If you have a leopard that eats grass

[Renee_H]

How much (what %) of their diet(that you feed them) is grass? mine devours soaked orchard grass but I don’t want to over do it. I know the tortoise food pyramid says a significant amnt but then I read here leopards need more broad leaf and succulents. So just checking.

 

[wellington]

Orchard grass or orchard grass hay?
My leopards graze on weeds, grass, mulberry leaves all summer with occasional mazuri and lettuces.
In winter when they are inside they have dried mulberry leaves, mazuri, lettuces, hay pellets, cactus pads, orchard grass hay available 24/7 and any additional dried foods I buy to put on as a topper for the lettuces.
They are fine to eat the orchard grass or if it's actually hay, but that should be a part of a wide variety diet.

 

[Renee_H]

Hmmm okay. I think it’s grass hay. The label said orchard grass but it’s fairly dry and I have to chop and soak it before she’ll eat it. I do have access to mulberry and grape leaves but understand those are dropping off pretty quickly and I didn’t plan ahead to save enough for the long haul. I do know I can get them from kapidolo farms as I do the moringa but with those I add to lettuce. I’ve been doing more lettuces (endive escarole radicchio mix and romaine) and amending those with the orchard grass mazuri and what leaves I have at the time. I guess I was wondering if I could reverse it and do more of the orchard grass (hay?) and less of the lettuces. Say if her plate is 80% bulk of lettuces and 20% of the grass/hay and amendments if I could switch and do 80% orchard grass and 20% lettuce. Those are just examples. She grazes all day now on tortoise seed mix and grass plus eats equivalent to the photo.

 

[Renee_H]

Orchard grass or orchard grass hay?
My leopards graze on weeds, grass, mulberry leaves all summer with occasional mazuri and lettuces.
In winter when they are inside they have dried mulberry leaves, mazuri, lettuces, hay pellets, cactus pads, orchard grass hay available 24/7 and any additional dried foods I buy to put on as a topper for the lettuces.
They are fine to eat the orchard grass or if it's actually hay, but that should be a part of a wide variety diet.

I found this photo I took before soaking. Is this the grass or hay?

 

[jaizei]

If she'll eat mostly hay/grass, take advantage of that. Variety is recommended just to cover micronutrients/vitamins, but feeding Mazuri a couple times a week or using supplement can take care of those. The bulk of the diet is just for energy and variety doesn't really matter for that.

 

[wellington]

View attachment 380970I found this photo I took before soaking. Is this the grass or hay?

Looks like orchard grass hay. I'm not sure there is such thing as actual orchard grass. I think they are both the same thing but usually sold as orchard grass hay.

 

[Tom]

Looks like orchard grass hay. I'm not sure there is such thing as actual orchard grass. I think they are both the same thing but usually sold as orchard grass hay.

What state of existence do you think the orchard grass hay is in before it becomes "hay"? Are you kidding?

You can buy seeds and grow orchard grass. I've done this many times. If you chop it and dry it out it then becomes hay.

 

[wellington]

What state of existence do you think the orchard grass hay is in before it becomes "hay"? Are you kidding?

You can buy seeds and grow orchard grass. I've done this many times. If you chop it and dry it out it then becomes hay.

Hay is hay, grass is grass. When my grass grows to long, it doesn't become hay. I have only heard of orchard grass hay or orchard hay. Never seen it sold as orchard grass. I also don't grow fields of hay, so have no idea what it's considered before it's cut for hay bales. I just bought it when I had horses and I just buy it now. It's of zero interest to me to learn the growing process!

 

[Renee_H]

ChatGPT:

Orchard grass is technically a type of grass. It’s often used for hay production, but it is primarily classified as a grass species (Dactylis glomerata). When cut and dried for animal feed, it is referred to as hay.