Feeding / hibernation question

[Ozric]

I know its the wrong time of year - but hey - I'm starting my planning early this year.

My 'biggest' Western will be six years in August but she's always been a bit light. The last two years she didn't make her safe weight for hibernation and so I kept her awake all winter and she did OK. When I was getting my others ready for hibernation in November, I cut out her food rations along with the others. After her wind-down she was too light so I just started feeding and kept her up.

I find it difficult to get this tortoise to gain much weight. I always let her eat well, but I only feed natural plant foods. Her weight now is 100g and she's gaining a little weight at the moment, but not much.

I reckon this tortoise is not going to make her safe weight after this summer either. Unless I did a much shorter wind-down and just starved her for a couple of weeks. If I'd done that this year she might have made her weight for hibernation.

Its not a major problem keeping this tortoise up every year, but I think my others benefit from hibernation. Because of the climate here, my tortoises cannot stay outside beyond October and its a long winter indoors (right round to May) before they go back out. So hibernation breaks it up for them.

I'm interested in any suggestions about how to help this animal gain and keep a bit more weight. Although I'm not going to feed high fat or highr protein manufactrued foods. I'm also interested to know if people think a shorter wind-down with lower temperatures might be suitable.

 

[oswego tort lover]

hi i have a group of ten westerns. it seems your cold weather last's as long as it does here 13 miles from the southern shore of lake ontario in new york. i keep them outside 24/7 from mid may to early oct. i allow all of them to wind down. by this time all have dug in and haven't moved about for a week or two. i then bring them in . the adult pair go into my fridge after being soaked, for 3 months. the other's i place back onto a tortoise table where most contine to sleep for a few day's more and then resume eating. so for me 2 to 3 weeks of cool temp's with a long warm bath has worked. i use a couple different tortoise chow's once a week even in the summer. it does seem to advance their growth, but they all have perfect hard shell's that even chris leone has told me is better than his results. if you won't use manufactured food's then feed worm's or grub's or small land snail's..........ed

 

[Ozric]

Thanks Ed that is very helpful. Hopefully she has a few months of decent weather ahead which will encourage feeding, and I'll consider a shorter wind-down for sure.

---

Thanks Ed that is very helpful. Hopefully she has a few months of decent weather ahead which will encourage feeding, and I'll consider a shorter wind-down for sure.