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Just got Chester a cuttlebone and I found out you have to take off the hard baking, is that true? If so then wouldn't it be easier to just buy powder for his food? Let me know what you thank. Thanks!
Cuttlebones more trouble than its worth?
- Thread starter chester tortoiseson
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Cuttle bones are nice because they are much cheaper and I've heard are also an easier digested source of calcium. Personally, I just buy cuttle bones sold for birds (the ones sold for turtles/tortoises are way more expensive) and cut them up using a knife. My little guy is still really small though, so it's easier for him to get his mouth around smaller chunks.
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What is the backing? Both sides look the same.
Mine normally do not have them, so I don't have the problem. In the past I found if you put the ones outside with the backing on them and give them some time, those backs come off with no problems.
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I do not get this? I am so confused today! XD
Happy Tortoise said:
What don't you get?
new2turtles12 said:
Depends on what type you get. Many of the cuddlebones that are sold for birds have a hard plastic-like coating on one side.
new2turtles12 said:
Yours probably has no backing. If you take your fingernail and run it along both sides of the cuttlebone, does it easily slide into the cuttlebone? The backing looks like the cuttlebone itself, but as the name implies it covers one side of the cuttlebone and is very hard. The backing is usually yellow or off white compared to the rest.
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Jacqui said:
Oh i see now, thank you. Mine does have a backing, I'll be sure to take it off.
They may be more trouble than they're worth for some torts.
I've kept cuddlebones in my adult RT's enclosure for years and have never seen him as much as nibble on it. My assumption is that he's probably getting sufficient calcium from the plants he eats and has no need for the cuddlebone.
My sully hatchling, on the other hand, regularly chomps down on chunks of cuddlebone. So keeping cuddlebone available in that enclosure is totally worth it.
I've kept cuddlebones in my adult RT's enclosure for years and have never seen him as much as nibble on it. My assumption is that he's probably getting sufficient calcium from the plants he eats and has no need for the cuddlebone.
My sully hatchling, on the other hand, regularly chomps down on chunks of cuddlebone. So keeping cuddlebone available in that enclosure is totally worth it.
Most of my tortoises love their cuttlebones. Maybe I'm a bad tortoise mom, but I just leave the backings on (except for the little babies.) I've never had any trouble with them.
I just keep one in the enclosure in case the tort decides she needs the calcium. I've never seen her eat it though. I don't give any additional calcium either as she seems to be getting enough of it anyway.
They are also good for beak maintenance ....it allows them to file down the long parts....also a river rock (larger than the tort of course so no eating of the rock...lol) with rounded edges allows them to bite at and file down their beaks for maintenance....
ascott said:
I caught my hatchling trying to eat a river cobble yesterday. So funny! The rock was bigger than he was, but he was so persistent! I'm glad, at least, that this behavior might benefit his beak.
I did not know that the backing on the cuttlebone was plastic... My female Star loves her cuttle bone (never saw my male touch it). She is still a very young tortoise, 8 months, I just take that hard area off with may nail. I thought that it may be good for her beak. Also when I try to remove that hard stuff, the CB seems to fall apart. It can't hurt to keep the CB in the enclosure.
CLMoss said:
Where did you get your indian star?
I bought my SL Stars from a breeder here in NYC (Queens). If you are interested, pm me and I will give you his email address. His adults SL Stars (breeders) are beautiful and the hatchlings are really nice.
I tried taking that backing of once, i tried peeling it, I tired using a big wood file, tried using a knife, that stuff is hard! i have givin up trying to get it off when I almost stabbed my self. My sulcata is 2 years old and chops down on the whole thing, taking the back off is just a waste of time/dangerous. i think the harder backing actully helps the beak even more. also i have tried many brand of cuttle bone everyone of them is the same, its just size difference, i actully founds a cuttle bone recently that was about an inch thick 4 inches wide and 9 inches long, the thing was huge!
I bought a pack of 4 at Petcos (for birds), some of the cb were broken into pieces, so they (petco) took off 15%. I never saw cuttlebones for tortoises... I will have to look for them. I wonder if the other members mean mineral blocks?
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