How do you feed pellets?

[uscpsycho]

I know the mantra of very slowly introducing new foods to a tortoise. But mine won't touch any formed pellets. Doesn't really object to me crumbling them up and mixing it into his/her food though. But even after a year of mixing this into the food, my tort still won't touch fully formed pellets if they are offered with regular food. It eats everything else and leaves the pellets.

When people talk about feeding pellets, are you actually feeding the pellets? Or are you crushing them first like I do? If the former, how do you get your tort to eat the pellets? Would be a lot easier for me if I could get it to eat the actual pellets. There is no way to "slowly" introduce full pellets. Even if you put one in there, if it is ignored daily, you will never make progress.

My uromastyx is the opposite. That guy will go for straight for Mazuri pellets and then eat his greens.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I know the mantra of very slowly introducing new foods to a tortoise. But mine won't touch any formed pellets. Doesn't really object to me crumbling them up and mixing it into his/her food though. But even after a year of mixing this into the food, my tort still won't touch fully formed pellets if they are offered with regular food. It eats everything else and leaves the pellets.

When people talk about feeding pellets, are you actually feeding the pellets? Or are you crushing them first like I do? If the former, how do you get your tort to eat the pellets? Would be a lot easier for me if I could get it to eat the actual pellets. There is no way to "slowly" introduce full pellets. Even if you put one in there, if it is ignored daily, you will never make progress.

My uromastyx is the opposite. That guy will go for straight for Mazuri pellets and then eat his greens.

My redfoots readily eats some pelleted foods (e.g. Hikari Mulberific). But some (Agrobs PreAlpine) - are no go in any form.

Just to clarify - do you try to feed dry pellets or wet them in water?

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I did exactly like you. Little bit at a time. Soaked them really good and sprinkled it over all the food. Slowly adding more and more pellets. Sprinkled over their food. Once I saw them eating the pellets first before the greens that is when I would just plop them on top the greens. Just a few at a time.

 

[uscpsycho]

My redfoots readily eats some pelleted foods (e.g. Hikari Mulberific). But some (Agrobs PreAlpine) - are no go in any form.

Just to clarify - do you try to feed dry pellets or wet them in water?

When I have put the full pellets in there, I put them in dry and they get sprayed with a water bottle. Should I soak them first?

 

[uscpsycho]

I did exactly like you. Little bit at a time. Soaked them really good and sprinkled it over all the food. Slowly adding more and more pellets. Sprinkled over their food. Once I saw them eating the pellets first before the greens that is when I would just plop them on top the greens. Just a few at a time.

I'm mixing the pellets into the food so my tort is forced to eat it rather than using it as a topper. So it will eat it mixed in, but ignores the pellets. But I'm using dry pellets, maybe my tort will be more enticed by the pellets if I soak them first. I'll give that at try.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

When I have put the full pellets in there, I put them in dry and they get sprayed with a water bottle. Should I soak them first?

Yes, most pellets should be soaked for several minutes before serving (how much - depends on pellets size and composition and is usually stated on the packaging).

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I'm mixing the pellets into the food so my tort is forced to eat it rather than using it as a topper. So it will eat it mixed in, but ignores the pellets. But I'm using dry pellets, maybe my tort will be more enticed by the pellets if I soak them first. I'll give that at try.

Yes that is what I did at first. Except they were pretty soggy. I still make them soggy for them now and use as a topper.

Try soaking them and sprinkle it like you have been all over the greens. Make sure to start with just a little and slowly increase it to the amount his size would get.

 

[Tom]

I know the mantra of very slowly introducing new foods to a tortoise. But mine won't touch any formed pellets. Doesn't really object to me crumbling them up and mixing it into his/her food though. But even after a year of mixing this into the food, my tort still won't touch fully formed pellets if they are offered with regular food. It eats everything else and leaves the pellets.

When people talk about feeding pellets, are you actually feeding the pellets? Or are you crushing them first like I do? If the former, how do you get your tort to eat the pellets? Would be a lot easier for me if I could get it to eat the actual pellets. There is no way to "slowly" introduce full pellets. Even if you put one in there, if it is ignored daily, you will never make progress.

My uromastyx is the opposite. That guy will go for straight for Mazuri pellets and then eat his greens.

First, what pellets are we talking about?

Second, I have never fed any pellet to a tortoise dry. Not crushed or whole. I soak them all and mix the mush with greens. In time, they get used to it and eat the mush without the greens, but I usually mix it anyways.

Some pellets really aren't very palatable to most tortoises, and the soaking small amounts mixed in with greens method may take weeks or months.