# Mazuri



## Lil' Tortie (Jul 24, 2008)

How do you get your torts to eat Mazuri food? My torts avoid pellets and only eat veggies.


----------



## elegans (Jul 24, 2008)

The best way that I know of, is to soak it in water so that is soft but still firm and place it on to a leaf of whatever their favorite food is. They will get bits of it while eating the lettuce or whatever and find out that they LOVE it! Douglas


----------



## terryo (Jul 24, 2008)

This is a good topic for the debate forum. Mazuri vs fresh food.


----------



## stells (Jul 25, 2008)

oh no Terry don't say that i've been there before lol 
*hides from Ed* lol


----------



## Crazy1 (Jul 25, 2008)

I have tried feeding some Mazuri to the DT to supplement their feedings. The males love it. The female wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t touch it. She wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t touch even the greens that it is near. However I have a new problem. My Pomeranian, he has found he LOVES it. He thinks it is the best thing he has ever tired and when I take it outside to feed to the DT he will dance all over the yard trying to get me to give him some. I have to lock him in the house because he will jump into the pen and eat it up before the torts even get to it. 
This is a dog that wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t eat anything green. He likes it soft or hard doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t matter to him all he has to do is smell it and he starts drooling.


----------



## Yvonne G (Jul 25, 2008)

Crazy1 said:


> . My Pomeranian, he has found he LOVES it. He thinks it is the best thing he has ever tired and when I take it outside to feed to the DT he will dance all over the yard trying to get me to give him some.



LOL!! Yesterday I brought home a 50lb bag of Trout Chow (Aqua Max) and I sat in my recliner chair with the bag on one side and some plastic sandwich bags on the other. I bagged it up into the smaller bags while I watched TV, then put it into the freezer. Trouble was, my finicky cat, who only licks the juice off the canned cat food and will only eat a certain brand of dry cat food, wouldn't leave me alone! She LOVES that stuff!! (As an aside to this story: You just can't wash that fishy smell off of you! It must grab onto the nose hairs and stick there. I'm still smelling it this a.m.! I tried to have an ice cream snack last night, and the fishy smell just turned my stomach...couldn't eat the ice cream! H-m-m-m- m! A new diet plan??????)

Yvonne


----------



## spikethebest (Jul 25, 2008)

I have never used Mazuri, and i have really paid much attention to it at all. But it appears everyone is all over it like its a miracle food for your torts. Can it be fed to any species of tort? I would feed it to my DT, a Red Foot I might get, and a Galapagos I might get. So is this food good for both Desert and Tropical Species? For herbivores and/or omnivores?

How much do you feed? What is the best method to feed? How much should a bag cost? Where is the best place to buy it? Are there generic brands of the same stuff? What is it composed of?

Sorry for all the questions, but i think the most natural foods are the best, but maybe im wrong, or maybe this is just a good supplement... you tell me. 

thanks


----------



## Crazy1 (Jul 25, 2008)

Cory, there are different feelings on this as with any pelleted food. I listened to a sales rep that gave a presentation at our meeting at the CTTC. I use it only occasionally as a kind of treat for the DT. If a tort doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t like it or wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t eat it I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t feed it to them. 
Some people like really support it and feed it almost exclusively and say they get great results, others use it as a supplement or a treat and others say NO way only the real deal for them. Here is the site it has all the ingredients so you can make a more informed decision. https://www.mazuri.com/indexMazuri.asp

Tortoise diet select here: https://www.mazuri.com/Home.asp?Products=1

It clearly states that this has been developed for Galapagos torts but may be beneficial for other types of dry land torts.


----------



## spikethebest (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks Robyn for your input. Anyone have any more experiences they would like to share?


----------



## Yvonne G (Jul 25, 2008)

I feed the leopards and the Aldabrans a meal of Mazuri Tortoise food once a week. Reason being I feel the nutritional value of their graze has diminished and the Mazuri is one way for me to be sure the torts are getting the vitamens and minerals they require. (These two groups of tortoise only graze, I don't feed them other than the once a week Mazuri.)

Yvonne


----------



## JustAnja (Jul 25, 2008)

And it was originally developed for Galaps so completely safe for those as well  I feed it about 2x a week sometimes more if they dont get to go outside and graze. I feed it to my Box Turtles, Hermanns, Golden Greek and Redfoots. I also fed it to my Leopards. 


You can check with any Purina dealer and get a cost for the 25lb bags or buy 1lb bags from pet stores that carry it.


----------



## redkim (Jul 25, 2008)

I read the ingredients and other that there being vitamins (which many lose potency quickly in pelleted/bagged feeds I don't see anything that relates to a sulcata. In fact the protein looks high.

So maybe for sulcatas this should not be used? Or only like Yvonne does, when it's needed and once a week?

For vitamins I will occasionally sprinkle a vitamin powder for the big torts on his food but only once or twice a week. 

What have other people experienced with Mazuri and sulcatas?


----------



## -EJ (Jul 25, 2008)

can you tell m how much protein is required?

That sulcata pictured has been raised on Mazuri since it was a hatchling... about 8 years ago.



redkim said:


> I read the ingredients and other that there being vitamins (which many lose potency quickly in pelleted/bagged feeds I don't see anything that relates to a sulcata. In fact the protein looks high.
> 
> So maybe for sulcatas this should not be used? Or only like Yvonne does, when it's needed and once a week?
> 
> ...


----------



## redkim (Jul 25, 2008)

I have been trying to get an exact figure on the percentage of protein that is allowable and so far no luck. What I have found is that alfalfa hay should not be fed to sulcatas due to the high protein. Alfalfa is about 16% protein, the Mazuri food listed protein at 15%. Plus in the ingredients it is only soy, corn, alfalfa - these are all no-no's as I have been told. So that's why I stayed away from the Mazuri. 

I would love to know if it is good for them as I very much believe in the Mazuri name. I currently feed Mazuri to my ferrets and when I worked in zoos and with exotics, Mazuri was everywhere for everything!

When I go to websites like sulcata station.com they all warn that diets high in protein will cause pyramiding and renal issues. EJ - as you have been doing this with your sulcata it's obviously been doing fine . . . who knows what to do? Wonder what the protein content in African grasses are?


----------



## -EJ (Jul 25, 2008)

That's exactly my point... you cannot come up with a requirement. If you can't come up with a requirement how can you make a statement that it is too much. Protein requirement is going to vary depending on the individual and the conditions under which that animal is going to be kept.

The other point... why is corn, wheat, soy, soy hulls... bad for the animal?

Most, if not all, of the people who shy away from this diet have most likely never used it.

Ed


redkim said:


> I have been trying to get an exact figure on the percentage of protein that is allowable and so far no luck. What I have found is that alfalfa hay should not be fed to sulcatas due to the high protein. Alfalfa is about 16% protein, the Mazuri food listed protein at 15%. Plus in the ingredients it is only soy, corn, alfalfa - these are all no-no's as I have been told. So that's why I stayed away from the Mazuri.
> 
> I would love to know if it is good for them as I very much believe in the Mazuri name. I currently feed Mazuri to my ferrets and when I worked in zoos and with exotics, Mazuri was everywhere for everything!
> 
> When I go to websites like sulcata station.com they all warn that diets high in protein will cause pyramiding and renal issues. EJ - as you have been doing this with your sulcata it's obviously been doing fine . . . who knows what to do? Wonder what the protein content in African grasses are?


----------



## JustAnja (Jul 25, 2008)

redkim said:


> EJ - as you have been doing this with your sulcata it's obviously been doing fine . . .





And pictures don't lie do they?  Ed has some fabulous looking torts raised on Mazuri.


----------



## redkim (Jul 25, 2008)

I know I know - hence the confusion!! 

So far I got Alfalfa @ 16% BAD, Mazuri @ 15% GOOD.

How often do you feed your torts Mazuri Ed? And what else is in the diet?

Hey - I even have to watch the protein to the horses, alfalfa/corn/etc can all wreak havoc if not careful!


----------



## spikethebest (Jul 25, 2008)

EJ-- when you say you raised your hatchlings on it, does that mean you ONLY fed them Mazuri, and NOTHING else, or that was their primary diet?

Just so I understand it completely (and so I can do the same thing for a Red Foot and Galp I'm getting)...

You feed them twice a week on Mazuri...and what else did you do?


----------



## terryo (Jul 25, 2008)

Ed, I hope you don't get mad at me for posting this thread. Am I the only one who enjoyed it so much? I think this really tells the whole story, with great pictures. 
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1440213,1440213


----------



## spikethebest (Jul 25, 2008)

WOW!! I love that link!!! thank you so much for providing it. So I am now 100% certain I will use it to feed my Galp along with cactus.

As far as Red Foot-- i'll stick with the turtletary and redfoots.com websites.

thanks guys for all your help!


----------



## redkim (Jul 25, 2008)

That was great - thanks for putting so much time and effort into that Ed.


----------



## spikethebest (Jul 25, 2008)

more questions...

how much mazuri do you feed? is it an amount? as much as they can eat in 5 minutes? 

also what is a good price to pay if buying in bulk (25 or 50lb)

also i called my neighbor feed store where i buy my bails of grass for my sulcatas, and i asked for Mazuri food, and they asked me for which animals? i said for tortoises, and they said they didnt have it. just mazuri food for lamas and koi. i proceeded to spell Mazuri to the lady and she confirmed that it was just for Lamas and koi. 

is there more than one variety of this miracle food or do you feed Lama food to a tortoise?

you can all obviously tell i have no idea what im doing with this. im just used to feeding natural food. i would buy grass, lettuce, carrots, strawberries by the ton!

thanks!


----------



## JustAnja (Jul 25, 2008)

Mazuri has a full range of exotic animal feeds, if they carry any Mazuri they can order it in for you. Also any Purina dealer can order it in as well.


www.mazuri.com You can do a dealer search through the website.


----------



## -EJ (Jul 26, 2008)

Not a thing else... I used to thrown in weeds when I could find or bother to pick them... but for the last 2+ years the indoor tortoises get nothing but Mazuri... I don't recommend this. I'm saying it can be done with great success... but that's only 2 years.

What I recommend is what the manufacturer of Mazuri recommends... Mazuri with dark leafy greens.

I'll be posting an up dated report.




spikethebest said:


> EJ-- when you say you raised your hatchlings on it, does that mean you ONLY fed them Mazuri, and NOTHING else, or that was their primary diet?
> 
> Just so I understand it completely (and so I can do the same thing for a Red Foot and Galp I'm getting)...
> 
> You feed them twice a week on Mazuri...and what else did you do?


----------



## -EJ (Jul 26, 2008)

I feed as much mazuri as they wil eat in one sitting. Mazuri suggests a small amount daily... either works.

You can pay anywhere from $13 to $40 for a 25lb bag. $16 to $25 is average.

It's not a miracle food... it is a well thought out diet. To many long term tortoise keepers it is a thought of as a miracle food when you consider the time energy and effort that the average keep spends providing a diet that will keep their tortoise happy and healthy... 

The product # for a 25 lb bag of mazuri is 5M21.

Ed


----------



## KQ6AR (Jul 26, 2008)

The only overwhelming thing I've heard against it, is the pesticide build up over say the 100 year lifespan of animals like tortoises. 

All the materials are grown commercially for live stock that have much shorter lifespans. Hence no long term studies have been preformed.

Of course the only way around that is to grow you're own feeds, because the grocery store food isn't much better.

Dan


----------



## -EJ (Jul 27, 2008)

I've been assured that all materials grown for live feed by Mazuri do not contain any pesticides... tests are done on a routine basis.

I have a letter from the manufacturer where these claims were addressed and found to be false.

This is just another ploy by the fear mongers... with no facts to base these accusations on.

Time will tell though...

Ed



KQ6AR said:


> The only overwhelming thing I've heard against it, is the pesticide build up over say the 100 year lifespan of animals like tortoises.
> 
> All the materials are grown commercially for live stock that have much shorter lifespans. Hence no long term studies have been preformed.
> 
> ...


----------



## Lil' Tortie (Jul 27, 2008)

I think they should make them in green to attrack more hungry torti...


----------



## KQ6AR (Jul 27, 2008)

Hi ET,
Thats interesting, I thought all commercial growers used some form of pesticide, exsept the organic growers in US.
If you have a copy of that info I'd like to read it.

Thanks,
Dan


----------



## -EJ (Jul 27, 2008)

If you search the Tortoise Trust Archives you will find this topic and wehre it was addressed.

I guess you were ill informed.

Ed



KQ6AR said:


> Hi ET,
> Thats interesting, I thought all commercial growers used some form of pesticide, exsept the organic growers in US.
> If you have a copy of that info I'd like to read it.
> 
> ...


----------



## KQ6AR (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks ET,

I'll have to check it out.
I don't think I'll believe it unless there are independent tests, not paid for by the manufacturer. But I might be surprised.

Thanks Again,
Dan


Hi Again,
I just used the search option on the tortoise trust website, but nothing came up for Mazuri. Thanks for the info anyway.


----------



## -EJ (Jul 28, 2008)

Unsubstantiated accusations are very easy to throw out...

Going the flip side... provide the evidence to support your claims.

You're welcome Dannie.



KQ6AR said:


> Thanks ET,
> 
> I'll have to check it out.
> I don't think I'll believe it unless there are independent tests, not paid for by the manufacturer. But I might be surprised.
> ...


----------



## soundwave (Jul 30, 2008)

-EJ said:


> Unsubstantiated accusations are very easy to throw out...
> 
> Going the flip side... provide the evidence to support your claims.
> 
> ...




Thank Ed for provide such wonderful information.

Does the Mazuri have enough Calicum or should I still use a calicum supplement with the Mazuri?


----------



## -EJ (Jul 31, 2008)

It's totally complete... No added calcium needed.

You're welcome.

Ed




soundwave said:


> -EJ said:
> 
> 
> > Unsubstantiated accusations are very easy to throw out...
> ...


----------



## Jeremy (Aug 14, 2008)

I have been feeding Mazuri to my Leopards,Stars,and Spider torts about once a week. I thought it was a little high in protine but many people have had such good results that I think I will start feeding it to them more often. Thanks for the imput.

Jeremy


----------



## glendab63 (Sep 17, 2008)

-EJ said:


> I've been using it for about 8 years now...
> 
> I feed it exclusively to some tortoises and as a supplement to others.
> 
> ...



Robin can I ask ,your torts .are awesome the 2 large one I know the one on the right is a sulcata,but not sure about the big guy .and did you same he's only 8 years old.great job you've done with them they are beauthful


----------



## -EJ (Sep 17, 2008)

You might want to brush up on your search skills...

Let me walk you through it...

Go to the TT yahoo group...

In the box marked 'Search'... type in 'Mazuri'...

Lots of nostalgia pops up... thanks.



KQ6AR said:


> Hi Again,
> I just used the search option on the tortoise trust website, but nothing came up for Mazuri. Thanks for the info anyway.


----------



## JustAnja (Sep 17, 2008)

> Robin can I ask ,your torts .are awesome the 2 large one I know the one on the right is a sulcata,but not sure about the big guy .and did you same he's only 8 years old.great job you've done with them they are beauthful








Those are actually pics of some of -EJ's tortoises, the large one is an Aldabra.


----------



## shackleton (Sep 21, 2008)

Hi all. -New here, my first post outside of Introductions. I've got some anecdotal info I can add.

I use Mazuri with my Egyptian, and have for about two yearly cycles. He loves it. Initially, I coated it with applesauce to entice him, but it proved quite unnecessary and he now eats it plain.

I use it only in the shoulder-seasons and the winter. Late spring through early fall he gets outside for several hours daily and grazes on his own. 

Once the weather makes that impossible, he gets Mazuri roughly once every ten days. I soften it a little before feeding. (It gets soft VERY quickly in water.)

Also usually once, occasionally twice, a week he gets leafy greens (the usual suspects.)

As you can see, late fall, winter, early spring are times of reduced feeding for my guy: nearly every day in warm months becomes _maybe_ twice a week when it's cooler. During these cold times his activity is correspondingly down, and I believe that reducing intake of food is beneficial, especially when you go from rough forage to rich processed stuff. I'm of the "Pets of all species tend to be overfed" school of thought.

Also important, I think, is that I soak him MORE in cold season than in warmer weather, because I believe hydration is especially important at that time of year.


----------



## kevantheman35 (Sep 21, 2008)

so if you feed them mazuri, your saying you dont need a uvb light?


----------



## -EJ (Sep 22, 2008)

Yup.



kevantheman35 said:


> so if you feed them mazuri, your saying you dont need a uvb light?


----------



## shackleton (Sep 22, 2008)

-EJ said:


> Yup.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That doesn't seem unreasonable. 

_If_ herbivorous torts use UVB to synthesize vitamin D3 in order to metabolize calcium, _and_ there is usable D3 and usable calcium present in Mazuri, _then_ UVB becomes unnecessary.

I've read that carnivorous, and even omnivorous, herps get their D3 requirements from their meaty food/prey items, and so don't rely on UVB. 

Therefore it's seems clear that UVB is just part of a process, not an end in itself. If we can get usable D3 to metabolize calcium, I'm not sure the mechanism is important.


----------



## glendab63 (Sep 22, 2008)

JustAnja said:


> > Robin can I ask ,your torts .are awesome the 2 large one I know the one on the right is a sulcata,but not sure about the big guy .and did you same he's only 8 years old.great job you've done with them they are beauthful
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thats what I thought but was'nt sure he is awesome.thank you so much for share the pics,they like to swim am I right ,does the large sulcata like swimming to,or can sulcata's swim,anyway he is breat taking bueathful tort,how old or long does it take an Aldabra to get that large,I've been looking for one myself,and he just make my want that much worse.so they eat pretty much like the sulcata,they are not DT are they I thought they we're a little more tropical.I have lots to learn about they before I get one but once again thanks for sharing pics of him


----------



## siwash (Nov 2, 2008)

Would a tort be getting too much UVB id your supplemented Mazuri into the reg. diet? I just spent $50 on a UVB light bulb and I am not keen on replacing at the moment.

I am considering trying this product - once or twice per week to ensure my tort is getting enough vitamins. I Just need to find a place where it's sold in toronto...


----------



## Madkins007 (Nov 3, 2008)

I am not going to argue against EJ, just as I would not argue against TurtleTary/TurtleNERD- those that do things that work have the high ground in this discussion!

Diets drive everyone crazy- long-term keepers find something that works and go with it. Zoos argue and play games with it all the time. Pet food is a multi-billion dollar industry. Heck, we cannot even agree on the right diet for pet dogs, for crying out loud!

You can find articles all over for tortoise diets, and for every article there is someone yelling about how bad it is, even with documented evidence that the animals are healthy and doing well.

The National Zoo raises their Red-foots on: "...chopped oranges, bananas, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, kale and parsley in amounts that can be eaten by the six animals in 20 minutes. They are led every Monday and Thursday. The Ã¢â‚¬ËœsaladÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ is supplemented with powdered Pervinal and bone meal, and on Thursday feline diet is added. " (Sam Davis, Ã¢â‚¬Å“Husbandry and breeding of the Red-footed tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria, at the National Zoological Park, Washington.Ã¢â‚¬Â International Zoo Yearbook, 19: 50-53. 1979) Of the 12 diet items mentioned, nine are listed in many articles as not good for Red-foots- yet the zoo goes on to hatch out babies at an impressive rate.

All this said- I don't plan on doing Mazuri anytime real soon. I am just not a fan of fake foods, for torts or humans. I know that a lot of reseach says 'nutrients are nutrients' whether natural or chemical, but the more I study diabetes, the Paleo-diet, etc., the less I am sure of this.


----------



## -EJ (Nov 3, 2008)

You really need to lay off the... scotch... dope... whatever.

There are people who are passionate about keeping tortoises. They do have some unique ideas... 

I don't see the idea of this post at all.

If you ever come up with some useful information as to any diet... I'm listening.



Madkins007 said:


> I am not going to argue against EJ, just as I would not argue against TurtleTary/TurtleNERD- those that do things that work have the high ground in this discussion!
> 
> Diets drive everyone crazy- long-term keepers find something that works and go with it. Zoos argue and play games with it all the time. Pet food is a multi-billion dollar industry. Heck, we cannot even agree on the right diet for pet dogs, for crying out loud!
> 
> ...


----------



## Madkins007 (Nov 7, 2008)

Dang. I thought I was making a point. Let me try again.

There is no such thing as 'the perfect tortoise diet'. Heck, there is no such thing as 'the perfect human diet' or 'pet dog diet'- and we have spent more time and money trying to find those.

Ed has success with Mazuri. TurtleNERD has success with his specific diet plan for Red-foots. The Washington Zoo has a plan, Richard Cary Paull has a plan, everyone who has ever published a site or book has a plan...

...And most of these plans work! It is often easy to find BIG problems with many of the plans- too much sugar, too much grain, too costly, too time consuming, etc. But the plans work anyway- the animals are growing and reproducing- the standards of the success of any feeding and husbandry plan.

I think we forget a couple of key points in this discussion...

1. Tortoises only need a few calories a day. (The formula, if you are interested, is 'body weight in kilos to the 0.75th power, times 32, equals daily caloric need.) Most of our diets offer more than they need. (ref: Dr. Douglas Mader, Reptile Medicine and Surgery)

2. Wild tortoises take in a lot of bulk and fairly low amounts of most nutrients in a day, and make up for it by digesting them slowly- about 20 times slower than a mammal would! Red-foots take about 3 days to digest fruit and 9 to digest vegetation. (Ref: "Flexibility of digestive responses in two generalist herbivores, the tortoises Geochelone carbonaria and Geochelone denticulate", Bjorndahl, and his section in the book "Gastrointestinal Ecosystems and Fermentations")

So- if you take a slow-digesting animal that usually eats fairly low nutrient foods and offer it a diet that follows a few basic guidelines (not too much sugar or fat, good calcium/phosphorus ratio, right roughage for the species, etc.), you should be OK. In a week's passage time, it should be able to suck nutrients out of almost anything!


----------



## -EJ (Nov 7, 2008)

makes no difference to me what a keeper does. I've found a method after 30+ years of searching... that works. I share the results. It's up to the keeper what method they choose.



Madkins007 said:


> Dang. I thought I was making a point. Let me try again.
> 
> There is no such thing as 'the perfect tortoise diet'. Heck, there is no such thing as 'the perfect human diet' or 'pet dog diet'- and we have spent more time and money trying to find those.
> 
> ...


----------



## Yvonne G (Nov 8, 2008)

Madkins007 said:


> 1. Tortoises only need a few calories a day (ref: Dr. Douglas Mader, Reptile Medicine and Surgery)
> 2. Wild tortoises take in a lot of bulk and fairly low amounts of most nutrients in a day, (Ref: "Flexibility of digestive responses in two generalist herbivores, the tortoises Geochelone carbonaria and Geochelone denticulate", Bjorndahl, and his section in the book "Gastrointestinal Ecosystems and Fermentations")



Thank you for including references. It is an interesting discussion.

Yvonne


----------



## siwash (Nov 8, 2008)

Mazuri is not practical for most tort owners who own only one or two animals (probably many if not most here). 

I have a hatchling hermann's - he's so small.. it would take 3 years to consume a 25lb of mazuri and only if I fed him daily amounts! I called around here in toronto, and I can only locate one store that carries the stuff... in 25lb bags! 

I don't have a freezer big enough to store it either as it is filled with human food and that's not going to change

Has this co. considered making product sizes for the mass market? It's basically geared toward all you breeders...


----------



## Madkins007 (Nov 9, 2008)

Mazuri is also available in 1, 5, and 9lb bags from many sources, like http://www.turtlestuff.com/shop/?cart=439872&cat=28&


----------



## siwash (Nov 9, 2008)

"NO SALES OUTSIDE OF USA"

I'm in Canada!

BTW, does anyone know of an Atlanta-area tort/reptile retailer? My sister lives down there and I will be going down to Georgia soon! I can pick up some stuff while I'm there... Hopefully some smaller quantities of Mazuri!

Thanks!


----------



## Madkins007 (Nov 11, 2008)

Ah, you crazy Canadians! If you cannot find another source, you can try a feed and grain store that carries Purina stuff- they can probably special order the Mazuri from them. (Mazuri is a Purina company).

By the way, here is a list of Mazuri dealers in Canada from Mazuri's site: https://www.mazuri.com/Home.asp?Products=2&Opening=7[hr]
OK, so the link does not go right to the dealers site- in the upper edge, click on Dealer Locator and you can find them easily enough!

If you ask them nicely, they can probably order in small quantities, and a lot of feed and grains would be willing to consider breaking open a bag and selling it by the pound- at least the ones near me will for some products.


----------



## Cam (Nov 11, 2008)

emysemys said:


> Crazy1 said:
> 
> 
> > . My Pomeranian, he has found he LOVES it. He thinks it is the best thing he has ever tired and when I take it outside to feed to the DT he will dance all over the yard trying to get me to give him some.
> ...



Too funny

For the fishy smell...slice a lemon in half and rub it on your hands then sprinkle baking soda over them and rub it all in and rinse...It should cut the smell. FYI, if you have any cuts though it will burn.


----------



## JourneyTort (Nov 12, 2008)

Hey Siwash you could probably get Rens Pet Food in Oakville to order it for you if they don't stock it. They are pretty reasonable.

JourneyTort


----------



## siwash (Nov 12, 2008)

JourneyTort said:


> Hey Siwash you could probably get Rens Pet Food in Oakville to order it for you if they don't stock it. They are pretty reasonable.
> 
> JourneyTort



Thanks! I'll try it...


----------



## fel1958 (Mar 3, 2009)

Lil said:


> How do you get your torts to eat Mazuri food? My torts avoid pellets and only eat veggies.



hello.soak the mazri for 60 seconds.lay some fresh greens over top of it.the torts have to get right in it to notice it.it took mine about a week.now they love it.allso if you have touble getting it we sell it fresh from mazuri.it does not last long here.we are allways geting a new shipment......thanx,,,,,frank


----------



## nrfitchett4 (Mar 3, 2009)

have you tried ebay? That's where I bought mine, 2lb bag it was about $12 with shipping. expensive compared to the 25lb bag, but I don't need that much. So far Shelly won't eat it anyways.


----------



## Madkins007 (Mar 5, 2009)

OK, EJ sold me, so I got some. I crunched up some and fed the finer stuff to my two littlest, and the broken pellets to my three bigger Red-foots. On the day I started feeding, I did not have anything else on hand so just put the stuff in there with some misting- and all 5 ate it.

Since then, I have fed about 1/4th Mazuri, and 3/4ths other stuff. Once a week I crunch up 1/2 of a human multi-vitamin mineral tablet to boost the low vitamin A of Mazuri, reinforce D3, and offer a boost of calcium.

They drink more water with this, or possibly because it is winter and harder to keep humid, and some days they eat a good amount of the Mazuri, some days they don't eat much of it.


----------



## tortoisenerd (Mar 5, 2009)

I'm going away for the weekend and planning to leave out some Mazuri for the hatchling russian tort. Today I soaked some pellets in warm water and mushed them up with a spoon really well, then drained the water. It made a nice little paste of Mazuri. Put it in the fridge in a container so I can put it out tomorrow when we leave.

We don't have any bug problems or else I wouldn't do this. I'm hopeful this will work well for the little guy (he can't manage the chunks and even when it dries up the Mazuri paste will be particles of a manageable size). We're gone less than 48 hours and this is our first time leaving him. Haven't had any issues with him flipping over or other worries so far to prohibit it.


----------



## terryo (Mar 6, 2009)

tortoisenerd said:


> I'm going away for the weekend and planning to leave out some Mazuri for the hatchling russian tort. Today I soaked some pellets in warm water and mushed them up with a spoon really well, then drained the water. It made a nice little paste of Mazuri. Put it in the fridge in a container so I can put it out tomorrow when we leave.
> 
> We don't have any bug problems or else I wouldn't do this. I'm hopeful this will work well for the little guy (he can't manage the chunks and even when it dries up the Mazuri paste will be particles of a manageable size). We're gone less than 48 hours and this is our first time leaving him. Haven't had any issues with him flipping over or other worries so far to prohibit it.



Be careful when leaving the Mazuri in the enclosure for too long a time. It tends to get sour. 
I have also noticed with my boxie that the days that she gets the Mazuri her poop is very smelly.


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Mar 6, 2009)

I moisten it for about 45 seconds, pour the water off and then offer it...all of mine eat it moistened, none eat it dry just broken up...


----------



## tortoisenerd (Mar 8, 2009)

terryo said:


> Be careful when leaving the Mazuri in the enclosure for too long a time. It tends to get sour.
> I have also noticed with my boxie that the days that she gets the Mazuri her poop is very smelly.



Well, we didn't have bug or odor issues, but I don't think he got to eat much of it as it dried and stuck to the slate. I'd probably have to grind it dry next time but I don't have a grinder. It is smelly!

He wasn't close to going too hungry through as he was fed Friday and Sunday (just not Saturday). The little guy was a little grumpy when we got home! Next time I'll just feed him before we leave and then when we get back, and not try to leave stuff out. I think having it there dried up was more stressful than not having food there. I haven't found anyone I trust enough to tort sit, and we don't have any plans in the near future to be gone more than 1-2 nights.


----------



## -EJ (Mar 22, 2010)

That so sucks and I totally appologise to the group.

I did drop that photo host but it seems that they capatilized on the link.

I can't tell you how angry that makes me...

It's like the malware that infects your computer to tell you that there is malware and they can get rid of it for a fee.

Again... so sorry.

To the list owner... the best thing is to delete the post.


----------



## Yvonne G (Mar 22, 2010)

-EJ said:


> That so sucks and I totally appologise to the group.
> 
> I did drop that photo host but it seems that they capatilized on the link.
> 
> ...



Just a note of explanation to future searchers that find this thread: Ed had posted GREAT pictures of his tortoises that had been raised on Mazuri. However, when he dropped the photo host, that photo site put up their advertisement instead of Ed's pictures. I have deleted the two posts that showed the ads.


----------



## -EJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Thank you. That is embarrasing.



emysemys said:


> -EJ said:
> 
> 
> > That so sucks and I totally appologise to the group.
> ...


----------



## Crazybirds (Mar 24, 2010)

Just Bought the Mazuri and my older Redfoot is going nuts over it...MAZURI=TORTOISE CRACK!!!!


----------

