Hatchling Feed

[capedthespian]

I became the ecstatic owner of a sulcata hatchling on Christmas morning. I had read care sheets and researched sulkys in order to give Olive the best home possible. In several places I read it says that sulcatas will eat and enjoy grass hay, but not alfalfa. I procured some and added it to her diet, which so far consists of romaine, mazuri tortoise chow, graze, and rose petals from our garden (pesticide free). It is too early for other weeds, such as dandelions, but I plan to incorporate them as soon as they appear. Olive has been eating all these with relish except the hay. She instead chooses to scatter it around the enclosure. Is it due to her age or is it just a personal quirk she has?

 

[wellington]

Usually the younger ones don't take too hay very good. Soak it and keep trying by adding it too her food. Cut it up small. Soak it in water and then mix it in with the Mazuri and see if she will then eat it.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

With the hay, do as Wellington recommends, just be sure to remove any on a nightly basis to keep it fresh, and keep it from molding.

 

[Blakem]

As an added note, I see you have your sulcata housed with a Russian tortoise. As this may look okay right now, it may soon, if not already, not be the best of ideas. People DO mix species all of the time, but they don't know that it's not the best of ideas. Your baby is just that, a baby. It can get sick from anything the Russian, or itself may be carrying. Added to that, aggression may come into play. When I tried to house my sulcata and Russian together, it seemed fine. But, I noticed that little color pieces were missing on my sulcata (even though Dexter is much larger than my Russian) hind legs. I had them outside together and thought the Russian was just following my sulcata around. I then saw my Russian speed up and bite at my sulcatas legs. As it seemed somewhat comical, I'm sure it wa uncomfortable for my sulcata.

I'm not trying to be the mean one, but just wanted to tell you! Good luck.

 

[Tom]

Here is a diet sheet for sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html

Here is a care sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-79895.html

Here is a thread that will help you:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-45180.html
Its all good, but pay special attention to number 10, and maybe number 9 too.


Hay is for older tortoises, unless you finely chop it and rehydrate it, and species should never be mixed.