# How to prepare Cactus pad?



## taza (May 9, 2014)

I bought a spineless prickly pear cactus for the tune of $90.00 ouch!!!! I haven't been able to buy pads here. My question is how do you feed it to hatchlings. Do you have to peel it.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (May 9, 2014)

Well first thing I would do ( at $90.00 ) is start a cutting . Break off a pad and let it start to dry . Now do you have a large tort or a small tort ? I would cut the pad into 3 inch squares and give a square to your tort . Send a pict to us of it eating .


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## Elohi (May 9, 2014)

Grandpa Turtle 144 said:


> Well first thing I would do ( at $90.00 ) is start a cutting . Break off a pad and let it start to dry . Now do you have a large tort or a small tort ? I would cut the pad into 3 inch squares and give a square to your tort . Send a pict to us of it eating .
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using TortForum



Yeah at that prices I would be starting cutlings as often as possible. 

I'm lucky, I can just walk all of a couple hundred feet and harvest wild cactus. 


Elohi(Earth)


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## Yvonne G (May 9, 2014)

I pick the young pads because they are more tender than the older ones. Then I scrub it with a plastic pot scrubber like Scotch Brite (except I buy them at the dollar store for cheaper) and scrub all the spines off. Then I use a potato peeler and peel off the tough outer layer. You don't need to peel it for older tortoises, but babies have a hard time biting through the tough outer layer. Then I cut it up into small pieces or put it through a cheese grater and mix it up with his other greens.


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## taza (May 9, 2014)

Yes I will start some cuttings. I have been doing some research on how to do it. Hopefully it will work.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (May 9, 2014)

I know what you mean I have 2 - 4 x4 gardens right out my back door plus a bunch in my back yard 
But I don't know why she didn't buy a pad on line and just plant it in a pot . But thank you for the reply and have a great tort day


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## Elohi (May 9, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> I pick the young pads because they are more tender than the older ones. Then I scrub it with a plastic pot scrubber like Scotch Brite (except I buy them at the dollar store for cheaper) and scrub all the spines off. Then I use a potato peeler and peel off the tough outer layer. You don't need to peel it for older tortoises, but babies have a hard time biting through the tough outer layer. Then I cut it up into small pieces or put it through a cheese grater and mix it up with his other greens.



Yvonne, I have a question about cactus and other succulents. How often can they be fed? I ask because my torts love it and it seems like an ultra healing/hydrating food but then they also poop 10x their body weight when they eat cactus LOL. 
I know a balanced variety is key but I assume desert torts and african tortoises find cactus more often than many other species right?


Elohi(Earth)


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## taza (May 9, 2014)

tortoisesupply has difficulty shipping to canada otherwise I would have. I could have driven a couple of hour away but the gas money etc would have worked out almost as much.


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## Elohi (May 9, 2014)

What about eBay Taza? Can you order from there?


Elohi(Earth)


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## taza (May 9, 2014)

Never thought of that. I'll check it out,


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## Yvonne G (May 9, 2014)

I only feed cactus a couple times a week.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (May 9, 2014)

That's life the bad people can ship drugs all over the world but we cannt ship one cactus pad to a friend . 


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## akbecker (May 15, 2014)

I have pads which I replanted and they have begun to grow. They are growing in the enclosures, but I notice the tortoises never eat them - is this because of the thorns? Is the only way they eat them is if you scrub and prepare them?


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## DeanS (May 15, 2014)

As far as feeding to young torts...you can simply emulsify it in a food processor...kind of a slime...but they slurp it up like crazy.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (May 15, 2014)

You can remove thorns if you want but I think the problem is some torts don't like the larger pads they prefer pads about the size of your hand 


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## Tom (May 15, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> I only feed cactus a couple times a week.


Me too. Mostly during sumer because everything else dries up and dies. In summer they get lots of cactus, Mazuri, grass clippings, cuttings from my testudo mix seeds from Tyler, and mulberry leaves. In winter they eat all the native weeds and grasses that sprout up. This heat wave is completely destroying my remaining weeds for the season...


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## Tom (May 15, 2014)

taza said:


> My question is how do you feed it to hatchlings.



For hatchlings I only feed them the small tender brand new sprouting pads. I feed them the little pads whole and uncut. This means you'll need to pot it and wait a bit for some new growth. The bigger pads are too thick and messy. Trying to cut it or peel it for hatchling sized mouths results in a slimy mess.


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## Neal (May 15, 2014)

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/vidalia-chop-wizard/1014556052

I use this to chop up the cactus pads (and everything else) for hatchling tortoises using the smallest insert. Works really good, and my wife just "loves" the fact that I use this for tortoise food.


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## Jlant85 (May 15, 2014)

For that 90 big ones, I would have replanted and wait for it to grow. The smaller pads that grows on it would be grate for hatchings.


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## ascott (May 15, 2014)

http://www.stevebloom.com/images/b/005306-AG1.jpg

I think sometimes we worry entirely too much


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## Team Gomberg (May 15, 2014)

Crazy image Angela!! 

I don't worry about spines. But you bought spineless, so that's a moo point.. You know, like a cow's opinion... It doesn't really matter


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## taza (May 15, 2014)

Yes I discovered the slimy mess you spoke of Tom. I have removed a couple of pads to try to grow them, thanks everyone for your tips.
Sandy


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (May 16, 2014)

Good luck Sandy with you cactus !


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