How much do I feed my Tort?

[DamJoe08]

my wife and I have had our 2 month old Sulcata for about 3 days. I’ve posted on here a quite a few times (my apologies). How much and how often should I be feeding my baby Sulcata? We have the correct diet for it just need to know the amount and how often.

 

[Bambam1989]

Your little tort should have food available at all times. Sulcatas are grazers and like to eat throughout the day. There is no need to be concerned about it eating to much although they sure can seem like glutens.
As soon as the lights come on I give my tort a handful of food. Once that is gone or almost I feed some more.
Over time you will get an idea of how much your little one will eat. It's always best to have a little leftover at the end of the day.

 

[DamJoe08]

Your little tort should have food available at all times. Sulcatas are grazers and like to eat throughout the day. There is no need to be concerned about it eating to much although they sure can seem like glutens.
As soon as the lights come on I give my tort a handful of food. Once that is gone or almost I feed some more.
Over time you will get an idea of how much your little one will eat. It's always best to have a little leftover at the end of the day.

Thank you for the reply. That helps a lot because we thought we were feeding it too much. We would fill up the bowl every time it would be finished or close to it but weren’t sure so figured we’d ask.

 

[Bambam1989]

Thank you for the reply. That helps a lot because we thought we were feeding it too much. We would fill up the bowl every time it would be finished or close to it but weren’t sure so figured we’d ask.

Yep, if he is getting everything he needs he will grow very fast (in the wild their goal is to get too big to be eaten as quickly as possible).

 

[DamJoe08]

Yep, if he is getting everything he needs he will grow very fast (in the wild their goal is to get too big to be eaten as quickly as possible).

Yes he is. I did a lot of research and looked through a lot of posts on here to see exactly what the best thing is. I’ve even started 4 grow trays each with different grass that I’ll be able swap out once they’ve established

 

[DamJoe08]

Also, what part of dandelions can be fed to my baby tort? I’ve read mixed reviews on both.

 

[Bambam1989]

Also, what part of dandelions can be fed to my baby tort? I’ve read mixed reviews on both.

The leaves and flowers are both good. If they eat a lot of dandelion, you may notice some pink/brown color to their urine.

 

[DamJoe08]

The leaves and flowers are both good. If they eat a lot of dandelion, you may notice some pink/brown color to their urine.

How about the stem? Does that mean something’s wrong if it’s pink/brown?

 

[Bambam1989]

How about the stem? Does that mean something’s wrong if it’s pink/brown?

The stem is also fine.
Not really, if your not aware of the side effect it can be disconcerting to see. Ever eat a whole bunch of beets? They will do it to us.
Remember that torts do best with a wide variety of foods/weeds and no one food should be fed exclusively.

 

[DamJoe08]

The stem is also fine.
Not really, if your not aware of the side effect it can be disconcerting to see. Ever eat a whole bunch of beets? They will do it to us.
Remember that torts do best with a wide variety of foods/weeds and no one food should be fed exclusively.

Thank you so much. Not a big fan of beets so I have no idea, lol. Granted it’s only been 3 days but my wife & I have been mixing up the food we offer to our tort.

 

[Bambam1989]

Thank you so much. Not a big fan of beets so I have no idea, lol. Granted it’s only been 3 days but my wife & I have been mixing up the food we offer to our tort.

If you find any kind of weed in your yard that your not sure of what it is or if it's safe to feed just post a pic and we will happily help[emoji106]

 

[TammyJ]

Also, what part of dandelions can be fed to my baby tort? I’ve read mixed reviews on both.

Do you mind if I use this opportunity to ask this question about dandelions: Are they all the same? Are they the same plant everywhere?

 

[Bambam1989]

Do you mind if I use this opportunity to ask this question about dandelions: Are they all the same? Are they the same plant everywhere?

I'm not sure. I can say that the dandelions here in Washington are the same as the ones in Texas.
There are also several types of weeds that are very similar in appearance that are often confused with it, but luckily are usually safe tort foods too. For example Hawkbit.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Do you mind if I use this opportunity to ask this question about dandelions: Are they all the same? Are they the same plant everywhere?

They aren’t all the same but come from the same plant species. There are two common ones in North America; I don’t know about Jamaica. They aren’t native to either place; they made their way here from Europe and Asia.

They ones we see in the U.S. sold as dandelions at grocery stores are actually chicories. That’s why they look so different, they aren’t the same! But they are in the same plant family and close relatives of dandelions. The other weeds BamBam mentioned are also close relatives to dandelion. The typically have yellow flower heads that go to fluffy seeds so it’s hard to tell which are dandelions and which aren’t..

The easiest way for me to tell they are different is to look at the flowers. Dandelions have single flowers coming up on a single stalk.

Dandelion:

The others have multiple flowers branching off one stalk.

Sow thistle:


All are good food.

 

[DamJoe08]

They aren’t all the same but come from the same plant species. There are two common ones in North America; I don’t know about Jamaica. They aren’t native to either place; they made their way here from Europe and Asia.

They ones we see in the U.S. sold as dandelions at grocery stores are actually chicories. That’s why they look so different, they aren’t the same! But they are in the same plant family and close relatives of dandelions. The other weeds BamBam mentioned are also close relatives to dandelion. The typically have yellow flower heads that go to fluffy seeds so it’s hard to tell which are dandelions and which aren’t..

The easiest way for me to tell they are different is to look at the flowers. Dandelions have single flowers coming up on a single stalk.

Dandelion: View attachment 229901

The others have multiple flowers branching off one stalk.

Sow thistle: View attachment 229902


All are good food.

Very informative, I really appreciate it. How often am I allowed to feed my tort the flowers, stem & leaves? Also, is there a better one between the yellow one and the white cottony one?

 

[RosemaryDW]

Very informative, I really appreciate it. How often am I allowed to feed my tort the flowers, stem & leaves? Also, is there a better one between the yellow one and the white cottony one?

It’s like anything else, fine as part of a varied diet. I don’t have a sulcata, though; I only know they are grass eaters. Let’s see how a sulcata owner feels about how many broad leafed plants (like dandelion) vs. grass.

I think the question on the flower petals (vs the seeds, which is what the fluffy bits are) is also best left to an expert. I think both are fine but imagine the seeds are higher in protein. A little vegetable protein isn’t bad but I really can’t say for dandelions. I wonder what @Will would say about it.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

It’s like anything else, fine as part of a varied diet. I don’t have a sulcata, though; I only know they are grass eaters. Let’s see how a sulcata owner feels about how many broad leafed plants (like dandelion) vs. grass.

I think the question on the flower petals (vs the seeds, which is what the fluffy bits are) is also best left to an expert. I think both are fine but imagine the seeds are higher in protein. A little vegetable protein isn’t bad but I really can’t say for dandelions. I wonder what @Will would say about it.

It sounds like the tortoise in question is young (small) so my reservation would center of the mechanical properties of the seeds not their nutrient content. I have some Egyptian tortoises that are 200 grams and they eat them with not problem.

 

[TammyJ]

I enjoy getting "creative" with what I give my redfoots, while still learning what NOT to give them!
They are definitely thriving on a very varied diet, and I like checking the store-bought items I may have and then venturing out into the "bush" to see what there is available on any particular day. We have wild raspberries, cactus, dandelions, clover, cho-cho vine leaves, hibiscus, pumpkin leaves and flowers and more.
I would love to have a sulcata, but I don't think I can manage that...the redfoots are enough for me.

 

[DamJoe08]

I'm looking into getting pellets for my sulcata so I can soak and sprinkle them on his food. Out of Alfalfa, Timothy and Orchard which is the best?

 

[Dizisdalife]

I'm looking into getting pellets for my sulcata so I can soak and sprinkle them on his food. Out of Alfalfa, Timothy and Orchard which is the best?

When these hays are pelleted they are ground up to small pieces. Your small sulcata should be able to eat any of these pellets when they have been re-hydrated. Personally, I would go with orchard hay pellets or bermuda hay pellets for such a young tortoise. Alfalfa and timothy are too stalky, in my opinion, for babies.
Here is a link to a thread on Salad Dressing by @Markw84 that shows a great mix of greens, hay , and pelleted food for his young, and not so young, tortoises. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/totoise-salad-dressing.149685/#post-1427858