Arugula for sulcata?

[Love4tortoises]

Hi there!,

I've done a lot of research on what to feed sullies as part of their healthy diet, but I haven't seen anything about arugula... Does anyone know if it is a good thing to feed them? If so, does it fall into the regular or occasionally given category?!

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

[DeanS]

YES! It's excellent for them...and they love it! They can get it everyday...or once in a while...doesn't matter! Most of their diet should consist of grass and weeds. Other great choices are collared greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole, grape leaves, mulberry leaves and opuntia (prickly pear cactus)!

 

[Love4tortoises]

YES! It's excellent for them...and they love it! They can get it everyday...or once in a while...doesn't matter! Most of their diet should consist of grass and weeds. Other great choices are collared greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole, grape leaves, mulberry leaves and opuntia (prickly pear cactus)!

Thanks so much! Right now "his" diet consists of Argula, Dandelion greens, Kale, and Mazuri tortoise food. He seems pretty happy with that. I havent been able to find where to buy grasses and weeds... Do you know of some places I could purchase them from or where I could get seeds to grow some?

 

[Tom]

I grow my own Arugula every year. It's a good part of a varied diet. I wouldn't feed it every day though. I wouldn't feed dandelions every day either.

It's almost springtime. Click here and order up some of their premium pasture mix. Good stuff.
http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html?SID=8n4c864a901uusi3kid4dpldg7

 

[Love4tortoises]

I grow my own Arugula every year. It's a good part of a varied diet. I wouldn't feed it every day though. I wouldn't feed dandelions every day either.

It's almost springtime. Click here and order up some of their premium pasture mix. Good stuff.
http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html?SID=8n4c864a901uusi3kid4dpldg7

Tom, what are the leafy greens you would feed everyday? I read so many different articles and they all say different leafy greens regularly... Thanks for the link as well!

 

[Tom]

For sulcatas the only thing I want to feed everyday is grass. They can certainly live on other things too, but grass is really good for them. For youngsters I use fresh sprouting tender young grass and chop it up with scissors and mix it in with whatever else I feed that day. The next big item for me is weeds. I use about a dozen or so different ones. Whatever I can find or grow. I have sources all over the place and different things crop up at different times of the year. Look up mallow, filaree, sow thistle, dandelion you already know, wild mustard, wild garlic, wild onion, hawkbit, clover, and a whole bunch of others that I can't seem to remember the names of. In addition to all of that, I grow my own grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves. I also started growing African hibiscus and this is a good one. Cactus pads are another good one. I have about 10 varieties of opuntia. Around 40 cactus plantings. In addition to all of that I grow my own alfalfa, endive, arugula, mesclun mixes, various squash plants for the leaves, collard greens, clover mixes, several pasture mixes and my favorite Testudo mix from Tyler and Sarah at tortoisesupply.com.

Is that enough?

If you are looking for a grocery store food, the best thing to feed on a regular basis is endive or escarole in my opinion. Anything else should only be used once in a while and in combination with all of the above.

 

[Love4tortoises]

For sulcatas the only thing I want to feed everyday is grass. They can certainly live on other things too, but grass is really good for them. For youngsters I use fresh sprouting tender young grass and chop it up with scissors and mix it in with whatever else I feed that day. The next big item for me is weeds. I use about a dozen or so different ones. Whatever I can find or grow. I have sources all over the place and different things crop up at different times of the year. Look up mallow, filaree, sow thistle, dandelion you already know, wild mustard, wild garlic, wild onion, hawkbit, clover, and a whole bunch of others that I can't seem to remember the names of. In addition to all of that, I grow my own grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves. I also started growing African hibiscus and this is a good one. Cactus pads are another good one. I have about 10 varieties of opuntia. Around 40 cactus plantings. In addition to all of that I grow my own alfalfa, endive, arugula, mesclun mixes, various squash plants for the leaves, collard greens, clover mixes, several pasture mixes and my favorite Testudo mix from Tyler and Sarah at tortoisesupply.com.

Is that enough?

If you are looking for a grocery store food, the best thing to feed on a regular basis is endive or escarole in my opinion. Anything else should only be used once in a while and in combination with all of the above.

Awesome! Thank you so much! I am on Tortoisesupply right now looking at what to order! I really appreciate your input. SO much help .

---

For sulcatas the only thing I want to feed everyday is grass. They can certainly live on other things too, but grass is really good for them. For youngsters I use fresh sprouting tender young grass and chop it up with scissors and mix it in with whatever else I feed that day. The next big item for me is weeds. I use about a dozen or so different ones. Whatever I can find or grow. I have sources all over the place and different things crop up at different times of the year. Look up mallow, filaree, sow thistle, dandelion you already know, wild mustard, wild garlic, wild onion, hawkbit, clover, and a whole bunch of others that I can't seem to remember the names of. In addition to all of that, I grow my own grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves. I also started growing African hibiscus and this is a good one. Cactus pads are another good one. I have about 10 varieties of opuntia. Around 40 cactus plantings. In addition to all of that I grow my own alfalfa, endive, arugula, mesclun mixes, various squash plants for the leaves, collard greens, clover mixes, several pasture mixes and my favorite Testudo mix from Tyler and Sarah at tortoisesupply.com.

Is that enough?

If you are looking for a grocery store food, the best thing to feed on a regular basis is endive or escarole in my opinion. Anything else should only be used once in a while and in combination with all of the above.

Going to begin growing my own Testudo mix and African Grazer mix from Tortoisesupply.com and mix that with Endive, Escarole, Dandelion, Arugula and Kale. Along with that I will mix in "his" Mazuri mix. Does this sound like a good, healthy diet for my little one? Sorry for so many questions, I just want to make sure that he is going to be a very happy and healthy sully!!

 

[DeanS]

For sulcatas the only thing I want to feed everyday is grass. They can certainly live on other things too, but grass is really good for them. For youngsters I use fresh sprouting tender young grass and chop it up with scissors and mix it in with whatever else I feed that day. The next big item for me is weeds. I use about a dozen or so different ones. Whatever I can find or grow. I have sources all over the place and different things crop up at different times of the year. Look up mallow, filaree, sow thistle, dandelion you already know, wild mustard, wild garlic, wild onion, hawkbit, clover, and a whole bunch of others that I can't seem to remember the names of. In addition to all of that, I grow my own grape, mulberry and hibiscus leaves. I also started growing African hibiscus and this is a good one. Cactus pads are another good one. I have about 10 varieties of opuntia. Around 40 cactus plantings. In addition to all of that I grow my own alfalfa, endive, arugula, mesclun mixes, various squash plants for the leaves, collard greens, clover mixes, several pasture mixes and my favorite Testudo mix from Tyler and Sarah at tortoisesupply.com.

Is that enough?

If you are looking for a grocery store food, the best thing to feed on a regular basis is endive or escarole in my opinion. Anything else should only be used once in a while and in combination with all of the above.

Awesome! Thank you so much! I am on Tortoisesupply right now looking at what to order! I really appreciate your input. SO much help .

My favorite place to shop is...TOM'S RANCH! The price is right and it's ALWAYS the best quality! The best mallow, the best gazania, the best everything! I think he has more space dedicated to horticulture than he does for tortoises

 

[Tom]

There are many ways to do this. I feed one thing one day and another thing another day. They seldom see the same thing more than once a week, except for grass, which is at least part of the mix most days. Sometimes I'll make up little tubs of mixed stuff, but don't feel like you have to feed all of this every day, or a huge mixture every day. You can just feed plain endive one day. Cilantro and grass another day. Mazuri and dandelion greens another day. Collard greens the next day. An assortment of collected weeds and grass the next. Cactus pads next. Then grape and hibiscus leaves. Etc... You get the idea. I usually mix in some grass each day too. It varies a lot.

 

[Love4tortoises]

There are many ways to do this. I feed one thing one day and another thing another day. They seldom see the same thing more than once a week, except for grass, which is at least part of the mix most days. Sometimes I'll make up little tubs of mixed stuff, but don't feel like you have to feed all of this every day, or a huge mixture every day. You can just feed plain endive one day. Cilantro and grass another day. Mazuri and dandelion greens another day. Collard greens the next day. An assortment of collected weeds and grass the next. Cactus pads next. Then grape and hibiscus leaves. Etc... You get the idea. I usually mix in some grass each day too. It varies a lot.

You have given me so many different ideas on how to give "him" a vaired diet! Thank you so much! I am going to start making some mixes ahead of time and just label them for different days of the week! I cant wait to get my seeds and start growing things for him to enjoy. All of this is so helpful and I know my sully (Chewy) thanks you too!