts have always been more appetized by unchopped and have especially never liked a "mush"


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