diet questions

[looneybug]

Ok so Tortellini really like mazuri and when given he really chows down however I'm trying to get him on a 100% home grown diet. I've had him alittle over a week and have been giving him only home grown grasses and edible plants (except the day I brought him home) but he doesn't like anything as much as mazuri.
I know he's eating but he never chows down.
I tried to mix the mazuri with fresh grass and he would not eat it.
I have some dried "powdered" grass that I made by cutting up the grass mixed in some of his vitamin powder and dried it in the oven. After it was dried I ground it up into a powder.
I mixed this with his mazuri and he loved it.
Anyways what I'm wondering is if it is ok to mix his food like this till he starts to get use to the grass?
And if it is ok to feed it every day (only a little) till I switch over to the fresh stuff?

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I am going to continue givin fresh greens as the majority of his diet

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sorry one more question
I have some oxbow animal health critical care fine grind from when munchy was sick can I mix this with his food?
Here are the nutrition facts
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care_fine

 

[looneybug]

Any opinion would be nice even if you don't really know that much

 

[wellington]

There are a few members that feed Mazuri every day. Most will use it once or twice a week as part of their varied diet. Some, don't use it at all. I wouldn't hesitate in using it. I don't know about the oxbow food.

 

[Momof4]

How about growing some tortoise seed mix. I think I got mine from carolina pet supply. Some use wild bird seed.They love grazing. I don't think eating a small amount of Mazuri everyday at this point will hurt him at all. Just gradually add more of the weeds and grasses. You could blend it all up and make like a meatball with it. I'm not sure what happens to the nutritional value of the grasses after you bake it. I haven't heard of that one.

 

[looneybug]

Well that was the fastest way to dry it out but like I said I want to get him on home grown food as soon as I am still giving him fresh greens along with the tiny amount of mazuri dry grass mix
How much should they eat a day?

 

[wellington]

I have a leopard. I have always given him a large handful of greens and if he ate it all, I would feed him again in the afternoon. He is now almost two. I feed the same. He varies from day to day on how much he eats. He also has plants to nibble on. I also now give him about 3-4 soaked Mazuri nuggets 2-3 times a week. I just always make sure all my animals have left over food, incase they need a little snack.

 

[looneybug]

He always has greens to nibble on I just want to make sure feeding him the mazuri mix 2x a day is ok

 

[Dizisdalife]

I would not recommend feeding Mazuri twice a day, or even every day. There is a lot of debate on the virtues of a Mazuri diet. It is inexpensive and it is convenient. It does have a mixture of nutrients that would be hard to replicate with only "natural foods". The most common complaint I hear about Mazuri is that the tortoise "likes it too much". I have not heard anyone say that there is any proof of it harming their tortoise. Sulcata have a digestive tract that has evolved to process long-fiber grasses. I just don't see that in Mazuri. I think for long term health of the tortoise they need to eat grass, or weeds, or leaves, or opuntia. Just my opinion.

I do feed Mazuri to my sulcata and have for two years. It was given to me by a Vet to put the deworming meds on so the tortoise would eat it. I could see how it would be difficult to put that medicine on leafy greens. I was surprized by how fast my tortoise gobbled up the Mazuri. So, I continued feeding Mazuri even after the meds were all gone. In less than a month I noticed that my tortoise stopped eating anything green and just waited for the Mazuri.

I begin adding greens to the Mazuri. At first he wouldn't touch it, but I kept feeding it to him mixed and he finally begin to eat it. A healthy, hungry Sulcata will eat.

 

[looneybug]

I would rather not feed mazuri at all if I don't have to. I only give him the dried grass mazuri mix and I only give him a tiny bit (never enough to be full). He always has grass and greens available. I know a hungry tort will eat but idk how much the NEED to eat a day to be healthy.
I guess what I need to know is 1) do they have to eat a certain ammount a day?
2) is it better to get him to eat more by feeding mazuri or to let him be on an all home grown grass and greens diet and eat less

 

[Dizisdalife]

I would rather not feed mazuri at all if I don't have to. I only give him the dried grass mazuri mix and I only give him a tiny bit (never enough to be full). He always has grass and greens available. I know a hungry tort will eat but idk how much the NEED to eat a day to be healthy.
I guess what I need to know is 1) do they have to eat a certain ammount a day?
2) is it better to get him to eat more by feeding mazuri or to let him be on an all home grown grass and greens diet and eat less

The general rule is that they will eat a pile of greens as big as they are. Of course that may vary with the density of the greens. Opuntia cactus weighs much more than grasses. The label on the bag of Mazuri says to feed from 2% - 4% of their body weight. Interestingly enough, a horse breeder friend of mine tells me his horses eat about 2% to 4% of their body weight each day.

 

[looneybug]

The general rule is that they will eat a pile of greens as big as they are. Of course that may vary with the density of the greens. Opuntia cactus weighs much more than grasses. The label on the bag of Mazuri says to feed from 2% - 4% of their body weight. Interestingly enough, a horse breeder friend of mine tells me his horses eat about 2% to 4% of their body weight each day.

See that's the thing I do not believe that he eats that much a day. He kinda nibbles here and there but I don't think that he eats 2% of his body weight a day

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Well he will if its mazuri but other wise he wont

 

[mainey34]

I feed my sulcata mazuri daily. Along with zoomed. 3 pellets of mazuri and 3 pellets of zoomed to 2 cups of greens and grasses mixed well. It works well for me. She was very under weight before i started this. She is 2 years old....5.1/2 inches 1 1/2 lb...now 6 months later 6 inches and 2 1/4 lb. Its gradual, but helps. Her appetite is much better. She even looks better...just my experiences.....

 

[looneybug]

I don't have a problem with mazuri and I know that was part of his diet before but I hope to one day have him grazing in my back yard with little interferance from me. Well besides the occasional treat and vitamins.

 

[Momof4]

Remember that he is still new to his environment. It could take a month for him to adjust. I would just offer the weeds and greens everyday. If he is healthy he will not starve himself. Maybe do one mazuri pellet every couple of days all mixed in with his greens if your worried about him.

 

[looneybug]

Ok thanks . . . I'm just nervous I wanna make sure this one is perfect