calcium

[sportychick]

I bought my tort the cuddlebone but he hasn't touched it. How.much can I grate onto his food? And should it be twice a week? Or more or less?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi sportychick:

I would just leave the cuttle bone sitting on the floor of the habitat. Sometimes it has to "weather" before they'll touch it. In the meantime, buy a powdered calcium supplement. Just put a pinch (a pinch means a bit of powder between your thumb and index finger) over his food three times a week.

 

[sportychick]

OK thanks. I want to make sure he is getting calcium

 

[froggy]

Yeah I use powder a d put it on his food 3 times a week unless it's really bad weather and I can't get Henry outside then I do it most day just a pinch

 

[sportychick]

Can't I sprinkle shredded cuddlebone? Onto wet leaves or?

 

[froggy]

Yeah can't see why not if u want to use that instead of powder cuttlebone also keeps there beak or mouth overlap down

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Can't I sprinkle shredded cuddlebone? Onto wet leaves or?

You can either use silverware to grate some cuttle bone onto your tortoise's greens, or you can sprinkle some calcium powder onto the food instead (with Vitamin D3, if your tortoise lives indoors). In general, leave a cuttle bone in your tortoise's enclosure, so he can nibble on it whenever he wants to.

 

[sportychick]

Can't I sprinkle shredded cuddlebone? Onto wet leaves or?

You can either use silverware to grate some cuttle bone onto your tortoise's greens, or you can sprinkle some calcium powder onto the food instead (with Vitamin D3, if your tortoise lives indoors). In general, leave a cuttle bone in your tortoise's enclosure, so he can nibble on it whenever he wants to.

Thanks, yes I leave it in there but he doesn't touch it, just like his water to soak he strays away from it lol..
Yes my tortoise lives indoors I get him into the sun everyday for a few hours

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Thanks, yes I leave it in there but he doesn't touch it, just like his water to soak he strays away from it lol..
Yes my tortoise lives indoors I get him into the sun everyday for a few hours

Yeah, my Russian tortoises live indoors, but I give them as much time outdoors as possible. They have a large fenced-in area on my porch, and when weather permits (temperatures from 68-85*F, no rain or strong wind), I put them outside for hours at a time, all day long if possible.

Nevertheless, their primary enclosures are indoors. This is why the dietary supplement I use is a calcium + vitamin D3 powder. This is because animals, from turtles to humans, require sunshine so their skin can make vitamin D3. So, if an individual doesn't get much sunshine, it's good to make up for it by getting it in the diet. Again, that's true for them and us!

My tortoises also have cuttle bones in their pens. My male never touches his, but lately I've noticed that the female has really been nibbling on it a lot. Hard to say why. Could be because she is in a growth spurt now. Also could be the plants they've been eating lately, or because I haven't been supplementing as much lately, or a combination of these. Seems like when I resumed supplementing their diet more frequently (3 times/week), she stopped nibbling on her cuttle bone. So, I think she just wasn't getting as much in her diet, and was supplementing on her own ... which is what it's there for.

 

[sportychick]

I'll leave it in there and I'll supplement a few times a weeek. just added.pic of crusher hehe

 

[LeaderLeprechaun]

my tort doesnt like cuttle bone too much either and eats it only when he feels like it. i usually put a dash of calcium on it 2 times a week and a multivitamin once a week. you could grate it on the food but its more work for you

 

[sportychick]

my tort doesnt like cuttle bone too much either and eats it only when he feels like it. i usually put a dash of calcium on it 2 times a week and a multivitamin once a week. you could grate it on the food but its more work for you

True, but I so not.mind as long as I know he is getting some its worth the extra work.. what multi vitamin do u use?