Food variety in winter?

[Moozillion]

OK, I'm trying to figure out how to get a good variety of healthy food for Elsa throughout the winter. I can get organic spring mix, collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens and cat grass. Although I've got testudo grazing seed mix and clover seeds, obviously they won't grow this time of year.

What do you folks use for variety for your torts during winter?

 

[ascott]

You sound as though you are shopping the same winter food store I think that is why it is so important for them to get as much variety as possible during the good weather months so that when their diet has to change for winter it is still a good overall diet...you know?

 

[biochemnerd808]

You could try growing the seed in window boxes indoors... maybe rotate a few boxes into their enclosure?

We are lucky in that dandilions and some other good greens like plantain grow here year-round. That sure makes life easier...

OK, I'm trying to figure out how to get a good variety of healthy food for Elsa throughout the winter. I can get organic spring mix, collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens and cat grass. Although I've got testudo grazing seed mix and clover seeds, obviously they won't grow this time of year.

What do you folks use for variety for your torts during winter?

 

[Benjamin]

The items you have listed is plenty of variety for the winter months. In regards to variety that I provide for my animals. I look to have variety throughout the year based on what is available. Rarely do I offer more than two different food items in a single feeding. Hibiscus flowers are about 75% of my I.forstenii diet over the summer. My manouria eat mosty taro leaves.

~Ben

 

[wellington]

OK, I'm trying to figure out how to get a good variety of healthy food for Elsa throughout the winter. I can get organic spring mix, collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens and cat grass. Although I've got testudo grazing seed mix and clover seeds, obviously they won't grow this time of year.

What do you folks use for variety for your torts during winter?

Your seeds can grow this time of year. I grew the same seeds you mentioned last winter inside, in coconut coir. Grew some in my leopards substrate and also grew some in little plastic boxes I could switch out. Kept them all in the enclosure area for heat and they got some of the mvb lighting. If you want, it will work.

 

[Moozillion]

Cool! Thanks!!!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Add soaked Marion Red Sticks tortoise kibble to Elsa's diet...you can then mix chopped or dried weeds/greens to it. Mine get it 2-3X a week during winter, once a week during summer. A member here, "Coastal", sells it, and a 2# bag, for $15, ships free, and will last a single tortoise for quite a while. My 4 go through the same amount in abot 6-8 weeks. Althernate days, they get cactus and/or fresh greens from the store.

http://coastalsilkworms.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=458

Come spring, gather up a lot of edible weeds and freeze or dry them, for use in the winter months...a gallon zip lock baggy full of dried weeds will get you through winter easily. Store it in the freezer until needed. If you prefer to freeze the weeds, double the amount (about 2 1-gallon zip-locks).

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks- I was wondering about freezing or drying weeds for the winter!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Thanks- I was wondering about freezing or drying weeds for the winter!

Thawed out, frozen weeds look a great deal like thawed spinach, but my tortoises chow down happily on it.

About once a week, I'll put some Marion Red Stick, cactus chunks, and thawed weeds into my Ninja food chopper and turn it all into a disgusting looking gruel...they get VERY excited when they hear that sound!

 

[Moozillion]

Ha ha! I'll have to try that!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Ha ha! I'll have to try that!

Make up a big batch and freeze some...thaw out on hurried days.

 

[Moozillion]

So, Terry: How do you "dry some weeds?" If I leave them out, they just wilt. Do I dry them in a low oven? Or what?

 

[Jacqui]

Some folks use the actual food dryer machines you can get. I go high tech myself and place my weeds on newspaper in an empty room and just move them around every day or so. I have dozens of bags with grape leaves, mulberry leaves, a few bags of blooms (like Althea /Rose of Sharon and roses) and a few bags of mixed leaves.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

So, Terry: How do you "dry some weeds?" If I leave them out, they just wilt. Do I dry them in a low oven? Or what?

I mostly hang bunches out in my barn, for a few weeks, after blocking the stall to keep the stock away from them.

OTOH, if you don't have a barn (and I've heard that you city-slickers often don't, due to fascist laws banning livestock from urban areas! ), a food dehydrator is pretty handy, or Jacqui's method works pretty well, too.

Or, if you have a spare closet, cover the floor w/ newspaper and hang 'em up in there. For hanging, it seems that "dark" and "slow" are the keys to retaining the food value in the weeds.

On sow thistle and prickly lettuce (and similar "stemmy" plants), I'd strip the leaves if you're not going to hang 'em, and chop up the stems into 1" pices, so as to pulverize into a "flour" in your food processor.

Or feed the stems, well chopped, fresh or frozen, or just throw the stems away. Once dried, the stems are too hard for a Europen to chomp on until pulverized, although a sulcata might be able to eat them...

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Thanks!

Always happy to help.

 

[Redstrike]

I've had great luck freezing dandelion flowers, they don't get mushy and gross when you thaw them.

 

[korinne]

Will Hermanns eat fresh rosé petals?

 

[Moozillion]

That's good to know- thanks!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Will Hermanns eat fresh rosé petals?

Yes, and the leaves, too, but be sure they've not been sprayed w/ chemicals...some roses you buy can be.