How to get a 6 week old Indian Star hatchling to eat something other than green leaf lettuce

[tempest979]

I've tried giving her variety of things, dandelion, several flowers, plantain, clover, grass, bokchoy, water cress, Mazuri, ZooMed Grassland, Fluker's, she refuses to eat any of those things. She took several nibbles of bokchoy one day but has had no interest in it after. The only thing she seems to want is green leaf lettuce. It's not very nutritious so I'd rather her not eat it but that's all she will eat at the moment. I've even tried to trick her by cutting the lettuce into small bits and mixing a little of other things into it, she won't fall for it. Anyone have any ideas? Or is this a phase she will grow out of?

 

[wellington]

You have to trick them and outlast them.
Chop up into small pieces the lettuce and the new ingredients, mix together spritz with water. This makes him having to eat the new stuff to get the old. As he gets used to eating this, use less and less lettuce adding more of the new stuff. Eventually you will be able to just feed.
You have to do this every time until it works. May be a couple days, may be weeks or months.

 

[turtlesteve]

Unfortunately this is a well known and discussed issue here on the forum. When hatchlings are born you have to offer them a wide variety of greens and food items for the first several weeks. If you don’t, this is what you end up with. And it’s much harder to convince them to eat other foods later.

So you have to keep at it. You could also try some supplement powders and dust them on moistened lettuce, maybe it’ll help some. I think one such product is oxbow critical care herbivore formula. I have not used before but I recently ordered some to have on hand.

Steve

 

[tempest979]

You have to trick them and outlast them.
Chop up into small pieces the lettuce and the new ingredients, mix together spritz with water. This makes him having to eat the new stuff to get the old. As he gets used to eating this, use less and less lettuce adding more of the new stuff. Eventually you will be able to just feed.
You have to do this every time until it works. May be a couple days, may be weeks or months.

Hmmm, outlast them. How many days can a 6 week old last without food?

 

[tempest979]

Unfortunately this is a well known and discussed issue here on the forum. When hatchlings are born you have to offer them a wide variety of greens and food items for the first several weeks. If you don’t, this is what you end up with. And it’s much harder to convince them to eat other foods later.

So you have to keep at it. You could also try some supplement powders and dust them on moistened lettuce, maybe it’ll help some. I think one such product is oxbow critical care herbivore formula. I have not used before but I recently ordered some to have on hand.

Steve

Thanks! Lemme try this starve method for a few days and see how she deals with it. If it doesn't work I'll get the supplement for her. I put out a large platter of stuff for her the last few days to see what she likes, she keeps refusing. It's strange this tortoise won't even go near Mazuri, most go crazy for this stuff.

 

[wellington]

Hmmm, outlast them. How many days can a 6 week old last without food?

He will eat when he's hungry. They can go quite a while without food, but not being hydrated so keep him hydrated
Most likely he will try to pick out the lettuce which will also give him some of the new stuff and eventually he will start liking all of it
No tortoise has died by doing this, been recommended for years.

 

[wellington]

Unfortunately this is a well known and discussed issue here on the forum. When hatchlings are born you have to offer them a wide variety of greens and food items for the first several weeks. If you don’t, this is what you end up with. And it’s much harder to convince them to eat other foods later.

So you have to keep at it. You could also try some supplement powders and dust them on moistened lettuce, maybe it’ll help some. I think one such product is oxbow critical care herbivore formula. I have not used before but I recently ordered some to have on hand.

Steve

Unfortunately most tortoises don't like supplement powders like calcium or vitamins. This wouldn't be the best time to add those when you're already fighting to get him to eat new foods.

 

[tempest979]

He will eat when he's hungry. They can go quite a while without food, but not being hydrated so keep him hydrated
Most likely he will try to pick out the lettuce which will also give him some of the knew stuff and eventually he will start liking all of it
No tortoise has died by doing this, been recommended for years.

Ok. I soak her for about 20-25 mins every morning and the humidity is around 85%-90%. I do see her climbing into the water dish a few times a day, so I hope she isn't dehydrated.