Irregular eating Habits

[John J]

My two juvenile desert tortoises have recently stopped eating as much do to I think a change made to their diet where more variety was introduced. I previously had them on half natural and half produce diet, a mix of kapidolo farm toppers like echinacea, mulberry leaf, mallow, dandelion, nettle etc and handpicked weeds grasses and flowers with romaine, cactus, carrot, occasional cucumber etc. Once I introduced more endive and escarole in their diet instead of the romaine they started to eat less as if they were distrusting of the food source. They do have variety, with vitamin powders and calcium powders and cuttle bones too, and they love the Mazuri LS pellets given from time to time, but it is clear they still have some vitamin deficiency more so one tortoise over the other, as "she" seems to try and eat a lot of sticks and stone and everything weird(I don't let her, because some things are choking hazards). I read a bit and have gotten Miner-All as suggested for this issue but I wanted to ask, is this normal behavior? Should I just continue to let them notbeat what they don't want to eat but still offer it to force them to adjust to new foods? Or perhaps something I'm doing is wrong? I'm starting to worry about parasitic loads or other health factors that might affect there food intake. The "male" even though picky with the prepared foods now which was not like him before, he still grazes a TON. But with the decrease in the prepared food I'm afraid they are not getting proper vitamin intake do to lack of variety.

 

[Tom]

First: Are they housed separately?

If the tortoise is grazing naturally, and with your huge variety of good stuff, you really don't need and supplementation. A tiny pinch of calcium now and then certainly won't hurt anything, but if they are eating a variety of weeds and all of those supplementary foods too, they are getting plenty of nutrition.

Where are you in SoCal? The excessive heat slows down their appetite too. Or if you are near the coast, the cold clammy weather can slow them down.

 

[John J]

First: Are they housed separately?

If the tortoise is grazing naturally, and with your huge variety of good stuff, you really don't need and supplementation. A tiny pinch of calcium now and then certainly won't hurt anything, but if they are eating a variety of weeds and all of those supplementary foods too, they are getting plenty of nutrition.

Where are you in SoCal? The excessive heat slows down their appetite too. Or if you are near the coast, the cold clammy weather can slow them down.

I'm In los Angeles county in Upland, yes they are houses seperatly, two 4x8 indoor fully enclosed enclosures. The behavior began right after I introduced endive and escarole. It has been very hot lately. They are defecating every day still and the days they haven't been eating much I offer two pellets each just in case

 

[John J]

First: Are they housed separately?

If the tortoise is grazing naturally, and with your huge variety of good stuff, you really don't need and supplementation. A tiny pinch of calcium now and then certainly won't hurt anything, but if they are eating a variety of weeds and all of those supplementary foods too, they are getting plenty of nutrition.

Where are you in SoCal? The excessive heat slows down their appetite too. Or if you are near the coast, the cold clammy weather can slow them down.

When they are outside grazing they are in the same yard, so they can see each other from time to time but I have not seen this behavior previously and they have always been out like that, should I be taking them out at different times?