Baby sulcata grass? Please help

Misha33

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I have a baby sulcata and i heard they wont eat hay and need grass.. Where can i get them grass? Does it need to be a special kind of grass? I have looked at sites that say what types of things to feed it but if anyone could tell me exactly what he needs fed by name it would be so helpful. I have an idea on what he needs just if someone has experience and could help me out that would be great. I know what im feeding him now is not harmful to him I just want to be sure he gets everything he needs. Thanks!
 

Cowboy_Ken

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You can often find wheat berries and grow those for grass. Or, cut grass fresh in your yard and offer that. Babies, hatchlings for the most part are easiest to get to eat broadleaf weeds from your yard. Dandelion greens, plantain, mallow, those types. If you really want a hatchling to eat hay, cut it very fine and mix it with the others and it's gonna get eaten. Good luck.
 

Bee62

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Hello @Misha33
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum.
I have three baby sulcata tortoises too, but I don`t feed them hay.
In their natural habitat this specie hatch when it is Moonsun amd fresh greens are all around them.
So the first time of their lives they eat fresh greens as much as they can to grow fast.
Read the care sheeds and you know what you can feed a baby sulcata tortoise.
And if you have any questions, ask them.
We are here to help you with your tort.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/
 

Yvonne G

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Hi,and welcome to the Forum!

If you read the stickies that are posted at the top of the Sulcata section, you will find a nice list of foods you can feed your baby sulcata.
 

Tom

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Unfortunately, most of the advice given for this species is wrong. Further, there is often not a differentiation between adult care for a 150 pound male and hatchling care for a 35 gram baby.

Here is what to feed them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Here is some care info that will help to ensure that your baby survives and thrives:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

You need daily soaks, humid conditions, warm temps day and night, proper lighting, the correct substrate, etc…

We are happy to help if you'll let us.
 

Misha33

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I was told at the petstore that his heat light should be turned off at night and to just have the pad on.. Im worried he will get to cold at night like this. With the light its 80 degrees in his area. Is this warm enough?
 

Misha33

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Im feeding him things like: collard greens,dandelion greens and turnip greens. He also has water and i know he should'nt have fruit? I know he needs grass but im scared to feed him it in case something was sprayed on it. I have been soaking him and i heard its good to have a damp/humid hide area?
 

Bee62

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Misha 33 said
I was told at the petstore that his heat light should be turned off at night and to just have the pad on.. Im worried he will get to cold at night like this. With the light its 80 degrees in his area. Is this warm enough?

80 F is not enough. Under the basking lamp it should be 100 - 103 F .
On the "colder" side it should be 80 F. What heatlamp do you use ?
And for the night you need a Che ( Ceramic heat emitter ). The temperature at night never should drop under 80 F.
You mentioned a pad for the night. Does your tort sit at the heat pad tonight ?
If not, can you control the temps where the tort sleeps ?

And humidity: They need high humidity in the whole enclosure. 75 - 90 %. But if it is to cold in the enclosure, your tort easyly can get sick because of humidity and coldness.
It is easy:
Warmth and humidity is good for a tort.
Coldness and humidity is bad for a tort.
If you had increased your warmth you should increase the humidity.

Misha33 said
Im feeding him things like: collard greens,dandelion greens and turnip greens. He also has water and i know he should'nt have fruit? I know he needs grass but im scared to feed him it in case something was sprayed on it. I have been soaking him and i heard its good to have a damp/humid hide area?

Please don`t feed your tort fruits. Sulcatas are gras eaters. The badly can digest the sugar of fruits. The sugar can cause diarrhea.
If you have fear that the grases are sprayed with something you can`t feed them. Can you get gras that is not sprayed ?

Do you read the care sheeds like @Tom told you ? There is a list what a sulcata can eat.
 

Tom

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This is the light they sold me: https://www.chewy.com/exo-terra-solar-glo-all-in-one/dp/124024?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Exo Terra&utm_term=&gclid=CLnI7LTSwNICFRa1wAod7wUKVg&gclsrc=aw.ds. He sleeps on the pad at night which is under his hide. I did read the list and it helped a lot :) i was thinking about either growing him gras special for him or for now asking a friend who i know has non sprayed grass. I'll make sure to get the temp up!

You should not be using a heat pad under a tortoise. Many of them get burned that way. Not burned like smoking and flame, burned as in it can get too hot and damage a baby reptile's cells.

Sounds like you need to make some changes. Its all explained in the care sheet.
 

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