Eating question!

[jmhoesch]

Apparently, Mr. Pickles is making up for lost time when he didn't eat for 2 days when we got him and that brings me to my question.

How much should he be eating? We should have named him "porky" cause he dives head first in his bowl and cleans it out. I put about 1/4 - 1/2 c of spring mix in there (doused w/ a bit of calcium supplement) and some tortoise pellets things.

Do I put more in there? I've been putting food in there in the morning, and in the early evening.

Also, if I don't see him in his water, will he drink when he gets thirsty or do we still soak him everyday for a bit?

Thank you!!

 

[Shannon and Jason]

I leave food available for mine all the time if he eats its all I add more if not I throw out the left over and put fresh in. I also leave water available all the time he may or may not drink from the water but he may soak when I'm not around I just like leaving him the option. I also have live plants (grass clovers weeds chia ect) growing in his enclosure so he can graze when he feels like it.

 

[jmhoesch]

anyone? anyone?

 

[Mjdeisher]

I have food for my little one all the time as well. I've never really measured it but I just fill his bowl up and if he eats all of it through out the day I put some more in. Now mine is still a baby, so I do make sure he always has food. For an older Greek, if he eats all his food in one day, give him a little more the next until he's getting full each day. Along with the calcium twice a week or so. For a full gown Greek, they don't need a ton. Even for my baby I only do 3 times a week. This is just my thoughts from what info I've gained in the last 6 months of my tortoise adoration. Lol

 

[Moozillion]

I put a pile of greens a little bigger than my tort in her dish. If she eats it all, I give her more later. I also planted the kind of plants listed as safe for torts in her enclosure for backup. She never eats the Boston fern and only rarely nibbles her spider plants, but she gobbled up all her Swedish ivy! I tried planting seeds directly in her enclosure, but as soon as they sprouted she nipped off all the green tips and trampled them! So now I sprout seeds separately and wait until they're big until I transplant them into her enclosure, that way she gets much more to eat and graze on when she's so inclined.

Oh, by the way, my tort is a 4-inch long Hermann's, so is probably about 3 years old. She's a little more than half her adult size.

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I leave a shallow dish of clean water in her enclosure at all times, but have never seen her drink. She also doesn't drink when I soak her, but she pees PLENTY and her poops are soft, so I know she's getting plenty of water.