# how healthy are dandelion greens (chicory)?



## tortoise007 (Jun 4, 2013)

I feed my tortoises dandelion greens every day, and they love it, but I was wondering, how healthy are they? Are they more or less healthy than other foods, like clovers, other weeds, mazuri and grasses? just wondering.


----------



## pam (Jun 4, 2013)

Good question


----------



## Cowboy_Ken (Jun 4, 2013)

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm

At the bottom of this page is a breakdown chart which you can use to compare the various plants.


----------



## Cowboy_Ken (Jun 4, 2013)

Did this help with your question?


----------



## wellington (Jun 4, 2013)

They are probably still reading it, LOL, that's a lot of info. Good info, but a lot to take in and compare


----------



## tortoise007 (Jun 4, 2013)

It did help me. thank you I'm trying to decide between a weed seed mix that is assorted weeds, or a mix that is pure chicory. Which would you recommend?


----------



## Cowboy_Ken (Jun 4, 2013)

Wow. I just posted a small book and it didn't show up.


In a nutshell, I mix my own seeds. I make a mix of chicory, dandelion, cats ear, mallow, California poppy, plantain, chard, turnip, red leaf, alfalfa, and white clover. It grows and my russians love it.


I buy most of my organic seeds from eBay. In the diet section of the forum, I posted a link to a seller that I've got good business relations with. Oh, I forgot Shasta daisy. Remember, this is just for my russians.


Also pansies.


----------



## billskleins (Jun 9, 2013)

As a part of a mixed and varied diet it is an excellent tortoise food.


----------



## WillTort2 (Jun 9, 2013)

What else are you feeding in addition to the dandelions?

I've noticed that if I overfeed dandelions, the urates will be pinkish with some of my Russian torts.

I try to limit my russians to 2 dandelion plants per tort 3 days per week. And I always have another weed or vegetable their primary food for the day.


----------



## tortoise007 (Jun 9, 2013)

I feed dandelion flowers, dandelion greens, geraniums, hibiscus, spineless opuntia cactus, prickly lettuce, mazuri and grassland tortoise diet.With the occasional fruit or veggie.


----------



## lynnedit (Jun 9, 2013)

Cowboy_Ken said:


> In a nutshell, I mix my own seeds. I make a mix of chicory, dandelion, cats ear, mallow, California poppy, plantain, chard, turnip, red leaf, alfalfa, and white clover. It grows and my russians love it.
> 
> 
> I buy most of my organic seeds from eBay. In the diet section of the forum, I posted a link to a seller that I've got good business relations with. Oh, I forgot Shasta daisy. Remember, this is just for my russians.
> ...






Once again,nice post and summary. I'm going to look for your post about the seed sources. I feed about the same mix, with some Kale added in. 
I also have one grape vine that I cut back hard (to wood, 18" high), each year and this gives me grape leaves for them.

Who knew the prickly pear fruit had almost as much food value as the pads (tho I guess pads have less sugar, of course).

Mine graze outside on various weeds I have planted out there. I give them Optunia pads about twice per week. 
I guess if they wanted to eat only dandelion all day, there isn't much I could do about it, lol!


----------

