cuttlebone

[sheilaamistone1974]

pokey, under 2 months old, will not touch calcium powder or vitiman powder. If he smells it he won't eat his food. he won't try cuttlebone eather. I finally had to pick it up in spray form. he doesn't seem to know its their. as far as cuttlebone, does anybody know anything about the cuttlebone that is flavored? would it be a safe product to try on my sulcata?

 

[ascott]

Flavored? Like what?

 

[Jacob]

Yes they have flavors for birds, im not too sure if they are tortoise safe.
If you have trouble just sprinkle cuddle bone and mix it in the greens

 

[JoesMum]

I've heard of flavoured cuttlebone, but would never use it... I don't know what chemicals are in the flavouring. Plain only for Joe.

You will have to get sneaky and put tiny pinches of powder in or on favourite foods!

 

[Madkins007]

Calcium is bitter and calcium powder on food looks like mildew. Lots of torts don;t like it much. Try...
- adding to the food, then mixing to distribute it
- not using too much (only a pinch every few days should be OK for small to medium torts)
- dip a corner of some moist fruit in it. The sweetness of the fruit helps hide it
- mix the powder with some other material.

I make up a supplement mix that my guys eat pretty well. I take a block of compressed Timothy hay sold for rabbits(used to enhance fiber levels), break and crumble it to something like coarse parsley flakes, add about a heaping teaspoon of calcium per cup of the hay, and crush in a human multi-vitamin tablet (generic one-A-Days). Shake well, store in an air-tight container, and ta-dah!

 

[Dizisdalife]

I like the ta-dah. My tortoise is fed Mazuri three times a week and that is when I add the supplements. As long as I don't over do it I can add anything i want to the Mazuri and he will eat it. I also use this method to introduce new foods to him.

 

[lisa127]

My two box turtles love to chew on their cuttlebones. It's hard to keep them away from theirs......So I'm surprised to hear it tastes bitter!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

You could try feeding him small ramshorn or pond snails, or just their shells.

 

[CLMoss]

Interesting... My female loves to eat her cuttlebone; however, I have never seen my male touch it. Maybe you are putting too much calcium powder on the food?