Eating grasses/hay

[reptoe5000]

Hey all,

I have been a member for some time now, but this will be my first post, so thanks for reading.

I have a two year old sully who I have had since he was a hatchling. His first year with me I fed him primarily dark leafy greens, (like dandelions, turnip etc) and mazuri. This past year I have unsuccessfully attempted to switch his diet to more natural, healthier foods, such as various grasses and hays. I grow my own grass and purchased hay but I cannot seem to get him interested enough to actually eat these foods. I introduced the new foods slowly and mixed them well with his old foods but to no avail. even when I take him outside he won't even eat the grass then. So I am out of ideas and I turn to all of you.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated,

Thanks,

Matt

 

[jeffbens0n]

When you say you mixed them with his food, did you try cutting it up very small and then soaking it and sprinkling it over his greens?

 

[Torty Mom]

Frustrating isn't it! I have a box turtle Rusty, who I swear is the pickiest eater in the whole wide world. I feel like I am in a battle with a headstrong 3 year old! Keep trying different things, maybe if he gets a little hungry he will eat the grass!!

 

[reptoe5000]

When you say you mixed them with his food, did you try cutting it up very small and then soaking it and sprinkling it over his greens?

I tried a few different methods. I tried soaking the hay to soften it up and then mixed it with the dark leafy food, and sometimes he eats the hay accidentally that way, but for the most part avoids it all together. I also tried misting it with a spray bottle too. There's been stretches where I only given him grass and hay without the greens but he usually won't touch it.

I do cut it up, maybe a half inch, maybe shorter. I guess I can cut it up smaller then that and see what happens

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Frustrating isn't it! I have a box turtle Rusty, who I swear is the pickiest eater in the whole wide world. I feel like I am in a battle with a headstrong 3 year old! Keep trying different things, maybe if he gets a little hungry he will eat the grass!!

Haha they truly can be stubborn sometimes. I seem to be learning this the hard way

 

[Torty Mom]

I had have many one sides conversations with him! Usually ending in "Fine then don't eat" or "There is a starving turtle in Africa that would love a dinner like that!" Tough love it's hard. He now eats 3 things, worms, dog food and meal worms.

Do you soak the mazuri and add the grass to that?

 

[jeffbens0n]

He Is only two also, alot of people say their leopards or sullys won't eat hay until they are older. Now if you are talking about fresh cut grass, I would think that would be a little easier to get him to eat, especially if it is cut up in his greens.

 

[reptoe5000]

With the grass, I will just try to cut it up smaller and see what happens

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I had have many one sides conversations with him! Usually ending in "Fine then don't eat" or "There is a starving turtle in Africa that would love a dinner like that!" Tough love it's hard. He now eats 3 things, worms, dog food and meal worms.

Do you soak the mazuri and add the grass to that?

That's where I seem to be headed. I ll use that Africa line on him to see if I can scare him into eating it, but it will most likely end up with him turning his shell on me and walk away ahha

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With the grass, I will just try to cut it up smaller and see what happens

---

I had have many one sides conversations with him! Usually ending in "Fine then don't eat" or "There is a starving turtle in Africa that would love a dinner like that!" Tough love it's hard. He now eats 3 things, worms, dog food and meal worms.

Do you soak the mazuri and add the grass to that?

That's where I seem to be headed. I ll use that Africa line on him to see if I can scare him into eating it, but it will most likely end up with him turning his shell on me and walk away ahha

For the mazuri I do soak it and mix it with the grass and he sometimes eats it accidentally. But he's very good at picking around it

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[onarock]

reptoe5000, I dont have much experience in the ways of sulcatas being that I only have hatchlings that I rescued, but I am a long time keeper of leopards. I have always offered my hatchlings more weeds than grass, but they get ample amounts of both. If your tortoise is healthy and well adjusted, I would use the "cold turkey" method. A healthy tortoise wont starve itself especially when offered food they would most likely encounter in the wild.

 

[Tom]

They usually won't eat dry hay until they are around 12" or more. I use scissors and cut it up really fine over some wetted greens and then mix it all up. In time he will eat more and more of it.

How long is he and how many grams? As long as he's normal size, I'd just start phasing out the grocery store stuff and letting him graze outside or offering the outside weeds while he's inside. They won't starve themselves to death. I raised my adults on a low food regime to try to grow them slow (I now think this was a mistake, but in 1998 it was the thing to do.) and they were always hungry. They would eat ANYTHING I offered them. Your young little man might need to learn what a little hunger is for a change.