Allergic to Timothy hay... Please help.

Paul Gillis

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Hello, my name is Paul & I'm new to the forum.
My Sulcata's name is Squirt & she is 14 years old.. For quite some time I have used Timothy Hay as her bedding. She loves it. Unfortunately I have found the reason that I have been so sick, is because I am very allergic to that very Timothy Hay, & hay in general... So, my question is, what can I use in place of it? I want to supply her with something that is good for her.. Thanks.
 

Rue

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It might not help you. You might be allergic to grasses in general, and oat is a grass. But if it's only Timothy that bothers you...oat might work.
 

Linhdan Nguyen

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Maybe you could try growing fresh grass/hay ? like plant timothy grass seeds, orchard grass...
Though you could also use coco coir, soil, orchid bark, or mulch as bedding. Since sulcata's need humidity, these work better with holding humidity than hay, which tends to mold when its wet
 

Paul Gillis

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It might not help you. You might be allergic to grasses in general, and oat is a grass. But if it's only Timothy that bothers you...oat might work.
Ok, I will keep it in mind. Going to get as many options as possible & start to check them out. I assume for a few days she'll be ok with newspaper as her bedding, yes? Until I figure out what to switch to...
Thanks again.
 

Paul Gillis

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Maybe you could try growing fresh grass/hay ? like plant timothy grass seeds, orchard grass...
Though you could also use coco coir, soil, orchid bark, or mulch as bedding. Since sulcata's need humidity, these work better with holding humidity than hay, which tends to mold when its wet
Great Linda, I will look into all of this as well. She will be ok for a few days on newspaper as her bedding, while I try to decide what to switch to?
 

Paul Gillis

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Maybe you could try growing fresh grass/hay ? like plant timothy grass seeds, orchard grass...
Though you could also use coco coir, soil, orchid bark, or mulch as bedding. Since sulcata's need humidity, these work better with holding humidity than hay, which tends to mold when its wet
Would red mulch be ok?
 

SarahChelonoidis

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For bedding or food? Where are you housing your sulcata?

Cypress mulch or for bark are popular choices if we're talking bedding, but for a 14 year old sulcata, I assume you house it outdoors most of the year, so just regular old dirt is fine too. Don't used dyed mulches or pine or cedar based mulch.
 

Paul Gillis

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Bedding.
I live in Illinois, so she is kept inside, in a pen, most of the time. During the warmer months she spends more time outside.
So, I'm looking for alternatives for her indoor bedding, as the hay has become a problem for my health..
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Paul, and welcome to the Forum!

Actually, any hay or straw is not the best substrate for your sulcata. They benefit from a slightly moist substrate, and if you moisten hay or straw you risk it turning moldy. So mulch or bark or even dirt is a better choice. My favorite substrate for indoor habitats is orchid bark. For the outdoor sheds I don't use substrate. I have rubber horse stall mats on the shed floors.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Paul Gillis

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Hi Paul, and welcome to the Forum!

Actually, any hay or straw is not the best substrate for your sulcata. They benefit from a slightly moist substrate, and if you moisten hay or straw you risk it turning moldy. So mulch or bark or even dirt is a better choice. My favorite substrate for indoor habitats is orchid bark. For the outdoor sheds I don't use substrate. I have rubber horse stall mats on the shed floors.
Hello & thanks! Happy to be here.
Orchid bark, ok I'll look into that for sure. What about red bark? Or is that too crumbly, messy?
 

Yvonne G

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You want to be sure to use hardwood bark and NOT cedar or pine. I wouldn't want to use any dyed bark. The color will come off on your tortoise. The reason for orchid bark is because orchid plants are tender and can't be grown in 'dirty' medium. By dirty I mean something that has chemicals, pesticides or herbicides in it. Orchid bark is clean fir bark.
 

Paul Gillis

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Awesome, thanks so much. I will start with what I have, which is tye picture I inserted. My wife just happened to have some around the house. & tomorrow I will go get some smaller kibble. I appreciate the help very much. :)
 

Paul Gillis

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Should I moisten the bark a bit? I was always told to keep most moisture away if possible?
 

Yvonne G

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Yes. It's good if you have about a 4 or 5" layer of substrate. The lower portion stays moist while the air/heat/light dries out the top portion. It's the humidity and moisture that help your tortoise grow smoothly. As it dries out you continue to add water to keep it moist underneath.
 

Tom

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Should I moisten the bark a bit? I was always told to keep most moisture away if possible?

I'm late to this thread, but I would also recommend fine grade orchid bark.

Any substrate they are on should be damp, and humidity is good for sulcatas. This is assuming you keep her warm day and night too. Never below 76-78, and she should be able to warm up under a 95-100 degree basking spot each day.

Knowledge of sulcatas had advanced tremendously over the last few years. Yes the area where they come from is dry for 8-9 months of the year, but they are in underground burrows during that time. Babies hatch, and the adults thrive during the hot, wet, very humid, rainy season that is taking place for the other 3-4 months of the year that none of the books or "experts" ever talk about.
 
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