# Produce for people



## Merrick (May 26, 2015)

What are your thoughts on produce for torts whether it be home grown or bought at the store?


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## Merrick (May 26, 2015)

Also when to feed it and why


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## Yvonne G (May 26, 2015)

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. I have a nice garden where I grow several different kinds of lettuces and turnips. This is for the tortoises. I also get several boxes of leftover produce every week from the school my daughter works at. (Oh no...I ended a sentence with a preposition). And every so often I get past-the-sell-by-date produce from a grocery store. When people turn in turtles and tortoises they usually give me what supplies they have too. Even if I wouldn't buy it myself, if it is given to me I feed it all to the turtles and tortoises. 

There is only one yard that doesn't have grazing, the Manouria yard. They trample whatever tries to grow in their yard. So they get 'groceries' daily. Everyone else grazes daily and I give them 'groceries' every other day or every two days.


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## Merrick (May 26, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> I'm not quite sure what you're asking. I have a nice garden where I grow several different kinds of lettuces and turnips. This is for the tortoises. I also get several boxes of leftover produce every week from the school my daughter works at. (Oh no...I ended a sentence with a preposition). And every so often I get past-the-sell-by-date produce from a grocery store. When people turn in turtles and tortoises they usually give me what supplies they have too. Even if I wouldn't buy it myself, if it is given to me I feed it all to the turtles and tortoises.
> 
> There is only one yard that doesn't have grazing, the Manouria yard. They trample whatever tries to grow in their yard. So they get 'groceries' daily. Everyone else grazes daily and I give them 'groceries' every other day or every two days.


I am asking what you do about grocceries cause I read to try to stay away from produce as much as possible


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## dmmj (May 26, 2015)

Do you mean fruits and vegetables? Depends on the tortoise species.


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## Lyn W (May 26, 2015)

Mine had Florette classic crispy salad coated with blended dried grass during the winter out of necessity really but now the weeds are back that is what he gets.


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## Merrick (May 26, 2015)

dmmj said:


> Do you mean fruits and vegetables? Depends on the tortoise species.


Veggies and any species


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## dmmj (May 26, 2015)

Most tortoises should be limited on vegetables. 

Leaves and flowers of various plants are a much better option.


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## Turtlepete (May 26, 2015)

Merrick said:


> Veggies and any species



What do you consider vegetables? Store-bought squashes are wonderful sources of nutrition for many species…Green, yellow, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc.. Sweet potatoes are fantastic nutrition as well.


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## Merrick (May 26, 2015)

Turtlepete said:


> What do you consider vegetables? Store-bought squashes are wonderful sources of nutrition for many species…Green, yellow, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc.. Sweet potatoes are fantastic nutrition as well.


any kind really from kale and collards to pumpkins and cucubers


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## Turtlepete (May 26, 2015)

Merrick said:


> any kind really from kale and collards to pumpkins and cucubers



Pumpkins are good. Collards are good. Kale has some qualities that can be harmful but only if the tortoise is not properly hydrated. It shouldn't be a base in the diet but every week or two is great. Cucumbers don't seem to be a common food item. I'm not sure why.


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## tartagon (Nov 7, 2015)

I've heard quite a bit on how produce is 'too nutritious' for tortoises, animals which have evolved to digest poor quality vegetation high in fibre instead of calories and carbohydrates. 

This is taken from Tortoise Trust's site:

_"Jarchow (1984) published a detailed analyses and comparison between a diet based on supermarket produce (lettuce, kale, mustard greens, chard, tomatoes, endive and green beans) and reported crude fiber contents ranging from 6.8 to 14.1%. An equivalent analysis of typical wild foods revealed a crude fiber content ranging from 9.3 to 36.9%, with an average well above 20%. Hansen and Van Devender, et.al, conducting a similar study, found wild tortoises consumed vegetation with an average DM fiber content in excess of 30%. Jarchow concludes that diets based upon ‘supermarket produce’ items fail to supply adequate levels of crude fiber to herbivorous tortoises, and also fail to supply adequate levels and ratios of calcium."_

The study in question (I haven't read it myself): _Jarchow, J., D.V.M (1984) Veterinary Management of the Desert Tortoise Gopherus agassizzii at the Arizona Desert Museum: A rational approach to diet. Gopher Tortoise Council Proceedings 1984: 83-94_

I've also heard this from tortoise and reptile enthusiast Kenan Harkin (I think he's even a forum member here). 
I would personally limit human-grade plants to only a few times a week, but that's just me being cautious.


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