Horsefield Tortoise Diet

[Stephanieanndickens@gmail]

Hi everyone.

We recently became owners and was given a talk on care and handed a care sheet from the previous owners.

The owners told us that the diet if the tortoise would be mainly dandelions, cabbage, kale, pepper and watercress. Now looking at the tortoise table I'm feeling like we are doing the wrong thing.

Can anyone tell me specific plants etc I should feed our little Shelly-Lettuce (named by the kids).

Thank you

 

[Happytort27]

Here’s the care sheet that we use here on he forum:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? 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. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Here are some suggestions complied by Tom:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

 

[minnietortise]

Here’s the care sheet that we use here on he forum:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? 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. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Here are some suggestions complied by Tom:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

what are safe good things from the grocery stores beacuse where i live i dont have acess currently to weeds

 

[Happytort27]

You can get dandelion greens, mustard greens, cilantro, turnip and radish tops, bok choy, wheatgrass, and collard greens from most grocery stores. Make sure to rotate each item out every day to provide a variety. As a staple, you can buy chicory, endive, and escarole. Although, your tortoise needs a wider variety than this. Maybe try to order some seed mixes online or walk around your neighborhood and find some weeds that you can feed. In my previous post, I gave you a list of the weeds and seed mixes that can help as a reference.

 

[Tom]

what are safe good things from the grocery stores beacuse where i live i dont have acess currently to weeds

Read the care sheet that you quoted above. There is an entire section on feeding.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone.

We recently became owners and was given a talk on care and handed a care sheet from the previous owners.

The owners told us that the diet if the tortoise would be mainly dandelions, cabbage, kale, pepper and watercress. Now looking at the tortoise table I'm feeling like we are doing the wrong thing.

Can anyone tell me specific plants etc I should feed our little Shelly-Lettuce (named by the kids).

Thank you

Hello and welcome to the forum. The care sheet and info from the previous owners is mort likely the old wrong info. Read the link left for you by Joes Mum for the current and correct care info. Questions are welcome!