BABY TORTS THAT EAT TOOO MUCH D:

[kendallllmcd]

hiii, i am a proud new mommy of two 6 week old sulcata tortoises.
they have really smooth shells obviously, and im reallly scared of pyramidding that i have read alot about and have seen the shocking photos.
my babys have been eating constantly whether it is lettuce in there turtle table or grass and leaves when they are outside, there are ALWAYS EATING! and from what i have read, if they have poor nutrition and if they eat too much they will grow too big too fast and they will develop those pyramids.
at frist watching them eat was so cute but i think they are eating toooo much and i want to do everything i can to prevent those pyramids and have happy healthy babies
so should i hold back on the food? or how should i go about not overfeeding them??

thaaanks!
kendall

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You could stop feeding them and just let them graze. Or just feed them less. It takes 4 things to prevent pyramiding, a good diet, strong UVB, humidity and lots of exercise. If he has all 4 of those he won't pyramid. It's a simple plan to follow...it just takes some work

 

[kendallllmcd]

thaats what i was thinking.. guess i just wanted to hear it from a more experienced mom lol thank you!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello Kendall and welcome to the forum. They are not getting any nutrition from the lettuce, they need a good diet and the things that Maggie has pointed out and they will be fine. if you haven't seen it already, this is a good place to start..

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1PV6jxbQY

 

[wrmitchell22]

People keep saying lettuce is bad, but spring mix is a lot of lettuce. It is just darker lettuce varities, not all lettuce is iceburg, basically dark leafy greens (including lettuce) are great. Green leaf, enidive, and romaine from what I have read are great lettuce options in a varied diet for hatchlings

 

[kendallllmcd]

to JENN!
i knoww all i ever read is all these technical sounding names for tortoise food and all different stuff i have never hear of and dont know how to get mainly cas i do not what they are lol the spring mix is the only thing that is familiar

 

[EricIvins]

There is no such thing as over feeding a hatchling.........

However, reading your fourth sentence, I would suggest doing alot more research on Pyramiding in Tortoises........It's not as simple as growing too big too fast........

 

[Bubba30]

Hello Kendall am a proud mommy of a sulcata also. At first I would feed bubba spring mix, she would love it. Now I still give her spring mix she would eat alot alot but now she loves my grass. She rather eat grass that then anything else. She is alway outside and walks all the time, but sometimes she is lazy. Well good luck Kendall
XOXOX BUBBA AND CARLA

 

[dmarcus]

People keep saying lettuce is bad, but spring mix is a lot of lettuce. It is just darker lettuce varities, not all lettuce is iceburg, basically dark leafy greens (including lettuce) are great. Green leaf, enidive, and romaine from what I have read are great lettuce options in a varied diet for hatchlings

Nobody is saying lettuce is bad but it is basically just water so not very nutritional when you are trying to give your tortoise a good diet.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Kendall:

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[October]

Kendall, spring mix may be familiar but you have a ton of options in a normal market. Santa Barbara Mix (should be near spring mix) doesn't have as much lettuce in it and has more of the better greens. Also, just try to find the darkest looking greens in the produce section. Mine even carries dandelion leaves. The main leaves you want to stay away from are spinach and most cabbage. They are okay when given sparingly, but shouldn't be used as a staple.

And then, when you get home, check out your house plants, weeds and yard plants. I was delighted when I found most of the stuff I like to plant is a good choice for Sulcatas. Just check first before you feed and make sure nothing has pesticides or herbicides if possible.

Try this list here:
http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

 

[Tom]

The care sheet that D'marcus linked for you in post number 4 explains how I like to keep them and includes all sorts of diet ideas too.

If you are not into reading all that much, here are the key points: 1. Keep them hydrated by soaking daily and misting often. Humidity will help to keep them hydrated longer. 2. Keep your temps up. This will prevent any problems from all the necessary moisture. 3. Don't use those florescent coil bulbs for UV. They can blind your babies. 4. Lots of variety in the diet is good.

This stuff is all explained in more detail in the care sheet. Your babies appetite is a good indicator of their health. Sulcatas are supposed to have good appetite. It is sign that you are doing things right.

If you ARE into reading a lot then this will give you a better idea about pyramiding and its causes:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding#axzz1PYQGRevI

There is still more to learn, but we understand much more now than ever, and lots of us have been able to raise some really smooth babies lately, in stark contrast to the way it was a few years ago.

 

[wrmitchell22]

People keep saying lettuce is bad, but spring mix is a lot of lettuce. It is just darker lettuce varities, not all lettuce is iceburg, basically dark leafy greens (including lettuce) are great. Green leaf, enidive, and romaine from what I have read are great lettuce options in a varied diet for hatchlings

Nobody is saying lettuce is bad but it is basically just water so not very nutritional when you are trying to give your tortoise a good diet.

I was under the impression spring mix is highly recommended for hatchlings?

 

[Tom]

Spring mix IS recommended for babies, but as part of a varied diet. I try to avoid grocery store foods because they cost too much AND there are better things to feed them, like weeds, grass, cactus, grape leaves, mulberry leaves, Mazuri, etc... Grocery store foods are fine, and nothing bad will happen if they are fed a good variety of them, I just think most people will agree that the other stuff I mentioned is better for them.

 

[ascott]

I have to say I agree with Tom when he says weeds and home grown is alot better than ANYTHING you can purchase in a grocery store...now with that said...if you ABSOLUTELY have no choice then the darker greens the better (for the most part) my guys snub their nose at anything not from the ground....I know this because awhile back I tested this on my guys....only one of them would even eat a squash....other than that they walk right over the food circling me searching for the good stuff . And while I may not have many that agree...I do believe that if a tortoise is raised on largely grocery greens that they will be negatively affected long term..they grow slow they live slow and for this reason they take a long time being sick before they show outward signs that we can see before we realize they are sick....they don't thrive the way they should ...in my opinion....on grocery greens vs a natural diet....the act of grazing..walking...searching ...eating etc are vital to their health and overall mental well being....now there are loads of research...naturalist studies that have shown a grown diet should be first choice and even better would be a native plant diet from the tortoises native habitat....I know every tortoise has their own dietary requirements...but every tortoise has a primal native habitat from which their species was derived from ....this I believe should be our goal as host....