Cuttlebone alternatives?

Srmcclure

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OK, so for some reason, it is becoming a pain to find cuttlebone lately... I try multiple stores and it's hit or miss. Usually miss. I put in calcium supplements and mineral supplements in chichi's food twice a week each, but was curious if I could do a diy cuttlebone type thing.

I know it sounds weird probably, but I have a decently large group of large pet snails and they need cuttlebone as well, but I can also make a calcium carbonate/water mixture in a silicone mold that is called a calcicake that replaces cuttlebone for them and wondered if anyone has tried something similar for tortoise.

What do you guys think?
Thanks everyone!
 

Srmcclure

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I feed my tortoises chicken eggshells and dust their greens with opuntia flour....

Jamie
I have the calcium supplements and I definitely don't mind adding egg shells more. she gets them when I make her an egg. I crush up the whole thing for her and cook it. She's not a fan though, so I'm still trying. Loves her wet catfood though and loved the alligator pellets I had for a while for her ?
She just loves crunching on a cuttlebone so I thought I'd see if those would work. I also have the opuntia flour from kapadilo farms and I have the actual pads that I grow here at home. She loves them both. It just seems she enjoys the cuttlebone, even though it seems like she get TOO much calcium at times... ? I give her those supplements consistently, but still tears into a bone. Idk. Maybe she's/he's just weird. ?‍♀️

She also eats really daintily like the can't tear something apart. I've looked and nothing looks out of place though and her beak is in really good shape from what I can tell.

Do you do that everyday? I add the supplements 2x a week then the flour and pads throught the week... I didn't want to do too much NutriCal or MinerAll
 

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jsheffield

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I dust their greens 1-2 times a week and give them eggshells when I think of it.

My Redfoot loves the eggshells, and when I do give them to her I can hear loud crunching coming from her enclosure for the rest of the day.

Jamie
 

ZenHerper

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Your snails may need you to pulverize the shells (and the torts may find it more acceptable as a powder), but they are an eggselent source of calcium and other trace minerals. The nice thing about whole-food supplementing is that bodies are better able to choose what they need during digestion and absorption, and to let any excess go.

Save up your empty eggshells in the fridge, boil a few minutes to disinfect, dry thoroughly, get a small coffee grinder to process. Your pets won't care if you clean up the shells before cooking, just dry them thoroughly afterward.

 

Srmcclure

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Your snails may need you to pulverize the shells (and the torts may find it more acceptable as a powder), but they are an eggselent source of calcium and other trace minerals. The nice thing about whole-food supplementing is that bodies are better able to choose what they need during digestion and absorption, and to let any excess go.

Save up your empty eggshells in the fridge, boil a few minutes to disinfect, dry thoroughly, get a small coffee grinder to process. Your pets won't care if you clean up the shells before cooking, just dry them thoroughly afterward.

We don't eat a lot of eggs, but maybe my family can pitch in and save theirs too ?

I'll look into that too!
 

Tom

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OK, so for some reason, it is becoming a pain to find cuttlebone lately... I try multiple stores and it's hit or miss. Usually miss. I put in calcium supplements and mineral supplements in chichi's food twice a week each, but was curious if I could do a diy cuttlebone type thing.

I know it sounds weird probably, but I have a decently large group of large pet snails and they need cuttlebone as well, but I can also make a calcium carbonate/water mixture in a silicone mold that is called a calcicake that replaces cuttlebone for them and wondered if anyone has tried something similar for tortoise.

What do you guys think?
Thanks everyone!
With a decent diet and your calcium supplementation, you really don't need anything more. It does no harm to have a cuttle bone or other calcium source laying around, but its not necessary.
 

Srmcclure

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With a decent diet and your calcium supplementation, you really don't need anything more. It does no harm to have a cuttle bone or other calcium source laying around, but its not necessary.
She just seems to enjoy it is all, but I feel confident that she's getting adequate levels ?

I figured it's more enrichment at this point. I'm growing a lot more for her these days and always looking for more options for her and my other creatures.
I just love picking all your brains about new, interesting things I can do for her. She loved her 'waterfall pond' I had for her ?
 

ZEROPILOT

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I feed my tortoises chicken eggshells and dust their greens with opuntia flour....

Jamie
I've been microwaving and crushing shells into tiny pieces and powder for babies. The microwave makes the shells very brittle and removes the membrane that attracts ants.
However, my adult tortoises eat hard boiled eggs that are just slightly crushed. Shell and all.
I also toss a few cuttlebones into the pens. But they usually don't get eaten. Just soiled and have to be thrown away.
 

Maro2Bear

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ZEROPILOT

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In addition to eggshells, there are a ton of vendors online selling cuttlefish bone. From large to small quantities.

I get mine from a large bird store nearby.
People with thousand dollar birds don't like broken cuttlebone. So I get the peices pretty cheap.
 

grizzclan

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OK, so for some reason, it is becoming a pain to find cuttlebone lately... I try multiple stores and it's hit or miss. Usually miss. I put in calcium supplements and mineral supplements in chichi's food twice a week each, but was curious if I could do a diy cuttlebone type thing.

I know it sounds weird probably, but I have a decently large group of large pet snails and they need cuttlebone as well, but I can also make a calcium carbonate/water mixture in a silicone mold that is called a calcicake that replaces cuttlebone for them and wondered if anyone has tried something similar for tortoise.

What do you guys think?
Thanks everyone!
I live in Colorado and found my cuttlebone's at an bird shop everyone else was out if them good luck!
 

Sarah2020

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I find cuttle bone on the beach in the UK. I normally dust green leaves with powder and agree cuttlefish barely gets a nibble but have seen it being used. I will try egg shell if nothing else with provide some enrichment.
 

Jan A

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I have the calcium supplements and I definitely don't mind adding egg shells more. she gets them when I make her an egg. I crush up the whole thing for her and cook it. She's not a fan though, so I'm still trying. Loves her wet catfood though and loved the alligator pellets I had for a while for her ?
She just loves crunching on a cuttlebone so I thought I'd see if those would work. I also have the opuntia flour from kapadilo farms and I have the actual pads that I grow here at home. She loves them both. It just seems she enjoys the cuttlebone, even though it seems like she get TOO much calcium at times... ? I give her those supplements consistently, but still tears into a bone. Idk. Maybe she's/he's just weird. ?‍♀️

She also eats really daintily like the can't tear something apart. I've looked and nothing looks out of place though and her beak is in really good shape from what I can tell.

Do you do that everyday? I add the supplements 2x a week then the flour and pads throught the week... I didn't want to do too much NutriCal or MinerAll
I got a package of 2 on Petco for about $3. Houdini hadn't touched it until last night when he partially buried it like a surfboard in his substrate. LOL!!
 
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