Food question

[HappyHermanns]

@Tom :

We were told at our Reptile store that a big part of our Torts diet could be made up of Kale, Collard greens and dandelion.. Is that true?
I have another post in the Forum about my organic green house.. I am trying to grow a few "staples" plus some "fun extras" for our guys.. If those I mentioned above are good in a daily diet I will try to produce as much as I can but if those aren't the best...I need help.. haha
-Also, Can you freeze any of these things for winter? -or just dry the flowers?

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

@Tom :

We were told at our Reptile store that a big part of our Torts diet could be made up of Kale, Collard greens and dandelion.. Is that true?
I have another post in the Forum about my organic green house.. I am trying to grow a few "staples" plus some "fun extras" for our guys.. If those I mentioned above are good in a daily diet I will try to produce as much as I can but if those aren't the best...I need help.. haha
-Also, Can you freeze any of these things for winter? -or just dry the flowers?

Thanks!

Kale or collard greens are a fine item to have in the rotation once a week or so. Dandelions perhaps a little more often. Here is a list of other good stuff:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food


I've never had any luck freezing or drying anything, but in my climate, that is not a necessity. I've seen treads from others talking about this subject. Try a search to see what turns up.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Is there anything in particular that they can have consistantly?
If there were a couple of things they can have as a regular part of their diet it would help and I can add the "fun extras" that they can only have a little of..

 

[JoesMum]

Is there anything in particular that they can have consistantly?
If there were a couple of things they can have as a regular part of their diet it would help and I can add the "fun extras" that they can only have a little of..

Like you, tortoises need variety in their diet. However, for torts that is variety over time.

So if you buy collards then feed those until they're finished then feed something different and use that up.

Torts are really good at getting stuck on a single favourite food item, so you really need to keep changing things rather than have a single staple. There are no short cuts to keeping a tortoise healthy

 

[HappyHermanns]

Like you, tortoises need variety in their diet. However, for torts that is variety over time.

So if you buy collards then feed those until they're finished then feed something different and use that up.

Torts are really good at getting stuck on a single favourite food item, so you really need to keep changing things rather than have a single staple. There are no short cuts to keeping a tortoise healthy

Thanks a lot!

Just knowing that they can "finish" something off helps a lot.
It'll be a lot easier to change it up weekly than to try and keep track daily.. That part scared me a bit..

 

[JoesMum]

Try to get out pick weeds to mix in with the store bought. Don't just feed collards for the week.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Try to get out pick weeds to mix in with the store bought. Don't just feed collards for the week.

Got it. I was thinking Collards with another green or 2 thrown in for the week then Kale with a couple different greens for another week. plus flowers maybe once or twice a week? or dandelions (and leaves) several times a week

 

[JoesMum]

Make the weeds and flowers up as you go along. Something daily is ideal. What's available changes with the seasons which forces variety

 

[Tom]

Is there anything in particular that they can have consistantly?
If there were a couple of things they can have as a regular part of their diet it would help and I can add the "fun extras" that they can only have a little of..

Strive for lots of variety. If you must buy grocery store foods, favor endive and escarole heavily. Just mix in as many weeds, leaves and flowers as you can. Kale or collard greens are good foods to use once in a while, but not as your main stays.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Strive for lots of variety. If you must buy grocery store foods, favor endive and escarole heavily. Just mix in as many weeds, leaves and flowers as you can. Kale or collard greens are good foods to use once in a while, but not as your main stays.

Thanks a lot, JoesMum and Tom!
You are a plethora of information!
There is definitely a big learning curve with these guys. Totally worth it, no doubt, I am sure I will be an ol pro before I know it.. I hope. lol

 

[RosemaryDW]

Just knowing that they can "finish" something off helps a lot.

With small tortoises, you either have to get good at eating kale and collards yourself or accept they won't finish every bag you buy.

Gathering weeds is really quick, once you get the hang of it. Weeds are still growing well where I live so I fill a mixed bag once a week and mine gets a handful along with whatever I decide to add in that day. Some weeds keep longer than a week, I just haven't needed to wait that long.

It's a lot to take in but you don't have to get everything perfect day one. Mine got mostly collards and endive to begin with and that was only five months ago. These days she is grazing enough of her own food outside she doesn't need or want most of what I give her (sob!).

 

[HappyHermanns]

With small tortoises, you either have to get good at eating kale and collards yourself or accept they won't finish every bag you buy.

Gathering weeds is really quick, once you get the hang of it. Weeds are still growing well where I live so I fill a mixed bag once a week and mine gets a handful along with whatever I decide to add in that day. Some weeds keep longer than a week, I just haven't needed to wait that long.

It's a lot to take in but you don't have to get everything perfect day one. Mine got mostly collards and endive to begin with and that was only five months ago. These days she is grazing enough of her own food outside she doesn't need or want most of what I give her (sob!).

Thanks!
The problem with weeds is that we don't know what every one puts on their yards/grass.. I know people that use weed/fertalizer pellets. I didn't think those would be safe on plants that our guys eat, so I have avoided them. (I also use those on my succulents, so unfortunately they can't enjoy any of my Ice Plants either
We have lived in our home for 2 years and haven't used anything like that on our main yard, could I use weeds from my own yard even though I don't really know what was on it before?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Two years is definitely a long enough time to be comfortable with the weeds in your own yard. If your yard is a good size, you may not have to look anywhere else. You might also have the space to grow some of the plants Tom mentions above. A squash is an easy plant that can give you a lot of leaves in the summer. Depnding on where you live in Michigan, you might be able to grow a grapevine as well. I like nasturtiums in addition to the flowers Tom lists. They are easy to grow; in the right spot, they can be practically a weed.

It's smart to avoid places where you aren't sure of pesticide use. In time you'll start to notice other unkempt places where weeds grow; you'll know they're safe if they've got some holes from bugs! The only hard part is looking a bit odd as you pull them.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Two years is definitely a long enough time to be comfortable with the weeds in your own yard. If your yard is a good size, you may not have to look anywhere else. You might also have the space to grow some of the plants Tom mentions above. A squash is an easy plant that can give you a lot of leaves in the summer. Depnding on where you live in Michigan, you might be able to grow a grapevine as well. I like nasturtiums in addition to the flowers Tom lists. They are easy to grow; in the right spot, they can be practically a weed.

It's smart to avoid places where you aren't sure of pesticide use. In time you'll start to notice other unkempt places where weeds grow; you'll know they're safe if they've got some holes from bugs! The only hard part is looking a bit odd as you pull them.

Great advise, Thank you!
We don't have a very big yard but we have some good spaces that are "hidden" that might be a great place to find some goodies!
I guess my next step is being able to identify which weeds they can eat..
One picked, are the weeds good for a few days? do you keep them in the fridge?
Just when it feels like I am out of questions 6 more pop in my head.. haha

I don't mind looking odd pulling them. Being odd is a goal of mine

 

[Tom]

I find that picked weeds last longer in the fridge than store bought produce.

 

[RosemaryDW]

One picked, are the weeds good for a few days? do you keep them in the fridge?

I treat mine like I do greens that I want to keep fresh in the fridge.

I give them a bit of a soak, then rinse them and shake off excess water (I use a salad spinner because I have one but you can roll them in a towel or shake them outside or whatever). Then I put them in a plastic bag that has some holes punched in it (you can use a knife or a skewer) along with a damp paper towel or two and close the bag loosely and put it in the crisper drawer. All this theoretically lets the leaves respirate (breath) and keeps them from getting slimy so fast. It works for me, anyway. You can also keep them in a Ziploc bag which as much air sucked out of it as possible (close the bag most of the way, then have your kids stick a straw in the bag and suck out the last of the air before closing it all the way. That method works well for soft lettuces.

OR You could probably just stick them in a plastic bag in the fridge with a damp paper towel and be done with it and still have good results.

Most weeds last me quite a while, all at least a week. Some can go longer. I refresh every weekend mostly because I pick my weeds on the way to our Saturday's farmers market (where I pick up a few more odds and ends for the tortoise). I clean and bag my weeds when I'm putting away whatever produce I've bought. Not everyone will have the time or desire to do that.

You won't have the same weeds as I do so you'll have to do some trial and error to see what keeps the longest. Tortoises are okay eating something that isn't picture worthy but I won't feed mine anything that looks slimy or really dried out. She could probably eat those, too, but I have my limits.

 

[HappyHermanns]

I treat mine like I do greens that I want to keep fresh in the fridge.

I give them a bit of a soak, then rinse them and shake off excess water (I use a salad spinner because I have one but you can roll them in a towel or shake them outside or whatever). Then I put them in a plastic bag that has some holes punched in it (you can use a knife or a skewer) along with a damp paper towel or two and close the bag loosely and put it in the crisper drawer. All this theoretically lets the leaves respirate (breath) and keeps them from getting slimy so fast. It works for me, anyway. You can also keep them in a Ziploc bag which as much air sucked out of it as possible (close the bag most of the way, then have your kids stick a straw in the bag and suck out the last of the air before closing it all the way. That method works well for soft lettuces.

OR You could probably just stick them in a plastic bag in the fridge with a damp paper towel and be done with it and still have good results.

Most weeds last me quite a while, all at least a week. Some can go longer. I refresh every weekend mostly because I pick my weeds on the way to our Saturday's farmers market (where I pick up a few more odds and ends for the tortoise). I clean and bag my weeds when I'm putting away whatever produce I've bought. Not everyone will have the time or desire to do that.

You won't have the same weeds as I do so you'll have to do some trial and error to see what keeps the longest. Tortoises are okay eating something that isn't picture worthy but I won't feed mine anything that looks slimy or really dried out. She could probably eat those, too, but I have my limits.

Thanks a lot!!
That's GREAT info!
And the Farmers Market.. I'll have to find out where one is by us!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply so in depth.

 

[RosemaryDW]

And the Farmers Market.. I'll have to find out where one is by us!

This is a thread I wrote on farmers markets when our Addy was switching off store greens. I don't need much of these things any more but it's a nice option to have, especially when you're new.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...pecializing-in-asian-or-hmong-produce.140654/

New foods I've found at my market since then are domestic mustard greens; purslane; and sour leaf (gongura), which is a hibiscus that is actually a native food for star tortoises. I have bought a few pea shoots as well, but those are legumes and not everyone would recommend them.

One of my favorite stalls sells quite a few things loose, by the pound, so the only thing I buy in a big bundle any more is squash leaves.

I mention turnip greens in that post. Nowadays, I'll also snag a couple of leaves from daikon (a large white radish used in making kimchi; it looks like a huge carrot, just white). I just grab a few that have been knocked loose.

All of these items last at least a week. Squash leaves and turnip greens are about the only things that don't keep longer than that for me. Everything gets rinsed and thrown into the same bag as the weeds, with the exception of squash leaves; since they don't keep as well, I don't want them in with anything else.

In all seriousness, this is much more than you need to do! I've got the time and was already in the habit of going to the market. Just do your best to keep things varied.

It all gets easier. Two months after I wrote the market thread, my tortoise is beginning to forage her own foods from our yard! I'm only supplementing at this point.

Good luck!

 

[Rue]

I was so excited when our purslane popped up!

I don't know why...Goose won't touch it...

 

[RosemaryDW]

Mine either. I'm hoping when it gets hotter she'll find it more appealing.