# timothy hay? grow my own grass?



## taurusgi (Jan 6, 2012)

Hello! My Blacky (17 month old) has been having loose poop and I took the stool sample to the vet and they said there was no worms, so I figured maybe I should try to adjust the diet to see if more fiber would firm it up! 

Although, the other baby Panda George (9 month old) has been eating the same grocery food and she is pooping fine! I wonder if it's because Blacky eats a lot more than Panda George, so she is getting a lot more water from the food and caused the running poop?

I did some research and lots of people talked about timothy hay. Sorry if my question is stupid, but I'm not sure how it looks like?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753608&cp=3237714.11695625

Is it something like this? Can I wet it and mix it with the grocery greens and feed it like that?

Also another random question... I live in an apartment complex and I tried to grow some grass in pots on my balcony. (I got several kinds of grass seeds) They all look very skinny and look nothing like the grass you see in the park! Is it because I grow them in pots so they don't grow very well? If I feed my babies those tiny grass, would it still help them get more better fiber?

Sorry about my stupid questions but I really need help to get more fibers for them! 

I live in San Diego - it would be even better if anybody can tell me where to buy organic grass or live timothy (if there is such a thing?).. Thank you very much for your help!


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## Sammy (Jan 6, 2012)

Timothy grass is very easy to grow, but they are very fine so you need to give them more time to grow longer before cropping. I think many USA website sells the seeds

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=41&products_id=152


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## taurusgi (Jan 6, 2012)

Thank you! It's good to know that the grass are supposed to be fine. 
I think I got some of my grass seeds from Carolina but can't remember on top of my head what kinds I bought. I can't wait to start growing them again! Any suggestion on how long I should let them grow before I crop them? Is 4 weeks enough? When the grass is still "young", they look so fragile and I'm not sure if there is enough fiber for my torts? 

I would love to grow them indoor in the enclosure but everytime I have some pots indoor, there is always some little black bugs starting growing so I gave up on that idea...

Thank you so much!


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## Sammy (Jan 6, 2012)

I ordered loads of weed seeds & mixed grass seeds, tried several times to grow them but they just die or won't grow big. Only the grass were doing well, yeah they were so thin, so I grow some wheat grass to mix. Wheat grass grows fast and it's thicker. U can buy the wheat berries from that link too but I think many places sell them. I buy dried weeds and grind them onto veggies. Ur tortoise having poo problems? Have u tried a probiotics? 

http://www.mzrproducts.com/faqs/faqs.htm[hr]
http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/ca...&id=10&zenid=43d6fd5201f1a50272b23da48596da05

I really wanted to buy this but shipping from USA is too much. This looks really good with probiotics too: )

Sorry I paste the wrong link. It's this one, they sell wheat berries too, so much here.... 

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/ca...&id=10&zenid=43d6fd5201f1a50272b23da48596da05


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## Yvonne G (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi Kiki:

Don't buy that stuff packaged up by Kayti and sold in pet stores. Yes, it IS timothy hay, but NO!!! It is so old that it is terribly hard and stickery. The best place to buy grass hay is at a feed store. If you have a feed store (a place that sells cattle and horse food), I'm sure they would let you bag up some of the loose hay that drops out of the bales. Any grass hay is fine...orchard grass, timothy, bermuda, but don't get alfalfa. Second best place to buy it is from carolinapetsupply.com. They have three kinds, chopped salad-type hay, chopped orchard grass hay and organic herbal salad mix. I have purchased these from Carolina Pet Supply and the bags contain freshly dried grasses that still smell sweet and fresh and are soft blades of dried grasses. Its already all chopped up for your tortoise. I put a little bit in a bit of warm water and when it is re-hydrated, I sprinkle it over the babies' food. But you can just use it dry.


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## Lulu (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi,

I have picked up oat grass in pots at the La Mesa Farmers Market. I can't remember the name of the farm that sells it, but it is organic. It lasts about three weeks. I cut it with scissors and feed it and let it grow as long as it will. You can also get wheat grass at Sprouts. What area of San Diego are you in? PM me. I can give you some mallow and sow thistle. It is growing pretty crazy in my yard right now.


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## taurusgi (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi Sammy, Yvonne,

Thank you for the suggestion! I haven't tried Probiotics yet, but it sounds like a good idea! I don't know why Blacky keeps having loose poop and i'm willing to try anything to improve it! The powdered TNT supplement, which contains the probiotics, sounds good! I've tried the chopped salad hay before but they didn't like it... maybe I can trick them better with the powdered hay! 

Renee, Thank you for the sharing! I'll PM you later. 
I live in Encinitas and there is a Sprout right by my place! I was just there 2 days ago to pick up some organic mustard green and didn't see the wheat grass you mentioned? Are they with the grocery greens or it's alive in pot on some other shelves?

yay i'm so excited now!


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## Lulu (Jan 6, 2012)

It is in the section near the produce where they have the cut up fruit. I think they may also have oat grass.


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## zesty_17 (Jan 6, 2012)

the easiest grass i have kept alive & growing in my tort enclosures is rye & mahe (spelling? sounds like: ma-haya)... my thumbs are not even close to green.


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## taurusgi (Jan 6, 2012)

Thank you! I'll go look for them this weekend! it's good to know there are so many other different grass I can feed my babies..

just found this website:

http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/wheatgrasskit.htm

looks pretty cool! but not sure if it would really make grass-growing easier...


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## Laura (Jan 6, 2012)

try feeding pumpkin for more fiber as well. 
if you try to grow grass hay.. you wont be letting it grow like it does on the fields.. so it will be different.. Do what Yvonne reccomends.. find a feed store.


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