Food

Lindsay79

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Can a Russian Tortoise eat the leaves of a kohlrabi plant? I read somewhere that they cannot?? If they can then I am planting some....I just didnt want to hurt my little guy!

Thanks!
 

Lindsay79

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How can you get your tortoise to eat the pellets? I have tried and he wont eat anything.

I have a RT and he will only eat kale and carrots. I just adopted him so I am working through his small "issues" :)

Any help would be appreciated!!
 

JoesMum

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How can you get your tortoise to eat the pellets? I have tried and he wont eat anything.

I have a RT and he will only eat kale and carrots. I just adopted him so I am working through his small "issues" :)

Any help would be appreciated!!
Torts are stubborn as you have discovered, but a hungry tort will eat.

Like a toddler, they will be fussy about what they eat - holding out for candy as refusing what's good for them.

You need to be the tough Mom about this and it's hard!

Here's a step by step guide to winning! Your tort needs a mound of food roughly the size of its shell.

1. Chop up the food your tort will eat into tiny bits and wet it.

2. Chop a tiny amount of healthy greens up into tiny bits and mix that with the other food- it will stick together because it's wet.

3. Soak your tort and then feed it. If s/he ignores it, don't worry. Just leave it there and walk away. Don't get sucked into hand-feeding.

4. Next day: If your tort has eaten it then, at increase the amount of healthy stuff slightly and decrease the unhealthy in the mix. If not, offer the same as the day before.

It will take weeks to achieve a healthy balance, but you have to be strong and keep soaking and keep offering the food you want to feed.

A hungry tort will eat as long as you are determined to win this battle! Just console yourself that your tort won't have the noisy screaming tantrum and tears while you are going through this!
 

JoesMum

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Yvonne G

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They really don't have to eat pellets. Fresh weeds and greens are perfectly fine.

Here's my formula for getting a picky eater to eat:

First find out if he will eat cucumber (most will). Then chop up the good greens and weeds into tiny pieces. Grate a cucumber and mix it in with the greens until all the greens are covered with cucumber. Over time, decrease the amount of cucumber and increase the amount of greens/weeds. It may take a year, so be patient. During the weaning period you can slowly increase the size of the greens/weeds until at the end, he's eating full leaves.
 

Lindsay79

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THANK YOU all so much. I am going to try all of these suggestions.

I got the pellets at Petco. They have so many different kind. Mazuri is one brand he would NOT eat.

WOW, he is really going to test my patience with this plan..lol. I am afraid that he is not getting all the nutrients he needs. He only eats kale and carrots right now. I do sprinkle the calcium powder on his food occasionally.

OK I will try step 1 today!!! Wish us luck :)
 

Crzt4torts

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How can you get your tortoise to eat the pellets? I have tried and he wont eat anything.

I have a RT and he will only eat kale and carrots. I just adopted him so I am working through his small "issues" :)

Any help would be appreciated!!
My 2 adult Russians will have nothing to do with pellets. I have tried several kinds, dry, damp, soggy - nothing interests them but weeds and greens. I am guessing it is because they were wild caught and it's not "natural " to what they would find in life. I have 3 new hatchlings now, and their absolute hands down favorite thing is the pellets. I wish the adults would eat pellets, it would be convenient at times.
 

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