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[CarolM]

Hi
"Baby" hatched around 2 June 2017, I brought Baby inside. Not sure when you can tell if it is femal or male? I know that the females have a flat underside and the males have a curved underside, but from what age can you tell if it is female or male? Here are a few pictures of Baby at various stages.

 

[JoesMum]

It is far too soon to tell gender yet.

Baby will look female for a few years. Maleness is only revealed if he flashes is private parts in a hormonal surge or when they are near full size

 

[CarolM]

Thank you. I thought that would be the case. I also have an egg which was laid on the 27th April. I was starting to think it was unfertile. Read some of the advise on the forum so checked the egg again. And saw the veins and a black spot. So very happy at the moment.

 

[CarolM]

 

[Millerlite]

If you have a egg last time keep it incubating till it either split opens and spoils. Or starts to mold and look like a dead egg. Some people have had eggs way passed the intended hatch day and had eggs hatch

Kyle

 

[CarolM]

If you have a egg last time keep it incubating till it either split opens and spoils. Or starts to mold and look like a dead egg. Some people have had eggs way passed the intended hatch day and had eggs hatch

Kyle

Thank you Kyle,

Good to know.

Carol

 

[Taylor T.]

Welcome to the forum!

That sand really needs to go. It can cause eye and skin irritation, as well as impaction if ingested. They need substrate such as coco coir, or fine grade orchid bark.

 

[CarolM]

Thank you, will have to find out where I can get that.

The sand went about a month back already, I now have a little bit of river sand in with artificial grass in as well. About 90% is artificial grass with about 10% of a thin layer of the river sand.

You can see a little bit of it in the following pic.

Thank you for the help, as I can certainly use all the help I can get from experts as I am quite new to this. Up until now my tortoises have been in my garden doing their own thing, until little one came along. Then I was worried about predator birds snatching it up, which is why I brought little one inside with the plan to put her back in the garden when she is big enough. (calling it a her until I know for sure)

 

[CarolM]

Can I use the sand from my garden, where her parents are? or is it better to get the coco coir, or fine grade orchid bark.

 

[CarolM]

Also if someone can advise.

I have been picking dandelion leaves, hisbiscus flowers and leaves and cutting them up into small pieces for Baby to eat, Should I be putting them in, in bigger sizes or is cutting them up into really small pieces okay?

 

[JoesMum]

Sand isn't generally recommended as a substrate as it sticks to food and then becomes impacted in the gut. It's also too dry. An earthy substrate like fine grade orchid bark or coco coir holds water, you can tip it in and mix it through until all of it is damp, and this raises the humidity for babies.

I prefer not to cut food up small as tearing at it helps to keep the beak in shape.

 

[CarolM]

Thank you so much. I will be changing a few things.

 

[Tom]

Also if someone can advise.

I have been picking dandelion leaves, hisbiscus flowers and leaves and cutting them up into small pieces for Baby to eat, Should I be putting them in, in bigger sizes or is cutting them up into really small pieces okay?

I like to feed whole leaves. That way that can never bite off a piece that is too big that they could choke on, and it also gives them the weight and bulk of the leaf to pull against. I do cut up the grass for smaller tortoises, because they will swallow it whole like spaghetti and I'm afraid it could cause a problem in their intestines.

I would not use any kind of sand anywhere in a tortoise enclosure.

 

[CarolM]

Sand isn't generally recommended as a substrate as it sticks to food and then becomes impacted in the gut. It's also too dry. An earthy substrate like fine grade orchid bark or coco coir holds water, you can tip it in and mix it through until all of it is damp, and this raises the humidity for babies.

I prefer not to cut food up small as tearing at it helps to keep the beak in shape.

Hi,
I have been doing some research on the coco coir - apparently you get coco coir fibre, coco coir chips and coco coir peat. Which one is the correct one to get please?

Carol

 

[JoesMum]

Hi,
I have been doing some research on the coco coir - apparently you get coco coir fibre, coco coir chips and coco coir peat. Which one is the correct one to get please?

Carol

Not the chips! Either of the others is fine as long as they have no additives like vermiculite, perlite, calcium, water retention beads or fertilisers.

 

[CarolM]

Not the chips! Either of the others is fine as long as they have no additives like vermiculite, perlite, calcium, water retention beads or fertilisers.

Okay great, thank you so much for your help.

 

[CarolM]

Hi I need help again.

According to my notes Baby was born more or less 31.05.2017 as she still had some of the yoke sac attached. I only started weighing her on 17 June. She weighed 10g. Up until 28 June she remained at 10g .

her weights have been as follows:
28.06 11g
01.07 12g
06.07 12g
10.07 12g
19.07 13g
29.07 14g
07.08 14g
15.08 16g
21.08 16g
02.09 19g
19.09 19g
25.09 21g
02.10 23g
13.10 23g
23.10 54g
04.11 56g
06.11 54g

I must admit i havent been cosistent with the weighing but as long as she was gaining and not loosing weight it was fine. I changed her diet to whole dandelion leaves and hibiscus leaves in the morning as advised and decided to give her, her hibuscus flower in the evening. But I don't think she is eating as well as she did when i cut it up. When I cut her food up into smaller pieces i would mix all the food up so she would get a good varaiety. Should I be worried that she has lost 2g?

Here are the updated photos as i put in coco peat in place of the sand. Will it harm her if she eats it? She walked on the peat a little bit but went back to her favorite spot in the corner under the lamp.