Homes Hingeback - need advise on food

[16rash]

hi..so i am here again with another question
latest update on my homes hingeback(3 weeks back) was he started eating earthworms and sometime strawberries/watermelon.
Since then i have tried everything to make him eat greens /mushroom or any other food but he doesn't look interested in anything. he wants only earthworms,strawberries,watermelon.
tried shredding greens and put watermelon juice on top but no luck.

Other question is how often should i give him earthworms coz he is not eating any other kind if proteins.and how many earthworms?
thank you!

 

[dmmj]

@Jacqui. can help out on this

 

[Jacqui]

How about trying a course grind with the new food (such as mushroom) and the old liked food? Have you tried Mazuri? Cooked sweet taters, papaya, plantain ( like banana), have you tried those? I don't get too worried when one isn't fond of greens.

 

[16rash]

How about trying a course grind with the new food (such as mushroom) and the old liked food? Have you tried Mazuri? Cooked sweet taters, papaya, plantain ( like banana), have you tried those? I don't get too worried when one isn't fond of greens.

Thanks for the reply Jacqui. Yes, i tired cooked sweet potato/corn/banana/musk melon/peaches etc..but no luck. he likes watermelon so i shredded zucchini,carrots,mushrooms along with other greens(collard,dandelions) and smeared the whole salad with watermelon pulp but he did not eat it.
i have not tried mazuri but tries similar kind of tortoise diet.

 

[16rash]

how often should i give him earthworms?like 3-4 day in a week or daily?

 

[Jacqui]

How about if the worms are in the "new" food that are all blended up? By this I mean leave the worms alive and wiggly in the good mixture, so they kinda coat it and the tortoise gets some good accidently. I also will dip worms in calcium powder.

 

[16rash]

How about if the worms are in the "new" food that are all blended up? By this I mean leave the worms alive and wiggly in the good mixture, so they kinda coat it and the tortoise gets some good accidently. I also will dip worms in calcium powder.

ok Jacqui.dipping worms in calcium powder is a great idea . i generally dust greens/veggies with calcium but he is not eating.
i will try this tomorrow and hope this works. Thanks!

what would be the frequency of feed him live animal proteins?every other day or 3-4 times a week ? and how should i know what is the correct amount?how many earthworms ?Please help.

any specific mazuri diet for hingeback or normal tortoise mazuri diet?

 

[Anyfoot]

ok Jacqui.dipping worms in calcium powder is a great idea . i generally dust greens/veggies with calcium but he is not eating.
i will try this tomorrow and hope this works. Thanks!

what would be the frequency of feed him live animal proteins?every other day or 3-4 times a week ? and how should i know what is the correct amount?how many earthworms ?Please help.

any specific mazuri diet for hingeback or normal tortoise mazuri diet?

I feed worms/slugs or snails every other day, fruit and mushrooms on the opposite days. We always put greens in with the fruit but 9 times out of 10 they leave it. Mine will not eat greens like other species do. They have eaten on occasion kale and rocket. The other day I caught 2 of them eating grass and 1 eating a dandelion leaf. that was a rarity.

 

[Anyfoot]

I should add, my hatchlings have yet to touch greens, Its scary to think they don't, seems abnormal to me, but it is what it is. I gave them only greens for 2 days and they did not eat until the 3rd day when I put mushrooms in. I ain't risking starving month old babies for more than 2 days. Period.

 

[16rash]

I feed worms/slugs or snails every other day, fruit and mushrooms on the opposite days. We always put greens in with the fruit but 9 times out of 10 they leave it. Mine will not eat greens like other species do. They have eaten on occasion kale and rocket. The other day I caught 2 of them eating grass and 1 eating a dandelion leaf. that was a rarity.

Thanks Anyfoot for the response. do you have any specific quantity you feed? like count of earthworms/slugs?

 

[16rash]

This is how i offer him veggies/greens. attached pic - grated red & orange pepper,carrot and sweet corn. Greens - raddichio,dandelion, green leaf lettuce,collard .

i throw some button mushroom in the enclosure (never seen him eating mushroom though) . whole fruits - like strawberries/peaches /big pieces of papaya/watermelon.

am i doing something wrong ? any suggestions please.

 

[Anyfoot]

Thanks Anyfoot for the response. do you have any specific quantity you feed? like count of earthworms/slugs?

No, not really, I'd guess at 4 worms, but worms vary in size. I usually put quite a big pile in for my herd. When I put slugs in I usually put 2 big slugs per adult.
If I was you, the next time you feed worms, see how many he will eat before moving on.

 

[Anyfoot]

This is how i offer him veggies/greens. attached pic - grated red & orange pepper,carrot and sweet corn. Greens - raddichio,dandelion, green leaf lettuce,collard .

i throw some button mushroom in the enclosure (never seen him eating mushroom though) . whole fruits - like strawberries/peaches /big pieces of papaya/watermelon.

am i doing something wrong ? any suggestions please.

Honestly, in my opinion, they eat mainly protein. @tortadise said it many moons ago, "they eat up to 80% protein". In my opinion he is spot on with that statement.
I'm surprised he wont eat mushrooms though. Mine won't even eat grapes. Go back to that list I gave you that I feed and try everything on that list.
Have you fed papaya yet. Put some pillbugs in your enclosure too.

 

[Jacqui]

If he wants worms, feed him as many as he wants is my personal opinion. Make sure the fruit is really ripe and cutting it up tends to send out the aroma and get them interested. Have you tried other bugs, like butterworms?

Try other types of mushrooms too, like mine prefer portabello.

Helps with shy ones to feed right outside the hide.

 

[16rash]

If he wants worms, feed him as many as he wants is my personal opinion. Make sure the fruit is really ripe and cutting it up tends to send out the aroma and get them interested. Have you tried other bugs, like butterworms?

Try other types of mushrooms too, like mine prefer portabello.

Helps with shy ones to feed right outside the hide.

Thanks Jacqui.
I tried mealworms but he doesn't look interested. only earthworms. checking if i can order butter worms online .
tried portabello and white/brown button mushroom but no luck. can i try oysters/shitake mushroom?

 

[Jacqui]

Thanks Jacqui.
I tried mealworms but he doesn't look interested. only earthworms. checking if i can order butter worms online .
tried portabello and white/brown button mushroom but no luck. can i try oysters/shitake mushroom?

Sure you can try anything and everything.

 

[Anyfoot]

The last owner of the 4 I got only used to feed shiitake mushrooms for the mushroom source.

 

[tortadise]

Yep worms, liver and greens. I steer from fruits for most of these guys. Basically a box turtle diet is almost identical to home and and erosa. Lots of protein and then more ruffage as they get older.

 

[16rash]

Thanks Tortadise!