Commercial Tortoise Diets

[nrfitchett4]

any of y'all feed your torts comm. diets? ie Mazuri or T-Rex

Any why if you do, do you?

I looked up the contents of the Mazuri tortoise food and it's full of things I wouldn't feed a tort:
Alfalfa
Soybeans
Corn
Soybean oil
Cane Molasses

 

[nrfitchett4]

well EJ swears by it and he's pretty informed. Now that I've seen what it looks like (dog poo), I'm pretty sure the hatchling's father was eating it when we toured the tort shed. I think for now I will stick with fresh greens.

 

[Kristina]

I don't, and never will. I try to feed replacment foods that are similar to what a tortoise would encounter in the wild.

Kristina

 

[Yvonne G]

We've already had this discussion, and quite recently. Please see:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-4566.html?highlight=mazuri

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

I personally feed Mazuri to my tort, but only a little once a week or so. I want to make sure he has a taste for it, so that in an emergency such as I need to go out of town for the weekend, or if there is a storm and I can't get to the grocery store, we have a Plan B. Although the ingredients aren't such that you'd be feeding the ingredients as separately, there was enough evidence to me that Mazuri is a safe food, and it's certainly better than a lot of the alternatives. I know very few people who would condone feeding it as a primary food, but many who think it's good as part of a varied diet.

 

[-EJ]

If the contents meets the nutritional needs of the organism... does it matter where the nutrition comes from?????

Ok... you're feeding a 'natural' diet... which is probably not natural to the animal you are keeping...

Do you know all the nutritional needs are being met?????

 

[jlyoncc1]

I feed Mazuri to my Sulcatas on a limited basis. I made that choice on reading the opinions of different people. I think it is a decision you have to make on your own and feel comfortable with. I like the option of having it on hand like Kate said. Good for a fill in, emergencies, etc.

 

[tortelini]

I have never used it and have always been told not to! I never looked into it before now, but just a quick look at the ingredients sends up red flags for me. Several studies on soybean and soybean oil have found soy harmful to rats causing pancreatic cancers. The corn and cane molasses would seem like a lot of starch and sugar which is bad for digestion and as far as I know, alfalfa is a no no as well!

 

[tortelini]

Well, I just looked at the other thread and read ALL the ingredients and wish to reply to my own stupidity!! With that many different ingredients the percentage of good outweighs the bad....with the success others have had it seems like it may be an ok substitute. *shut up Dani* lol

 

[nrfitchett4]

I think my biggest concern is the fiber content. Hay grasses are all fiber and I wonder if it causes too fast digestion?

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...If soy is so bad, why do doctors have babies drink it when they are allergic to regular formula? I am sure if it causes cancer, it would not be used for babies.
The other ingredients that aren't that great for them make up a very small part of the total ingredients.
I use it as a treat once every week or two.
Patsy

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think that upon reading it causes cancer in laboratory rats I certainly will avoid feeding it to laboratory rats!!!

 

[tortoisenerd]

Maggie-lol

 

[nrfitchett4]

I think everything causes cancer in lab rats. I think it's the rats fault. I have tried the mazuri for a few days now and so far shelly does not consider it food.