How much to feed

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Zabbi0

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Ok. STILL NOT getting a good idea on how much to feed a day.
Have a 3-4yr old sulcata.
Currently I am feeding a big handful once daily. Just for comparison- 1/4 a bag of lettuce a day (though i feed a variety now)

Is this too much? Too little?

I have also heard that they can literally eat themselves to death. Is this true? Thanks.


Oh and as far as Zoomed pellets
Sammy is just not having it!!!
Do any of your torts actually eat it plain dry?? That stuff is looks tough for their little teeth!!
I was thinking of maybe mashing it up with a little bit of water? Any other suggestions to help him eat it?
 

Tom

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I feed my indoor babies as much as they want twice a day. My preference is to let them graze on their own in well planted enclosure during the warmer months.

What size is your 3-4 year old? I have some two and a half year olds that will eat the equivalent of an entire head of romaine all by themselves.
 

Zabbi0

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They share the head of romaine? Or each of them eat separate? I will attach two photos. He is getting pretty expensive and I am getting pretty depressed now that I am in college full time and not working anymore.... I don't want to lose my baby. & I don't trust him in the hands of anyone else. :(
 

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Baoh

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With school being what it is and financial constraints being what they are, a pellet diet may be the easiest thing for you. Moisten the pellets until they are soft and offer however much your tortoise will eat. Depending on how much you buy and of what brand, this could be your most well-rounded, simplified, and economical option. Alternatively, or perhaps regardless of thinking of it as an alternative, consider getting a part-time job. Especially on the weekends. You will be able to live much more comfortably if you work Friday night, Saturday, and perhaps some or all of Sunday. Buying a bag of Mazuri and using that as the primary food source can be very cost-effective compared to store-bought greens.

Up...the...moisture....
 

Zabbi0

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Yes, I start a part time job in mid January.
I'll make about $500 bi-weekly is all.
I love my little guy. I hope I can keep up with him over the next few years while in college. I just don't know that I trust giving him to someone else, or a zoo or something. Plus, the attachment. Strange how you can come to really love a tortoise :p
 

Baoh

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If you will it, you can keep him well enough (adequately for health) during your college years and then treat him more lavishly once you have established yourself more post-graduation.

$250/week will allow you to sacrifice as much as $40-to-50-ish for a 25lb bag of Mazuri with shipping, assuming you do not get a better price, that should last you a long time (six months to a year, let us roughly estimate). You could get a jump start in efficiency by either borrowing or spending the money for the cost for that bag now instead of in a month, as greens will be costing you more until then.
 

Yellow Turtle

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Zabbi0 said:
They share the head of romaine? Or each of them eat separate? I will attach two photos. He is getting pretty expensive and I am getting pretty depressed now that I am in college full time and not working anymore.... I don't want to lose my baby. & I don't trust him in the hands of anyone else. :(

I know how you feel, I can't get my own pets until I work, so you are lucky to have one during college time already and part time jobs are certainly much harder to get here :D
 

Zabbi0

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I am not too familiar with Mazuri...?
I could probably get that first of January and buy two bags.
 

Yellow Turtle

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Zabbi0 said:
I am not too familiar with Mazuri...?
I could probably get that first of January and buy two bags.

Same as zoomed pellets, it is proven as good tortoise food by many members here, but cheaper in price.
 

Zabbi0

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Oh gotcha. Hm. Yeah I have been trying Zoomed but Sammy won't eat it even when dampened with water. I'm thinking of mixed with a bit of pumpkin? Cus now he just picks the grass out of it but avoids the pellets.
 

karleyreed

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Zabbi0 said:
Oh gotcha. Hm. Yeah I have been trying Zoomed but Sammy won't eat it even when dampened with water. I'm thinking of mixed with a bit of pumpkin? Cus now he just picks the grass out of it but avoids the pellets.

We can't get Mazuri here in the UK but I've just ordered some zoomed grassland pellets, I use some tortoise food called
Pre alpin, it's just dried grasses, weeds, flowers etc, probs the same as the pellets but comes just loose. I soak it with boiling water and mix it with the greens I feed my tort. That way, if he's not eating chunks, he's still getting some that's stuck on his food.
 

Yellow Turtle

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You can try soaking the pellets with water first then mix them properly with any food that he likes. That will get him to eat the pellets.
After sometime, he will eat the pellet without needing to mix. Somehow most of the torts like mazuri a lot, I don't know about zoomed because I can't buy the brand here.
 

itsjust_SP

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With young torts, most if not all wont touch zoomed pellets unless soaked & mixed with something he likes. Try using the approach that @karleyreed suggested. ...that's pretty much what I do as well with my little guy! Good luck!
 

Baoh

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Yellow Turtle said:
Zabbi0 said:
I am not too familiar with Mazuri...?
I could probably get that first of January and buy two bags.

Same as zoomed pellets, it is proven as good tortoise food by many members here, but cheaper in price.

It is not the same. The primary ingredients differ and the proportions of macronutrients are significantly different. Mazuri is richer in protein. Zoo Med pellets are more fiber oriented by comparison.
 

stena29

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My sullys love zoo med even my little hatchling. At first he woukdnt touch it but like the others said mix it with something he will eat. That's what I did and now that's my torts favorite.
 

Zabbi0

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Well all our grass is pretty much dead & we put mulch on our plants recently (lots of chemicals) so will have to wait a while on that. Not too sure how the neighbors would react if I just started snipping away at their grass. ;P
I will be heading to the store this weekend to start getting the turnip greens, collard greens, spinach leaves, pumpkin etc. I have not fed him this stuff yet & will start with this. :) Have started regularly soaking him nightly now too. I plan to get him a totally new larger tank with a humidifier and non-lit heating bulb first of January. Lots of new stuff for Sammy booboo soon to come. :)
 

Yellow Turtle

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Baoh said:
Yellow Turtle said:
Zabbi0 said:
I am not too familiar with Mazuri...?
I could probably get that first of January and buy two bags.

Same as zoomed pellets, it is proven as good tortoise food by many members here, but cheaper in price.

It is not the same. The primary ingredients differ and the proportions of macronutrients are significantly different. Mazuri is richer in protein. Zoo Med pellets are more fiber oriented by comparison.

Yes I notice that, what I mean is both are proven as good tortoise pellets by members here. I like zoomed composition more than mazuri, but no luck finding it here.


Zabbi0 said:
Well all our grass is pretty much dead & we put mulch on our plants recently (lots of chemicals) so will have to wait a while on that. Not too sure how the neighbors would react if I just started snipping away at their grass. ;P
I will be heading to the store this weekend to start getting the turnip greens, collard greens, spinach leaves, pumpkin etc. I have not fed him this stuff yet & will start with this. :) Have started regularly soaking him nightly now too. I plan to get him a totally new larger tank with a humidifier and non-lit heating bulb first of January. Lots of new stuff for Sammy booboo soon to come. :)

You can buy a portable dog fence, ask permission from your neighbors to mow their grass, put the fence and the tort on their lawn and let him "mow" the grass. Good sunlight, cheap food and good exercise for Sammy too :D
 

Rover15

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You can buy a portable dog fence, ask permission from your neighbors to mow their grass, put the fence and the tort on their lawn and let him "mow" the grass. Good sunlight, cheap food and good exercise for Sammy too :D
[/quote]

That is too funny my yellow foot is only about 3 inches but in the summer I'm going to bring him out for a few hours each day when I'm outside (too many stray cats and racoons around here) bbqing or just drinking but if I run out of grass ill be sure to knock on my neighbours door and ask to "mow" their lawn
 

Krisowen

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Zabbi0 said:
Ok. STILL NOT getting a good idea on how much to feed a day.
Have a 3-4yr old sulcata.
Currently I am feeding a big handful once daily. Just for comparison- 1/4 a bag of lettuce a day (though i feed a variety now)

Is this too much? Too little?

I have also heard that they can literally eat themselves to death. Is this true? Thanks.


Oh and as far as Zoomed pellets
Sammy is just not having it!!!
Do any of your torts actually eat it plain dry?? That stuff is looks tough for their little teeth!!
I was thinking of maybe mashing it up with a little bit of water? Any other suggestions to help him eat it?




I heard that grocery stores and markets have trimmings from lettuce and such that they discard. They also have old things that they will sell to you at a discount. Get to know your store clerks. I have a dessert tortoise and he just eats grass from the lawn. When I go to Lowe's they will dead head the flowers for me and put them in a bag for free. I supplement his grass with hibiscus, roses, geraniums, petunias and pansy flowers. I also made a pan of grass from seed and dirt in a new car litter pan so I have something for him to eat while he is inside the house. It is free to feed my guy. I am not sure about your breed though.
 
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