Chomp Chomp Chicks Please?

Status
Not open for further replies.

tyler0912

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
2,979
Location (City and/or State)
Blackburn, U.K.
Im thinking of buying some day old chicks for my redfoot tortoises protein part of his diet i think they will be okay becaus he eats hobby mice thankyou?
 

harris

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 24, 2009
Messages
991
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
How often are you feeding mice to your Redfoot?
 

tyler0912

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
2,979
Location (City and/or State)
Blackburn, U.K.
once every 1-2weeks for the protein part of his diet or low fat dog food sometimes..
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Day old chicks are just fine to feed to your Redfoot.

Danny
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
That might be a few too many, Tyler. A "day old" chick doesn't stay that small very long, and you're not going to be feeding them to the tortoise that often. Pretty soon you'll find that you have a few pet chickens! :p
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
oops! Sorry...I didn't know you could buy them frozen. :D
 

tyler0912

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
2,979
Location (City and/or State)
Blackburn, U.K.
oops! Sorry...I didn't know you could buy them frozen
Yes we buy them frozen are you unable to buy them frozen where you are?...
I could not feed live animals i know its nature i just find it hard!!.... :D :D



I think I'll be passing on redfoots in the future. I didn't know they need THAT kind of protein. LOL
AAWWHH....Dont let that put you off i just find it the easiest way to get protein into there diet :cool: :D ;-) :p


I use to incubate chinese quail chicks...i thing that < < < would make it harder for me too feed live chicks!
 

Madkins007

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Messages
5,393
Location (City and/or State)
Nebraska
They don't need a lot of meat protein in an otherwise balanced diet, and most of the 'meat' they eat in the wild is worms, termites and butterflies. (In other words, you don't have to do pinkies or chicks if you don't want to.)

Sure, they will pig out on a carcass if they can find it- but in most of its range, there are far more aggressive scavengers so they usually don't get much. The bones and scales of small snakes and lizards are also found in their feces, and no one knows if they hunted and killed them or just ate the carcasses- I suspect it is pretty much both.

Pinkies and chicks are OK- good proteins, but the downsides are a bit of fat and not much as far as vitamin D or calcium. 'Hopper' mice and rats have better values, but none of this is a big deal in a varied diet.

Here is a link to a nutritional values chart for feeder vertebrates- http://www.house-of-reptiles.com/feedervertebrates.pdf

Chicks and pinkies are not bad- a bit fatty and low in D and calcium, but a.) Red-foots do not need a lot of proteins and you can use other sources, and b.) this is not a big deal in a varied deit.

In the wild, most Red-foot feces show that the main 'meat' they get is invertebrates- worms, butterflies, and termites. They do pig out on a carcass when other scavengers let them, and the bones of small reptiles are also found in the feces- no one is sure if they hunt them, scavenge them, or both... but I suspect it is a bit of both.
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
I think we sometimes overlook the reptile in some our reptiles....:D. I am fi.e with my guys diet....LOL really my son wants a corn snake....however he still has moments of being less than responsible for the living critters food needs so when he had his guinea pig I ended up doing it half the time....so since I have sissy girl issues feeding live food to reptiles he will not be getting one until he is preparedout and responsibleto enough toto be the sole food god....LOL although I love snakes and flesh eating lizards...I just can't bring myself to be the go from life to dead bringer of food .....silly I know....
 

terryo

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
8,975
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island, New York
It's so much easier to go outside once a month and dig up a few worms. Now that Pio is outside I never give her protein. I've seen her eating worms, slugs and small bugs that she catches on her own. Every now and then I give her a plate of the mix I make for my boxies. I know....everyone is different. That's what makes the world interesting.
 

jackrat

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
2,321
Location (City and/or State)
Hamburg,AR
Agreed,Terryo. I've watched mine eat beetles,snails,worms, and dead cicadas that they happen upon. When they're inside,I supplement with lowfat cat food or worms.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
you can simply start a mulch pile or compost pile that should bring a lot to the surface.
 

tyler0912

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
2,979
Location (City and/or State)
Blackburn, U.K.
Okay thanks my mother said birds bring them up by tapping the ground ill' also see if that < < < works ! :D :D ;)
 

Lilithlee

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2010
Messages
283
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Add water: water sometimes bring up earthworms. Not sure who good that works?

Also, if you want more earthworms when you mow don't pick up the clipping. That is food for them.
 

Khameleon21

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Messages
6
This is how I used to catch worms when I was younger for fishing. Take a glass of water and mix in some mustard powder. The water turns i nice mustard color.

Then go out into the grass and just move the blades of grass so you can expose the earth. Look for on the surface of the dirt a small mount, of pushed up soil. It may take some time to find the first one, but once you know what you are looking for you will find them quickly. Now if you carefully push the mount of dirt away, you will see a small hole. Poor some of that mustard water into the hole, and within seconds the worm will come shooting out. Make sure you rinse him off quickly, so the mustard doesn't continue to sting them. Now that I write this it does seem to be quite a cruel way to catch worms, but it does work well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top