Introducing Mazuri to hatchling Sulcatas

[sulcatadude]

Wasn't sure whether to post this in the Sulcata section, or the diet and food section.

I'm trying to get my 3 month old sulcata to accept Mazuri. Unfortunately, she's very good at picking out the greens from the mazuri, even if cut up the greens, and mix in moistened mazuri. When she eats, she carefully picks out the bits of food that don't have Mazuri, and ends up ingesting almost no mazuri at all. Part of the problem is that the mazuri doesn't seem to stick to the food she eats and easily falls off. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get her to accept Mazuri as part of her diet if I can't get her to ingest it even when mixed in with food she likes!

Do most sulcata hatchlings take to Mazuri easily? I've been trying to get her to accept it for the past month!

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[jaizei]

Puree the food. 90% what she likes, 10% Mazuri.

 

[Dizisdalife]

My sulcata ate Mazuri the first time without hesitation. I don't know if this is the norm or not. In reading on the Forum it seems that some take to it right away and others just never like it. The only food I have seen him take to faster is Mulberry leaves or grape leaves. Mazuri isn't necessary for them. It is a convienent food source, but in my opion they need fiber from grasses to have a healthy digestive tract. I never feed my tortoise Mazuri without mixing in lots of grass, hay, weeds, other greens.

 

[Tom]

If they don't get a lot of variety right after hatching they tend to be picky. Many breeders just throw down some romaine because its cheap and easy. Problem is, in the long run, it creates problems like the one you are having.

Jaizei's method should help you, but so should persistence. Many tortoises won't try new things until they've seen it a bunch. Just keep offering it. In about a month you be probably be back posting that your tortoise won't eat anything BUT Mazuri. Also, don't worry too much about this. They don't NEED Mazuri. I think its a good addition to their diet, but they can certainly grow up well and healthy without it.

 

[srod]

All I can advise is that you keep trying.
It took me a good month to finally start seeing my baby sully eating mazuri. Similar to your situation it would pick out only the greens and eat around the mazuri. Basically, you just gotta show them a little tough love. I finely diced all the greens and made what looked like a GOOP pile of greens and mazuri. If you have a food processor that could help. Good luck!

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[hustleharder]

What is mazuri?? Is it tortoise chow? I tried giving it to my two 9 month old sucalta and they really don't like it. I feed them red leaf lettuce, romain, and squash sometimes. Not really sure what else they can eat.


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[Tom]

What is mazuri?? Is it tortoise chow? I tried giving it to my two 9 month old sucalta and they really don't like it. I feed them red leaf lettuce, romain, and squash sometimes. Not really sure what else they can eat.


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You need to get busy reading some of the stickies on this forum. There is some debate out in the tortoise world about how best to start and raise hatchlings, but the diet info is mostly unanimous. Your tortoise should be eating mostly grass and weeds from chemical free safe sources. You can grow it yourself, or scrounge it from other places. For babies I try to get tender young grass and finely chop it up. At first you can sprinkle just a little over the other greens, but try to gradually use more and more good stuff. For weeds look for dandelion, clover, mallow, sow thistle, broadleaf plantain, filaree, wild mustard, etc... There are lots and lots of them. There is a plant ID section here or you can take samples to a local nursery for ID help. Don't wait. This is important. You can also feed all sorts of leaves like mulberry, hibiscus and grape leaves. you can also feed several suculents like red apple, ice plant, jade plant and spineless opuntia cactus pads. If you must use grocery store food, favor endive and escarole, but use a lot of variety. Cilantro, dandelion greens, radicchio, parsley, collard greens, etc. When they get older its a good idea to introduce dry grass hays like orchard grass and Bermuda.

 

[samsmom]

Keep trying. My sulcata did the exact same thing. I only offered him mazuri once a week and all the sudden one week he decided he loved it. During the winter I fed Spring Mix and added something different every week-escarole, endive, different lettuces, optunia,... I also chop up dried orchard grass, timothy hay and bermuda and sprinkle on top of anything I feed him. Once mine did start eating mazuri it was amazing how much he grew. I still only feed him mazuri once a week though.

 

[erica anne]

I use Zoomed grassland tortoise mix. It took awhile for my tortoise to like it. He loves calcium powder so I found that if I sprinkled a bit of that on it he would gobble it down. Now he attacks it without the calcium!

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I use Zoomed grassland tortoise mix. It took awhile for my tortoise to like it. He loves calcium powder so I found that if I sprinkled a bit of that on it he would gobble it down. Now he attacks it without the calcium!

The Zoomed pellets are similar to Mazuri in the fact that you soak them in water and has a variety of grasses etc. in it.

 

[Tom]

Keep trying. My sulcata did the exact same thing. I only offered him mazuri once a week and all the sudden one week he decided he loved it. During the winter I fed Spring Mix and added something different every week-escarole, endive, different lettuces, optunia,... I also chop up dried orchard grass, timothy hay and bermuda and sprinkle on top of anything I feed him. Once mine did start eating mazuri it was amazing how much he grew. I still only feed him mazuri once a week though.

You are a good sulcata Mommy. I have a smiley face for you today.

 

[yagyujubei]

To what extent do you "moisten"? Put some mazuri in a cup, just cover with warm water, and let stand a few minutes. Stir up until a soft peanut butter consistency, Add chopped greens and stir until everything is covered. It will be impossible to eat one without the other.

 

[sulcatadude]

I soak the mazuri for a minute or so, then crush in my fingers and thoroughly mix with the finely cut greens. I'll try what everyone suggests. Mincing the greens more finely, and moistening the mazuri even more.

 

[samsmom]

Keep trying. My sulcata did the exact same thing. I only offered him mazuri once a week and all the sudden one week he decided he loved it. During the winter I fed Spring Mix and added something different every week-escarole, endive, different lettuces, optunia,... I also chop up dried orchard grass, timothy hay and bermuda and sprinkle on top of anything I feed him. Once mine did start eating mazuri it was amazing how much he grew. I still only feed him mazuri once a week though.

You are a good sulcata Mommy. I have a smiley face for you today.

Thanks for the smiley face, it really means alot coming from you! I have learned so much from all of your posts.