Is this okay to eat?

brian.le02

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Hello just had some questions about the diet of my baby sulcata tortoise he loves mustard greens, kale, he also eats collard greens but he doesn’t like it that much I also mix in zilla tortoise food pellets and he LOVES those pellets I’m trying to make him eat more vegetables so I’m putting less pellets but I have recently switched him to eating turnip greens and zilla pellets he always eats the pellets first but he isn’t really eating the turnip greens should I be worried? Or how long will it take for him to start eating everything in his plate I am also going to buy some endive and escarole and mustard greens next time I go to the market

Also how much should he be eating he isn’t eating much anymore since I changed his food to turnip greens? He poops a lot I don’t really see him pee but I assume he is. I’ve only had my little guy for about 2 1/2 weeks now.

Also I’ve stopped feeding him Kale and collard greens because I hear it is bad if given to much so I decided to just cut it off entirely.
 

brian.le02

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I’ve also heard people say just to play it hard and he force him to eat because eventually he will eat when he is hungry but I am worried what if he doesn’t ever eat and he becomes sick or something because he isn’t eating
 

lilly_sand99

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So some ppl get the pellet food and make it into a mush and mix in chopped up greens so that when your baby takes a bit of the pellet food it also has to bit the greens
 

Lyn W

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My tort always pees and passes urates in his warm soak. Do you soak him regularly?
I was told to think of the shell as an upturned bowl and feed that much food but if he eats it all offer more, if he eats less - feed less. So let your tort be your guide.
Weeds are your best food sources dandelions, ribwort or broadleaf plantain, sowthistle etc - see the Sulcata Caresheets at the star of this thread for other suggestions and www.thetortoisetable,org.uk for help with IDing plants and finding out if which are safe, toxic or should be fed in moderation.
If he isn't eating the turnip greens and they are on the food list, try mixing them with some other leaves that he will eat.
Torts like variety rather than just phases of one type of food only - at least mine does.
 

brian.le02

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So some ppl get the pellet food and make it into a mush and mix in chopped up greens so that when your baby takes a bit of the pellet food it also has to bit the greens

I was actually thinking about that I had just also bought him some dandelion greens as well I will try to mush up the food tomorrow when I feed him again
 

brian.le02

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Surprise Arizona
My tort always pees and passes urates in his warm soak. Do you soak him regularly?
I was told to think of the shell as an upturned bowl and feed that much food but if he eats it all offer more, if he eats less - feed less. So let your tort be your guide.
Weeds are your best food sources dandelions, ribwort or broadleaf plantain, sowthistle etc - see the Sulcata Caresheets at the star of this thread for other suggestions and www.thetortoisetable,org.uk for help with IDing plants and finding out if which are safe, toxic or should be fed in moderation.
If he isn't eating the turnip greens and they are on the food list, try mixing them with some other leaves that he will eat.
Torts like variety rather than just phases of one type of food only - at least mine does.

Will do! Summer time is right around the corner and weeds usually sprout up everywhere in my back yard so. I will be sure to do some research I also love in Arizona, also I just bought him some dandelion greens and I will mix together some dandelion green with turnip greens and maybe some mustard greens since he use to them already and I will mush up the pellets I have and mix it together
 

brian.le02

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Where do you buy dandelion greens from? I never knew you could buy them fresh.

Yes! You can buy them from your local store depending on where you live. I live in Arizona and almost every store With a vegetable isle has them (Walmart bashes, frys etc) I bought mint from bashes
 

Tom

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Hello just had some questions about the diet of my baby sulcata tortoise he loves mustard greens, kale, he also eats collard greens but he doesn’t like it that much I also mix in zilla tortoise food pellets and he LOVES those pellets I’m trying to make him eat more vegetables so I’m putting less pellets but I have recently switched him to eating turnip greens and zilla pellets he always eats the pellets first but he isn’t really eating the turnip greens should I be worried? Or how long will it take for him to start eating everything in his plate I am also going to buy some endive and escarole and mustard greens next time I go to the market

Also how much should he be eating he isn’t eating much anymore since I changed his food to turnip greens? He poops a lot I don’t really see him pee but I assume he is. I’ve only had my little guy for about 2 1/2 weeks now.

Also I’ve stopped feeding him Kale and collard greens because I hear it is bad if given to much so I decided to just cut it off entirely.
With the exception of the escarole and endive, I don't like to feed any of the things you've mentioned. Where is the grass? This is a grass eating species. Most of what you mentioned is high in stuff you don't want and low in stuff you do want. Sulcatas are very adaptable and can survive eating just about anything, but your tortoise would be much better off with a diet higher in calcium, higher in fiber, lower in goiterogens and oxalates, and less stuff grown in a field with chemicals.

There are tons of good foods in your area, and its easy to grow even more in your climate. Mulberry trees and spineless opuntia are all over the place there in AZ. How about leaves from a grape vine or hibiscus? Our weeds grow here in winter when its cooler and rainy. All the weeds here are in the process of dying and drying out as the rain has stopped and the day times highs are steadily climbing. I would also skip the Zilla and substitute Mazuri instead.

To answer your question about quantity: Tortoises are grazers. They should have access to as much of the right foods as they want. Let them graze at will. This will never be a problem as long as they are well hydrated, kept at the correct temps, and kept in a large enclosure that allows and encourages lots of exercise. I use 4x8' enclosures outdoors for tiny babies, and move up to 30x30' enclosure when they get to 4-5 inches. My adults are kept in a 7000 sq ft enclosure.

Here are my recommendations for foods:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Tom

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Yes! You can buy them from your local store depending on where you live. I live in Arizona and almost every store With a vegetable isle has them (Walmart bashes, frys etc) I bought mint from bashes
Everyone should note that "dandelion greens" bought in a store are actually "Italian dandelion", or Cichorium intybus, or Chicory. This is a good tortoise food as part of a varied diet, but it has different properties than the "weed" type regular dandelions that grow all over the world, Taraxacum officinale.
 

brian.le02

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Joined
Mar 22, 2019
Messages
99
Location (City and/or State)
Surprise Arizona
With the exception of the escarole and endive, I don't like to feed any of the things you've mentioned. Where is the grass? This is a grass eating species. Most of what you mentioned is high in stuff you don't want and low in stuff you do want. Sulcatas are very adaptable and can survive eating just about anything, but your tortoise would be much better off with a diet higher in calcium, higher in fiber, lower in goiterogens and oxalates, and less stuff grown in a field with chemicals.

There are tons of good foods in your area, and its easy to grow even more in your climate. Mulberry trees and spineless opuntia are all over the place there in AZ. How about leaves from a grape vine or hibiscus? Our weeds grow here in winter when its cooler and rainy. All the weeds here are in the process of dying and drying out as the rain has stopped and the day times highs are steadily climbing. I would also skip the Zilla and substitute Mazuri instead.

To answer your question about quantity: Tortoises are grazers. They should have access to as much of the right foods as they want. Let them graze at will. This will never be a problem as long as they are well hydrated, kept at the correct temps, and kept in a large enclosure that allows and encourages lots of exercise. I use 4x8' enclosures outdoors for tiny babies, and move up to 30x30' enclosure when they get to 4-5 inches. My adults are kept in a 7000 sq ft enclosure.

Here are my recommendations for foods:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Yes you are right I will be sure to gather some optunia as there as a ton in my neighborhood but no mulberry or grape vine. If I were to get an optunia would I be able to just pick the spines off myself or would I have to buy a spineless one? Also what store foods would you recommend if any? I also plan to grow grass and I’ve heard spurge weeds are edible for sulcatas and I also cannot find endive or escarole anywhere.
 

brian.le02

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Mar 22, 2019
Messages
99
Location (City and/or State)
Surprise Arizona
If anyone lives in Arizona i would appreciate if you would let me know what weeds or things you feed your tortoise that would be a big help
 

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