Feeding Tortoise On Soil?

[jojodesca]

I had to Google this!!...b/c i have alot of time on my hands!

How much dirt does the average person consume in their lifetime?

EPA suggests that we eat 50 to 200 milligrams per day. At 100mg, if you live till 60, that's 2,190,000mg.

So basically a little dirt doesn't hurt!!....hahaha

 

[Jacqui]

That irritates the crap outta me...I spend 30 minutes standing at the sink rinsing the dirt off the worms before I offer them to my turtles. Then I run around looking for the last place I left the flat board thing that I use to feed the worms on so they don't get all dirty and looking for it takes 5 more minutes...Now I'm ready I found the board and I take the worms and the board into the tort table and I put a few worms onto the board thingy and the turtles attack the worms and they all grab the one worm and drag him off thru the dirt breaking him off into a bunch of different segments covered with dirt.
Now typing this paragraph took more time than just throwing the worms at them took...Did any of this make sense? I'm not so sure, but I do think I am going to stop washing the worms before they go off to their bloody demise...

Sorry I could not help, but have a laugh at this. I can just so easy in my mind see this and see your cussing them out for doing it. I just give my worms to mine "dirty".

 

[Irwin4530]

I really do see both sides of this debate.....for me, it comes down to trying to do what is best for my torts.
I am sure that they eat their bedding but I dont want to help them to do so. Just today I gave my yellow
foots a nice serving of fruit on a large slate and they did exactly what Maggie describes!!!! SO FRUSTRATING!!!!
but I did pick it all up and clean it off!!!

I guess it is a selfish thing, but if they get impacted or have another issue from eating soil (bedding)
I want to know that I did all I could do to avoid it!!

 

[Turtlechasers]

I had to Google this!!...b/c i have alot of time on my hands!

How much dirt does the average person consume in their lifetime?

EPA suggests that we eat 50 to 200 milligrams per day. At 100mg, if you live till 60, that's 2,190,000mg.

So basically a little dirt doesn't hurt!!....hahaha

So what is that in kilos or for you yanks pounds???

 

[terryo]

Another thing...The hatchlilngs and young boxies that I have inside, live in a planted vivarium that mimic's, as best as I can, the forest floor. When I set it up I add lots of pill bugs, worms and the substrate is made from mixing my own compost, which has it's own bugs. So, they are constantly forging for their own foods, besides what I give them. I'm sure they are eating plenty of "dirt." Right now I have four babies that had a bad start, and were given to me to see if I can help them. No guarantee, but I'm doing my best for them.

 

[Jacqui]

Another thing...The hatchlilngs and young boxies that I have inside, live in a planted vivarium that mimic's, as best as I can, the forest floor. When I set it up I add lots of pill bugs, worms and the substrate is made from mixing my own compost, which has it's own bugs. So, they are constantly forging for their own foods, besides what I give them. I'm sure they are eating plenty of "dirt." Right now I have four babies that had a bad start, and were given to me to see if I can help them. No guarantee, but I'm doing my best for them.

I can't think of a person I would trust more then you with my box turtles.

 

[terryo]

Another thing...The hatchlilngs and young boxies that I have inside, live in a planted vivarium that mimic's, as best as I can, the forest floor. When I set it up I add lots of pill bugs, worms and the substrate is made from mixing my own compost, which has it's own bugs. So, they are constantly forging for their own foods, besides what I give them. I'm sure they are eating plenty of "dirt." Right now I have four babies that had a bad start, and were given to me to see if I can help them. No guarantee, but I'm doing my best for them.

I can't think of a person I would trust more then you with my box turtles.

Thank you!

 

[bfmorris]

I think feeding surfaces make good conservative sense; so when one can play it smart, why not play it smart. I use stall mats for feeding surfaces.