Feeding Box turtles.

[Angi]

I think I have read everything I can find on box turtles but I am still not sure how much to feed. I am afraid I may be over feeding, but I don't want to underfeed either. I was feeding her twice a day but was told that was too much. Now I am feeding her once a day. This is my feeding rutine. I put her in her water dish and let her soak then I bring her 4 worms and she likes to catch them and eat them while the wiggle in the water. I also ofet fruit or corn near the edge of the water container. Then I leave her a plate of veggies of fruit. She usually does not eat much of it.
How do you tell if a boxie is fat?

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Sorry for the typing errors. I type with one finger while looking at the keys and the letters are waering off. My husband and kids can not stand to watch me type. Oh yeah and I don't wear my reading glasses at the computer most of the time.

 

[dmmj]

a boxie is fat when they can't withdraw into their shell, it is one of the easiest species to tell if they are fat.

 

[terryo]

How old is your boxie? Mine range from two years to 32 years. Every AM I feed a mix of either mazuri, or some kind of turtle brittle, with chopped fruit, greens, and veggies. I put two big plates in their enclosure. After about an hour I come out and take away the plates with anything that's left on them...usually not too much. Then right before it gets dark, I come out and offer a treat...a few worms, or crickets, or butter worms (their favorite). I feed every day and as it gets closer to the Fall, I feed them twice a day.

 

[Angi]

Oh thanks so much. I am glad to have one less thing to worry about!

 

[earthyman71]

check out www.aboxturtle.com for additional insight. i have several boxies like terry and i give them a mix of greens, different fruits and veggies each day along with one super big nightcrawler each. they're nightcrawler and banana addicts so i have to keep mixing it up.

 

[shellfreak]

feeding them once a day is perfectlu normal. i consider Terry a boxie pro, so what she says goes... i have a bunch of boxies as well. i feed them 6 days a week. the day that i dont feed them i put a battery operated lantern in their enclosure at dusk for a few hours and let them enjoy the random bugs that visit the light. dont forget the calcium, especially if your females are laying eggs, she will need the calcium replaced from egg laying.

 

[Angi]

Terry I have no idea how old she is. She was given to me a few months ago when a friend of a friend found her in her back yard. We are in San Diego county so she is not a native wild turtle. She has cracks, scars, missing toes and drags one foot so I think she had been on her own for awhile . Everytime I look at your pictures I feel guilty, but I really don't have a safe place to build he a home like your turtles have. When my old Lab passes on I can turn my back yard into a tortoise and maybe turtle utopia. Well it wont be pretty like yours because I am uncreative. I did not know that an outdoor turtle needs calcium. I will need to get some as my tort calcium has vitamin D. Earthyman, I will check out that web-site, but I have read a lot and none have given me as much info as I get from the keepers here. Thanks again for the info. I am now confident that I am not over feeding, but maybe my meat and fruit and veggie ratio is off. She prefers meat. Is it okay that she eats mostly red wigglers? I started breeding them when I got her. It is a strange hobbie but I really enjoy it (raising worms)

 

[terryo]

I raise red wigglers too. I have an indoor bin as I'm in NY and in the summer it's too hot and in the winter it's too cold....so ...indoors for the worms. I feed the worms a lot of dandelion, hibiscus leaves and flowers, and grape leaves. All the same things I feed my tortoise. I buy pure calcium....forgot to tell you that...and sprinkle it on their food every two days. Sorry...forgot that. I also leave lots of cuttle bone in their garden for them to munch on. It also helps with the beak. I have one little Eastern Boxie that only will eat worms now, but I put him next to the dish with the others and now he is starting to try out the other food. Isn't there any way you could put him outside with your supervision so he could get some natural sunlight? It would be so great for him. What is his enclosure looking like now?

Thanks for the nice compliment "Shellfreak"......I'm just old and have some experience, but am no pro on anything.

 

[Angi]

She is outside but she is in a box that is about 4'X2' maybe bigger. It has plants, a hide,a water dish with a ramp and dirt she can dig in, but it is not as nice as what yours have. It is also half way under a fruitless mulberry tree so she gets half sun half shade.
I got my worm breeding system from a lady that has a worm castings buisness. I feed my worms fruit and veggies with egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags once in a while. They wont eat the fruit or vegtables until they start to rot. They need the eggs shells for calcium. I need to get horse or rabbit manure ready for when their bedding needs to be changed. It is pretty fasinating and they are so easy to take care of. Oh yeah and it looks like my boxie has some new roomates. A bunch of little frogs have been hanging out in her enclosure

 

[shellfreak]

some experience? come one, did you tell me your dad used to have easterns whe n you were growing up? you have been around this breed for a while. is breeding worms really worth while? how do you do it? maybe i will try.

 

[Angi]

Terry I think you should be called The Turtle Diva

 

[shellfreak]

haha good one..btw, terry, your boxie expertise is requested in the enclosure threads. the thread is under hibernating question.

 

[terryo]

If you want to start an indoor compost bin here's how....
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/edu_indoor_setup.shtml
I've had one for years, and it's great for your plants as well as for feeding your boxies and torts.

When I was born...a hundred years ago....my Dad alread had some boxies in the yard, so I guess you could say that I've had them since I was born. My Dad was the expert, not me....I'm always learning something new all the time.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Don't worry about it Angi...I think most of us are intimidated by Terry's enclosures. I have a cute fence and a hide that's a flower pot on it's side and I create shade by using an old board. I'm not creative either...

 

[Angi]

My worm bin is 3 of those plastic industrial buckets. The type large amount of paint and stuff come in. You can also buy then at Home Depot or paint stores. They are also used to carry baseballs in. AKA The Ball Bucket. Okay so you know what I am talking about. They are stacked with a seperater it keep them spaced. The top two have holes drilled in them the bottom one catches the worm tea. I mix the worm tea with water and pour it on my plants.
Mine are kept outside so the best bedding is aged manure( hourse, rabbit NOT dog or cat)
They love rotted fruits and veggies. I bought my set up with worms for $30. but it would be easy to make.

 

[terryo]

My worm bin is 3 of those plastic industrial buckets. The type large amount of paint and stuff come in. You can also buy then at Home Depot or paint stores. They are also used to carry baseballs in. AKA The Ball Bucket. Okay so you know what I am talking about. They are stacked with a seperater it keep them spaced. The top two have holes drilled in them the bottom one catches the worm tea. I mix the worm tea with water and pour it on my plants.
Mine are kept outside so the best bedding is aged manure( hourse, rabbit NOT dog or cat)
They love rotted fruits and veggies. I bought my set up with worms for $30. but it would be easy to make.

Your's is much more advanced than mine. I just have a big old bin. I like the idea with the holes on the bottom to catch the tea. Where did you buy yours for $30?