Feeding Question...please assist

[TommyZ]

Hello,

Yesterday morning i received my Cherry Head hatchling, about 10am EST. It is now approaching 10pm the next day, so its been 1.5 days, and i still have not seen my new little friend eat. I gave food yesterday night, and tonight as well, and did not leave yesterdays food sitting over night. Being that he was shipped from FLA to NJ, is he just still shell-shocked? (pun intended) do i have a cause for concern at this point or has it been too soon. I have offered a wide assortment of food, just to see if i can get him to eat anything at all, ive put in finely chopped: (fresh) collered greens, celery hearts, green beans, a piece of strawberry, raspberry and grape (all organic); and the tortoise food mix i purchased from the breeder. I know its ideal to feed greens and fruit on different days, but im just trying to get him to eat anything at all at this point....I have been a diligent new daddy in regards to temp, humidity etc, so i do not believe not eating is due to any of the environmental stuff, other then he/she being jetlagged from the flight...any info or insight will help to ease this new tortie dads mind...and, if im just being a worry wort, feel free to tell me to relax, lol.....thanks in advance for any insight gang!

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101348.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101356.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101426.jpg
regards,

TZ

 

[FLINTUS]

Try mushrooms and mango.

 

[Minority1]

All hatchlings need time to get acclimated to their new locations. Some are more temperamental than others. Make sure to give routine baths and keep temps at the recommended levels and make sure you're not constantly at its side. They need time to get used to their surroundings and any disturbance can be seen as potential predators. Just go with the motions a bit longer.

(I can't see the pictures, anyone else having the same problems?)

 

[Steve_McQueen]

I can't see them either.

 

[Michael in MO]

Hello,

Yesterday morning i received my Cherry Head hatchling, about 10am EST. It is now approaching 10pm the next day, so its been 1.5 days, and i still have not seen my new little friend eat. I gave food yesterday night, and tonight as well, and did not leave yesterdays food sitting over night. Being that he was shipped from FLA to NJ, is he just still shell-shocked? (pun intended) do i have a cause for concern at this point or has it been too soon. I have offered a wide assortment of food, just to see if i can get him to eat anything at all, ive put in finely chopped: (fresh) collered greens, celery hearts, green beans, a piece of strawberry, raspberry and grape (all organic); and the tortoise food mix i purchased from the breeder. I know its ideal to feed greens and fruit on different days, but im just trying to get him to eat anything at all at this point....I have been a diligent new daddy in regards to temp, humidity etc, so i do not believe not eating is due to any of the environmental stuff, other then he/she being jetlagged from the flight...any info or insight will help to ease this new tortie dads mind...and, if im just being a worry wort, feel free to tell me to relax, lol.....thanks in advance for any insight gang!

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101348.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101356.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff51...101426.jpg
regards,

TZ

IMHO just chill, provide food and fresh water.. pick it up everynight before lights out. If your tort remains active it's most likely eating when you're not watching. Best thing you can do now while waiting to "catch it" eating is spend some time becoming more and more informed about caring for a redfoot from housing to temps to humidity..regarding feeding.. if you throw in a HUGE varied salad everytime you won't know what your tort likes and doesn't like. What I tell everyone with a new animal is to get a cheap notebook and write for at least one month, preferably 6 months, what you give the tortoise, what it actually eats, and what it rejects... try to go through the lists on-line and try to incrementally go through the produce section at your grocery store. You will have a list of foods that your tortoise will eat, you will have a varried diet for your tortoise and you will know what not to waste your food on..BUT please do keep with the rotation for at least 6 months,, what your tort won't eat today might smell better in a month..

 

[TommyZ]

Hi All,

Thanks for replying...Its pretty funny because this morning before i left for work, i put food in again, and of course, the little scamp ate, lol...Mike, i will take ur advice and keep a "tracker" of the likes and dislikes of the food the little one prefers. I have gotten mixed reviews, but fro what i can tell, spinach and kale are to be avoided, right??....also, ill repost the pics here, im not sure why those links failed...The last couple of are him finallt dining, lol.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130402_101348.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130402_101356.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130403_215725.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130403_215714.jpg

 

[Steve_McQueen]

Spinach and kale are both fine in moderation and as part of a varied diet. Check out Kristina's post about spinach.

 

[Madkins007]

As you discovered, it can take some time for them to eat. You may want to look over the nutrition section of the Tortoise Library, linked below, for some other ideas and information- like the idea that offering fruits and greens on different days really is not a 'thing', it is just a way some keepers use to moderate the portions.

 

[TommyZ]

As you discovered, it can take some time for them to eat. You may want to look over the nutrition section of the Tortoise Library, linked below, for some other ideas and information- like the idea that offering fruits and greens on different days really is not a 'thing', it is just a way some keepers use to moderate the portions.

Thanks, she is just so tiny and fragile looking, im worried about making a mistake. I think i can already tell she does not like the celery hearts, the spinach for sure is a like, and thus far strawberries and raspberries get gobbled up. I cheated up a bit, and mushed up some of the tortoise food i got from the breeder, and smeared it all over a slice of strawberry. I can see it will be a bit of trial and error, i just want to avoid a blunder that might hurt her.

 

[AZtortMom]

I can't wait to see pics of her


Life is good

 

[TommyZ]

Ill be home in a few hours and ill throw a bunch of pics of the baby up for ya to see...im a proud papa

 

[TommyZ]

I can't wait to see pics of her


Life is good

Howdy, loooong day at office, its nice to come home to my little shelled baby!...here are some pics of our little one, even my wife who made fun of me at first, is now IN LOVE, lol...

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130402_101356.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130402_101348.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130403_215725.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130406_192937.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130406_192731.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130407_232529.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130407_231034.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff511/TommyZ13/20130407_232306.jpg

 

[AZtortMom]

She's very cute!


Life is good

 

[TommyZ]

She's very cute!


Life is good

Thanks, ill tell her you said so, lol...hey just wondering, is hand feeding at all bad?...Her mouth is so small she seems to struggle a little with chomping down on things.

 

[AZtortMom]

hand feeding is a good way to bond with your baby. Just watch your fingers


Life is good

 

[TommyZ]

hand feeding is a good way to bond with your baby. Just watch your fingers


Life is good

I figured it was ok, but being a novice, it had just dawned on me to ask and make sure im not over spoiling her. I think itll take a bit before she can possibly hurt my fingers, she has such a tiny little mouth.

 

[AZtortMom]

Yup I love hand feeding mine too. Even with mine being almost 2 years old I don't worry about being nibbled on


Life is good