Feeding hatchlings!

[Slick6669]

Ok for starters by hatchlings I mean 3 days old! Lol most people think hatchlings and think one year I got that at a few pet stores today! Lol but what's a great diet to start these little guys on?

 

[tortoisenerd]

What breed? Most will start offering what they would feed their adults of the same breed, but maybe cut up if needed. They likely won't want to eat until the egg sac is absorbed.

 

[Tom]

What breed? Most will start offering what they would feed their adults of the same breed, but maybe cut up if needed. They likely won't want to eat until the egg sac is absorbed.

Breed? Just FYI, it is referred to as a species, not a breed. Breeds are different forms and or colors within a species, like domestic dogs or house cats. Species are distinct and different life forms.

Slick6669, Most people start with spring mix for most species. I give my hatchlings the same stuff I give my big ones, just in smaller quantities and pieces. Might be a little different if you are talking about one of the forest species.

 

[Slick6669]

Yeah I actually wasn't sure when to remove them from the incubator and I did today and no more sack on them it's the firs time iv had incubated baby California desert tort and the mom I'm not sure exactly what she is but ita a tortoise as well

 

[spikethebest]

can you please post a picture of the mom and the hatchlings? if you dont know how to post pictures, you can email them to me, and i will post them for you?

[email protected]

thanks!

 

[Slick6669]

3 hatchlings so far

1st hatched

The pop pop

 

[Tom]

Very cool. Love the eyes on Pop.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Well, they sure look like my favorite species...Gopherus agassizii, California Desert Tortoises. I used to head start hatchlings for a tortoise rescue. I took Spring Mix and mixed in all the other good stuff I could find, grape and mulberry leafs, collards, endive, you get the idea. All the greens that are good for them that I could find at the time, and I'd cut it all up small for small mouths and I would feed twice a day. I usually raised 7 to 9 hatchlings a year. I loved it.

You should mark each one so you can tell the difference and tell who's eating or not eating. That is very important. I used different colored nail polish and put it right in the middle of a scute being very careful to not get any polish on a line. Then you feed twice daily and pay attention to who's eating or not eating. Desert babies are my specialty and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. They are out going like Sulcata yet small enough to handle easily. Please feel free to Pm me if you need to, but I think posting most questions on the forum is important so others can learn also.

 

[Slick6669]

Hey thanks Maggie! And yeah they are California desert tortoises the pop has history behind him wev had him for a long time now he "ran" away for a whole hibernate period and we thought he was lost forever come the year after he was walkin down the street towards my house! Lol

But I'm gonna do that by markingthem because the smallest of the 3 is super active the middle one is slow poke even to come ou his shell