is this a good weekly diet?

[kimbverly]

hello again! I have had my baby hermann’s for two months now (i estimate he is 3 months old?) and i think i have a good diet going on now as i’ve taken advice from this forum.

i decided to record his diet and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how i can improve it? is it a good diet? do i need more variety? please let me know as i’m still learning on how to give the best care to my tortoise.

i also have dried hibiscus and dried plantain. luckily my tortoise isn’t very picky but i don’t think he liked the hibiscus much. i think his favorite foods are deadnettle and the dried mulberry sprinkles.

 

[Ink]

Looks good however I would just skip spinach and hay. My opinion

 

[kimbverly]

Looks good however I would just skip spinach and hay. My opinion

i have heard conflicting things on spinach (so annoying that most spring mixes have it) but any particular reason for the herbal tortoise hay? it’s from tortoise supply and doesn’t have any actual hay which is pretty misleading lol

 

[Ink]

i have heard conflicting things on spinach (so annoying that most spring mixes have it) but any particular reason for the herbal tortoise hay? it’s from tortoise supply and doesn’t have any actual hay which is pretty misleading lol

I don't know anything about the product from tortoise supply. I would wait for an expert on spinach. I have never fed it to my tortoise. I thought it wasn't good to feed.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I don't know anything about the product from tortoise supply. I would wait for an expert on spinach. I have never fed it to my tortoise. I thought it wasn't good to feed.

You are correct


As for the hay, they aren’t really grass eaters so it’s just not something I’d bother with, even grass eating species shouldn’t be fed dry hay till they’re older, hope this helps!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

i have heard conflicting things on spinach (so annoying that most spring mixes have it) but any particular reason for the herbal tortoise hay? it’s from tortoise supply and doesn’t have any actual hay which is pretty misleading lol

Maybe @Tom knows the tortoise supply product a bit better? Are you using it as a topper?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

i have heard conflicting things on spinach (so annoying that most spring mixes have it) but any particular reason for the herbal tortoise hay? it’s from tortoise supply and doesn’t have any actual hay which is pretty misleading lol

Spinach is fine in moderation. No need to pick it out of spring mixes. It has overall good nutritional value.

Oxalate crystals and raphides do no damage to tortoises. Oxalates do not result in formation of bladder stones (so far only uric acid stones were found in tortoise bladders - they form as a result of high protein intake and insufficient hydration).

Binding calcium is an issue, so feeding spinach in bulk is not recommended.

Herbal hay, if it's just dried out stems of young grass and weeds is fine. A quote from Tortoise Supply website: "A blend of 18-20 dehydrated leaves, flowers and herbs ideal for a tortoise's diet and digestive process. Our mix has no hay, no grass, and in our trials, has nothing in it that most tortoises won't eat." So it's very similar to Agrobs pellets, for example. It's not a bale of timothy hay and sounds like good "lettuce enhancer".

 

[Tom]

Maybe @Tom knows the tortoise supply product a bit better? Are you using it as a topper?

Alex just saved me from a whole bunch of typing. Thank you Alex!

Everything he just said is right on. In my own words: Spinach is fine in moderation, but I wouldn't feed whole meals of just spinach every day. A little mixed in now and then is good for a tortoise. Good nutrients and good for variety. Some of them don't even like it.

The herbal hay mix from tortoisesupply.com is fantastic stuff. I've been using it for years now. It's like edible tortoise pot pourri. Its smells very fragrant and flowery. Most tortoises are a little stand-offish about it the first time or two, so like any new food, introduce it slowly, in small amounts, by mixing it in with old favorites. In a short amount of time my tortoises would seek it out in favor of their favorites and eat every crumb from the bottom of the food bowl.

 

[EppsDynasty]

Oxalate crystals and raphides do no damage to tortoises. Oxalates do not result in formation of bladder stones (so far only uric acid stones were found in tortoise bladders - they form as a result of high protein intake and insufficient hydration).

GREAT INFO ....Thanks!

The herbal hay mix from tortoisesupply.com is fantastic stuff. I've been using it for years now. It's like edible tortoise pot pourri. Its smells very fragrant and flowery. Most tortoises are a little stand-offish about it the first time or two, so like any new food, introduce it slowly, in small amounts, by mixing it in with old favorites. In a short amount of time my tortoises would seek it out in favor of their favorites and eat every crumb from the bottom of the food bowl

This is to, we will definitely be looking into this. Thank You