Hide & Diet

[Celiagg]

Hi Everyone!
I have a sulcata hatchling for 3 weeks now. Is it normal if my Sheldon does not go in his hide to sleep or cool off? He doesn’t even semi burrow himself. And is it normal or how can I get him to eat some hay. I’ve tried Timothy hay he just goes around it. I read to be consistent with having hay in his diets as he will eventually eat and like it. Any suggestions on both topics?

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Hi Everyone!
I have a sulcata hatchling for 3 weeks now. Is it normal if my Sheldon does not go in his hide to sleep or cool off? He doesn’t even semi burrow himself. And is it normal or how can I get him to eat some hay. I’ve tried Timothy hay he just goes around it. I read to be consistent with having hay in his diets as he will eventually eat and like it. Any suggestions on both topics?

Most babies will not take to hay, so don't stress it. It is an acquired taste that develops over several years. Timothy hay is generally too stemmy for babies anyway. Orchard hay would be the softer, more palatable choice. As for the hide situation, what are the ambient, basking, and cool side temps running? Do you have your enclosure properly zoned out? What kind of substrate are you using? Is it nice, soft coco coir or orchid bark?

 

[Celiagg]

Well that’s good to know he’s not being a picky eater. I will try orchard hay instead. He has a turtle box. My substrate is cypress blend. My temp reader says 85 and I have it placed on the opposite side of his heat lamp. He has a a basking spot over his lamp. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Tom]

Hi Everyone!
I have a sulcata hatchling for 3 weeks now. Is it normal if my Sheldon does not go in his hide to sleep or cool off? He doesn’t even semi burrow himself. And is it normal or how can I get him to eat some hay. I’ve tried Timothy hay he just goes around it. I read to be consistent with having hay in his diets as he will eventually eat and like it. Any suggestions on both topics?

Hay is for adults, not for babies.

Most of the care info out in the world is all wrong. Please read this for the correct care and feeding info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[genbu42]

Most babies will not take to hay, so don't stress it. It is an acquired taste that develops over several years. Timothy hay is generally too stemmy for babies anyway. Orchard hay would be the softer, more palatable choice. As for the hide situation, what are the ambient, basking, and cool side temps running? Do you have your enclosure properly zoned out? What kind of substrate are you using? Is it nice, soft coco coir or orchid bark?

Ok I have an 8mnth old sulcata he'll eat greens and carrots and fruits but shows little too no interest in grasses,hay or tortoise pellets. Except for recently when I let him roam in the yard under my watchful eye he's taken some tentative nibbles of grass and plantain but that's it what can I do to get his diet on the right track, meaning getting him to eat grass hay and pellets?

 

[Tom]

Ok I have an 8mnth old sulcata he'll eat greens and carrots and fruits but shows little too no interest in grasses,hay or tortoise pellets. Except for recently when I let him roam in the yard under my watchful eye he's taken some tentative nibbles of grass and plantain but that's it what can I do to get his diet on the right track, meaning getting him to eat grass hay and pellets?

Please read this:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

They should never be fed fruit.

If the breeder who started your baby did not take the time to introduce the right foods, then you will have to. Start with tiny amounts of the new stuff minced up and mixed with old favorites. When I say tiny amounts, I mean hardly any at first. Gradually change the ratio of new to old food over a period of weeks or months. It takes time.

What type of pellets are you offering?

 

[Celiagg]

Is it also normal my suclata doesn’t poop in it water bowl. He poops like he should but just not in the water bowl.

 

[Tom]

Is it also normal my suclata doesn’t poop in it water bowl. He poops like he should but just not in the water bowl.

You should be soaking your baby daily in warm water for about 30-40 minutes. Keep the water warm the entire time. They should poop daily in the soak water, and this will keep your enclosure clean and free of feces, as well as keeping your tortoise hydrated.

 

[Celiagg]

I do soak him daily for 20 min with warm water but he won’t poop in it. Hell either poop before or after his soak.

 

[Tom]

I do soak him daily for 20 min with warm water but he won’t poop in it. Hell either poop before or after his soak.

Soak him longer. Keep the water warmer. Let him get fidgety and try to climb the walls to get out. We call that "The Tortoise Treadmill" and its good exercise for our captive tortoises. All that locomotion will get things moving in the GI tract. @DeanS use to soak his sulcatas for 6 hours a day, and his were super healthy, smooth, and growing much faster than mine on the same types of food. I'm not saying you need to soak for six hours a day. I'm just giving an extreme example to show that hours of soaking will do no harm.

In time, your tortoise will become "potty trained" to poop in the soaking water, and as an added benefit, your baby will be very well hydrated and exercised!

 

[Celiagg]

Thanks for the advice I will keep him soaked a bit longer.

 

[genbu42]

Please read this:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

They should never be fed fruit.

If the breeder who started your baby did not take the time to introduce the right foods, then you will have to. Start with tiny amounts of the new stuff minced up and mixed with old favorites. When I say tiny amounts, I mean hardly any at first. Gradually change the ratio of new to old food over a period of weeks or months. It takes time.

What type of pellets are you offering?

I'm not sure they were given to when I purchased him at the expo

Please read this:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

They should never be fed fruit.

If the breeder who started your baby did not take the time to introduce the right foods, then you will have to. Start with tiny amounts of the new stuff minced up and mixed with old favorites. When I say tiny amounts, I mean hardly any at first. Gradually change the ratio of new to old food over a period of weeks or months. It takes time.

What type of pellets are you offering?

I'm not sure of a brand I think they had a monster bag and were dividing them up bu here's a picture

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I'm not sure they were given to when I purchased him at the expo

I'm not sure of a brand I think they had a monster bag and were dividing them up bu here's a picture

Expos are always fun. The various breeders/ vendors I've encountered often reminded me of used car salesmen. They give you just enough info to make a quick sale and get you on your way. Anyway, sulcatas thrive on variety. I switch the type of greens I feed every couple or few days. Some days I feed escarole, dandelion greens, and banana leaves. Other days I might give endive, bok choy, and hibiscus leaves, and the list goes on. He enjoys opuntia, rose hips, and rose or Sharon blooms as treats. I don't give fruits but maybe twice per year. Watermelon rinds ( with the fruit scraped out) once in summer,and pumpkin shells around Halloween. When he was a baby, I always has either pellets or fresh grass readily available for him to munch on throughout the day. Now that he's older, I always make hay available. I've always tried to follow Tom's advice as much as possible and have had very good results by doing so.

 

[Tom]

I'm not sure they were given to when I purchased him at the expo

I'm not sure of a brand I think they had a monster bag and were dividing them up bu here's a picture

That is original Mazuri. Its a good supplemental food for a sulcata. Soak one single pellet, or a broken pellet, and mix that in with the favorite greens.