Help Creating Weekly Diet!!! Stressing!!!

[Wozzie]

I have three baby Sulcatta tortoises and I think I've noticed some pyramiding and I'm freaking out!!! I would do anything for them and I figured it might be their diet. I bought them at the wrong time as it's getting too cold outside for them so they can't graze like usual. I go outside everyday and pick out all the weeds and flowers and grasses they like and occasionally I add mizuri (wet) to the mix as long as some fruits and lettuce sometime. But so don't think it's enough. Can someone help me come up with a weekly diet (like a cycle) I would like to have it all planned perfectly so they are getting all the necessary nutrients.
Oh and I frequently add Calcium, only problem is it doesn't include Vitamin D because they are supposed to live outside. Is there vitamins I can buy with vitamin D? PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[kathyth]

Would you post a picture of their indoor enclosure and pictures of them?
Are you soaking them daily?

You will get good feedback. If not, make. Thread, " need Sulcata baby help"

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Wozzie:

Welcome to the Forum!

Quit stressing, and read the "importand threads" at the top of the sulcata section. We have new (well not real new, but quite unheard of by many) info on pyramiding, and its NOT food related!!!

I feed my babies a mixture of endive, escarole, raddiccio, mulberry leaves, grape leaves, fillaree, clover, mallow, fresh grass cut with the scissors,and whatever edible weeds are poking their little heads up this time of year. You don't have to feed all of that every day, but a nice variety is the key.

 

[Leopard Tortoise Lover 16199]

Humidity helps prevent pyramiding in baby tortoises.

 

[Wozzie]

Yes, they get daily soaks.

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Wozzie, remember this, hot and humid = healthy and happy. Baby sulcatas are born in their native land, Africa, when it is rainy and of course it is hot. They burrow, they hide in plant pallets, all of this is constant hot and humid. That is what prevents the pyramiding, to a large extent. Please read the threads that give all the pertinent information, as shared already, above. Also, a couple of days, for even just 15 minutes of sun will get a lot of that vital Vitamin D to your babies. As for foods, my rule is a rainbow a day, so at least 5 things, a rainbow of color, or 5 shades of green ... sometimes more, sometimes less, but aim for a rainbow. Like Yvonne said, use scissors to blend, blend, blend and your babies can't be picky. I rather like those so called herb scissors that chefs use, they have either 3 or 5 blades. And I also have a seen on tee vee slap choppy thingee. Do not stress, or your baby sulcatas will pick up that energy and stress, too. All good. Read, learn, process and do it. : )

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, they get daily soaks.

Daily soaks isn't enough. They need to live in a moist/humid environment.

 

[Wozzie]

Wozzie, remember this, hot and humid = healthy and happy. Baby sulcatas are born in their native land, Africa, when it is rainy and of course it is hot. They burrow, they hide in plant pallets, all of this is constant hot and humid. That is what prevents the pyramiding, to a large extent. Please read the threads that give all the pertinent information, as shared already, above. Also, a couple of days, for even just 15 minutes of sun will get a lot of that vital Vitamin D to your babies. As for foods, my rule is a rainbow a day, so at least 5 things, a rainbow of color, or 5 shades of green ... sometimes more, sometimes less, but aim for a rainbow. Like Yvonne said, use scissors to blend, blend, blend and your babies can't be picky. I rather like those so called herb scissors that chefs use, they have either 3 or 5 blades. And I also have a seen on tee vee slap choppy thingee. Do not stress, or your baby sulcatas will pick up that energy and stress, too. All good. Read, learn, process and do it. : )

Thankyou! I didn't think of using the slap chop. I'm definitely going to go try that. And I'm going to start spraying down their terrain to keep it moist.

 

[Blakem]

I've read Deans, a forum member who has provided a lot of inciteful information for this forum, say the three H's (Hot, Humid and Hydrated). When mine was a baby, under 1 year of age, I kept the top of its tank covered completely and made the substrate damp (not wet otherwise it'll get cold as heat rises), I sprayed the sulcatas shell 4-6 times daily with lukewarm water, and I never let the four important temps (ambient, whole tank, temperature, cool side, warm side, and basking temperature) get below 80. Good luck and follow the diet provided and your tortoise will be happy.