# Pumpkin!!??



## tinkerbell1189 (Nov 2, 2015)

Sorry if this topic has already been visited.. I couldn't find the answer I was looking for. Noticed a few posts about people feeding their torts pumpkin (what with the huge abundance of them around Halloween!)
And my question is: I have a horsfield tortoise, would it be suitable to feed him a small amount of pumpkin?? I don't know whether it's suitable for his species! And how do you feed it? Just raw, and mashed up a bit? 

I ask this, but even if the answer is yes, there's a big chance he will just sniff it and then precede to trample all over it then ignore it! He's a fussy eater but I like to try new things with him on the off chance he will take a liking to it. Any advice would be appreciated

I find internet advice conflicting and obviously some is totally untrustworthy, I trust you guys far more!!


----------



## dmmj (Nov 2, 2015)

you can feed pumpkin. this time of year many many keepers feed it because of the abundance of it it's a short term item. most tortoises go gaga over pumpkin even picky picky eaters. Just.slice it up and watch him go to town.


----------



## wellington (Nov 2, 2015)

If your tort is small, or he doesn't want to eat it, I would grind it up, seeds guts and outer parts into a mush and feed mixed with his favorite foods. It is a natural dewormer, so it's good to try and get him to eat it. If your tort is an adult, you can just cut it into smaller pieces, small the seeds and feed it all to him.


----------



## Kapidolo Farms (Nov 2, 2015)

A small amount of seedy vegetables at any time of year is good. Mixed in well with leafy greens/grasses about as much as 10% by volume is okay. The point/goal is to keep diet varied so no tortoises in your group becomes fixated on a single diet item. So mixed in with other things and on a varying schedule of okra, summer squash, winter squash, opuntia, mushrooms, etc. non-sugery with seeds vegetables are okay.

Technically if it has seeds it's fruit, a reproductive organ for seed distribution. Seed size such that a half dozen can fit into the tortoises mouth at once to gauge tortoise and seed size. It is an alternate, not a replacement, for the substrate tortoises use to move a bolus of food in their gut. 

So many things we buy have been bred to contain higher amounts of sugar, for taste, are too much for tortoises (us too for that matter). so the non sugery produce are a good choice. Including pumpkin.


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2015)

I feed it to all my tortoises this time of year. It constitutes a very small percentage of the over all diet though.

For the russians and other smaller torts I usually grate it up on a cheese grater, skin and all, and mix it in with their other foods.

For my bigger tortoises, I just throw whole pumpkins into their enclosures. I mean I literally throw them to bust them open. The tortoises have a field day tearing them apart and eating the "guts", seeds and all. Then when the rains come in "winter" I get little pumpkin plants sprouting wherever they've pooped.


----------



## dmmj (Nov 2, 2015)

Will said:


> A small amount of seedy vegetables at any time of year is good. Mixed in well with leafy greens/grasses about as much as 10% by volume is okay. The point/goal is to keep diet varied so no tortoises in your group becomes fixated on a single diet item. So mixed in with other things and on a varying schedule of okra, summer squash, winter squash, opuntia, mushrooms, etc. non-sugery with seeds vegetables are okay.
> 
> Technically if it has seeds it's fruit, a reproductive organ for seed distribution. Seed size such that a half dozen can fit into the tortoises mouth at once to gauge tortoise and seed size. It is an alternate, not a replacement, for the substrate tortoises use to move a bolus of food in their gut.
> 
> So many things we buy have been bred to contain higher amounts of sugar, for taste, are too much for tortoises (us too for that matter). so the non sugery produce are a good choice. Including pumpkin.


reproductive organ? That's it I'm off fruit forever.


----------



## tinkerbell1189 (Nov 2, 2015)

Thanks v much for all your great advice!! I will try him with a bit! I'm hoping he will at least try some! He's an adult horsfield so not really small, I think il try cutting a few chunks for him.

That's really interesting I didn't know it was a natural dewormer


----------



## SGT Fish (Nov 4, 2015)

ive been feeding mine a handful of guts every once in a while. He seems to leave the seeds behind. he also likes the meat of the pumpkin if its in smaller pieces and has bitten off of larger pieces but usually gives up. Its a nice FREE treat for him and the deworming properties(although not totally confirmed in my reading) is a big possible benefit.


----------



## W Shaw (Nov 5, 2015)

I'd always heard that squash and pumpkin are bad because they cause loose stool which can lead to dehydration, & that they're too high carb (they're a fruit, after all!). However, I just took in a little rescue who was seriously malnourished and underweight. When I asked the vet how to best address this issue, he said, "Don't be afraid of winter squashes. They are high carb, but it's complex carbs and has good calorie density and good fiber." He said that it's a very good way to bulk up an underweight tortoise. He has saved tortoises who had stopped eating by tube feeding pumpkin puree. He said it's fine both cooked and raw, and the cooked can be put over greens to encourage him to try new foods. So I've been giving my little one raw butternut (which is very similar to pumpkin). He loves it. It does give him the runs, as expected, but giving him only small amounts with his other foods mitigates that issue.


----------

