Food Prep (pictures)

Bambam1989

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Wanted to share how I prep my torts food for when I'm going to give him his multi-vitamins. I do this about three times a week. The rest of the time Clunker is fed long grass and whole plant leaves so that he can tare the food up himself.
This may be a good way to expand a picky torts diet by sneaking foods in with chopped foods that it will eat.

1. Gather your food.
IMG_20171112_101320690.jpg
Because Clunker is a sulcata, my main "ingredient" is grass. We also have clover, geranium, rose leaves, lady's mantle, and a broadleaf plantain. This is how Clunker usually eats his food. I will also be soaking a couple of mazuri original tortoise pellets to mash up in his food once I have it chopped.
2. Get to chopping
IMG_20171112_102125541.jpg
Everything gets chopped up into bite size pieces or smaller.
3. Smoosh time
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I will also mix in the powder supplement at this point.
4. Serve
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He will usually finish this by the middle of the day. Anything that might be left(usually only crumbs) by about 3pm is discarded and I begin offering him his food in large pieces again.

It is common for me to have at least 12 different kinds of plants on the menu per week. Most of these plants I find in my yard but I also grow several in pots inside. This much variation is probably hard to achieve for most people. It is always good to push for as much variety as possible to cover dietary needs though.
I welcome comments, criticism, and advice on my method.
 

Bambam1989

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I should probably clarify that I am currently giving multi-vitamins 3 times a week because Clunker began to bite vigorously on the rocks around his water dish. I was actually finding bits of rock grit in his poop from where he had grated it off. In another weeks time I will cut this back to twice a week and once spring arrives only once.
He will be getting his "mazuri grass mash" three times a week even after cutting back on the supplements though because he likes it.
 

Bambam1989

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I
Why chop it so small?

Tearing at food is good for beak maintenance. Leave it whole if at all possible
Usually i do leave it in whole pieces. This is for when I give him his multi-vitamins, it keeps him from push one thing or the other aside and he is forced to eat it as a whole. Basically- he makes less of a mess. Eats more, wears less.;)
 

RosemaryDW

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This is a great post. Would you be willing to link to it in the sticky on “the tortoise chef?” It’s a thread on what people are actively feeding their tortoises, rather than the “Is this plant safe?” posts we normally see in this forum.
 
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