Hay for Sulcata

[Reptileguy92]

Ok so I bought a male Sulcata a month ago at the NY Reptile Expo. He is a year and a half old and seems to be very healthy. He loves to eat greens but for some reason he doesn't like hay that much at all. I know Sulcata's diet should be consisted of 75% hay/grasses. I first tried Timothy Hay, but he wouldn't eat it. I then tried Orchard Grass and he ate a little but not alot. When I place greens like Dandelions in his enclosure, he eats them right up but leaves the hay. How can I make him start eating hay again?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

In my experience young Sulcata don't like to eat hay. Bob didn't willingly eat hay until he was 7 or 8. So I would suggest to feed him a variety of dark leafy greens, Spring Mix is what I used for my smaller Sulcata with greens added in like endive escarole dandelion, throw in some squash and sprinkle some grass hay over the moistened Spring Mix and he will have to get some hay in. Cut it up so it's easier to eat. Timothy hay is too stemmy with big sticks, grass hay is softer and easier to eat for a small Sulcata.

 

[franeich]

How do you know he is male if he is only a year and a half old? How big is he?

 

[Yvonne G]

The thing about hay, when it is touted for feeding sulcatas, is:

The best diet for sulcatas is grass and weeds. If you can't feed your sulcata grass and weeds, then the next best thing is to feed him dried grass, or hay.

It doesn't mean that you MUST feed hay or else. It means that if you can't feed grass and weeds, then hay is a good alternative for it.

Young sulcatas won't eat hay until they have been allowed outside to graze. This usually doesn't happen until they're too big for a bird to carry off, consequently, they're about 3 or 4 years old before they eat grass. If no grass, then hay is a good alternative, but not a necessity.

Feed your young sulcata like what Maggie advised and he will be quite ok.

 

[Reptileguy92]

Ok thank you very much. Since I live in the Northeast it is hard to give him grass now because of the cold weather. When the weather warms up again in spring, I will try to grow some grass for him to eat.