The Tortoise Chef

RosemaryDW

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That is amazing. All of those things grow in your yard or nearby?

I wouldn’t think a tortoise would go for spirea, I’m not sure why. It’s beautiful, I would grow it just for me if it did well here.
 

Bambam1989

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That is amazing. All of those things grow in your yard or nearby?

I wouldn’t think a tortoise would go for spirea, I’m not sure why. It’s beautiful, I would grow it just for me if it did well here.
The local pollinators love the flowers of our spirea. While the leaves aren't his favorite, Clunker will eat them when mixed with other plants.
I am very lucky to have such a variety here. The only foods I have ever had the need to purchase was his Mazuri and the occasional cactus pad when I can find them. Since our cactus is not yet big enough to harvest from regularly.
 

TortRook1

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I am a new tort owner and I was thinking, could I prepare my little guy's food, vacuum seal and freeze it so I don't waste? And thaw what is needed or blanch the food?
 

daniellenc

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I am a new tort owner and I was thinking, could I prepare my little guy's food, vacuum seal and freeze it so I don't waste? And thaw what is needed or blanch the food?
You can try but most hate defrosted greens they get very mushy and unappetizing honestly.
 

Bambam1989

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You can try but most hate defrosted greens they get very mushy and unappetizing honestly.
This is the case with my tort. He wouldn't eat any of the foods that I had froze for him last year.
This year I've begun dehydrating his foods and he doesn't mind that at all. In fact he seems to really like the cookies!
 

daniellenc

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This is the case with my tort. He wouldn't eat any of the foods that I had froze for him last year.
This year I've begun dehydrating his foods and he doesn't mind that at all. In fact he seems to really like the cookies!
I dehydrate as well. Much easier and fresher. I have to start on my hasta and rose of sharon leaves and flowers this weekend ugh.
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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I'm so excited to post in this thread... living in Michigan as soon as Spring hits...I am outside in my garden and yard. I grow many perennials for.my "little monsters" and Vuldatort..(my hingeback). I grow and feed several varieties of Tradescantia (widow's Tears), Bee Balm, Daylillies, Hostas, Sea Holly, Fern Leaf Yarrow, Coreopsis, evening primrose, yellow Archangel, lilac, and several varieties of safe Sedum's...I also have Prickly Pear that I take outside as soon as the waether warms and bring it in when temps start to drop. My tortoises love it when I go out and gather a variety of plants for them! They literally do a happy dance once Spring hits and they get the fresh variety from my garden! I've started growing them in their enclosure, and I'm having some plants doing well, and others not so well. I'm also going to try some of them indoors year round...which I'm hoping to have some luck, however I know many of them need our cold snowy winters...so we'll see. I'll keep you updated. Also if anyone is interested, I have a couple of members I'll be sending/trading some plants to/with this fall, just message me.
 

RosemaryDW

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Thank you Alicia! I wouldn’t have thought tortoises would eat bee balm, since it’s in the mint family and supposedly has a strong taste. Do the sulcatas eat it?
 

RosemaryDW

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Last week’s brussels sprouts were a hit. They roll all over the place; if I was feeding a tortoise in an indoor enclosure I’d probably cut them in half lengthwise, to keep them steady.

I bought something else not usually on my list: Belgian endive. Endive is usually the priciest of the chicories where I live—it’s currently $7/lb at my closest grocery store. But they are very easy to feed in hot weather as they don’t wilt.

Trader Joe’s has been selling a package of them for at least a year. They are $3 where I live; I’ve seen them for $2.50 elsewehere.
I don’t know that it’s a pound but with one tortoise and not a lot of creativity this week, it was a good choice.

FECCBA80-A091-45A5-B436-D786311DF228.jpeg

I thought we’d only use half the endive but came home day three to find her mowing down our strawberry plants so she got twice as much thereafter.

It always seems weird to me that tortoises will eat rose and blackberry leaves, they are so stiff. But they are in the same family as strawberries; I guess it’s just a matter of what they are exposed to or feel like. Addy so far has only eaten strawberries in mid July and August, when it’s really hot. I wonder what’s up with that?

The usual caveats apply: feeding one single Russian tortoise housed outside; easy access to a wide variety of foods; very high cost of living area. YMMV.
 

Bambam1989

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Last week’s brussels sprouts were a hit. They roll all over the place; if I was feeding a tortoise in an indoor enclosure I’d probably cut them in half lengthwise, to keep them steady.

I bought something else not usually on my list: Belgian endive. Endive is usually the priciest of the chicories where I live—it’s currently $7/lb at my closest grocery store. But they are very easy to feed in hot weather as they don’t wilt.

Trader Joe’s has been selling a package of them for at least a year. They are $3 where I live; I’ve seen them for $2.50 elsewehere.
I don’t know that it’s a pound but with one tortoise and not a lot of creativity this week, it was a good choice.

View attachment 245166

I thought we’d only use half the endive but came home day three to find her mowing down our strawberry plants so she got twice as much thereafter.

It always seems weird to me that tortoises will eat rose and blackberry leaves, they are so stiff. But they are in the same family as strawberries; I guess it’s just a matter of what they are exposed to or feel like. Addy so far has only eaten strawberries in mid July and August, when it’s really hot. I wonder what’s up with that?

The usual caveats apply: feeding one single Russian tortoise housed outside; easy access to a wide variety of foods; very high cost of living area. YMMV.
Gosh, I wish Clunker would develop a taste for strawberry and blackberry leaves. They are some of the foods I have to sneak into his Mazuri mash. I have found that he doesn't care for most plants that are high in tannins. At least he will eat almost anything else!
 

daniellenc

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81160765-F769-401C-87B7-42206CEAC1BB.jpeg Another successful grocery store run! Escarole, watercress, cactus, aloe, guava, dandelion, sweet potatoe leaves, pumpkin, and okra!!
 

Jay Bagley

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View attachment 245525 Another successful grocery store run! Escarole, watercress, cactus, aloe, guava, dandelion, sweet potatoe leaves, pumpkin, and okra!!
Nice score!! I think I should put more of what we feed our tortoises on my own plate. Substituting a salad in place of my pepperoni Hot Pocket, probably would do my waistline some good.
 

Maro2Bear

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View attachment 245525 Another successful grocery store run! Escarole, watercress, cactus, aloe, guava, dandelion, sweet potatoe leaves, pumpkin, and okra!!

That almost looks like greens and fruit from our local International Market, but i see they have the Opuntia cactus pad package cling wrapped ( ours sells the pads loose ).
 

daniellenc

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He’s plate for tonight: Guava, cactus, dandelion, escarole, and watercress. I really need another tort I always buy too much but I think I’m going to start air drying my greens once they wilt for winter. And his first guava was a success it’s already gone EB7D5090-2E7D-4F9C-A3D7-AF19337A3ADC.jpeg
 

daniellenc

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That almost looks like greens and fruit from our local International Market, but i see they have the Opuntia cactus pad package cling wrapped ( ours sells the pads loose ).
Yes this was Korean Corner but H-Mart is my spot. This store sells 2lbs for $2.50 so reasonable enough for one little tort I think.
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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Nice score!! I think I should put more of what we feed our tortoises on my own plate. Substituting a salad in place of my pepperoni Hot Pocket, probably would do my waistline some good.
Me too! I know.my health would be greatly improved! What does that say about how we feed our torts better than us?! Lolol
 
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