Mazuri food?
- Thread starter littleleo
- Start date
Yep looks just like mine. 
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- Jul 16, 2014
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- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I agree.
It looks like the regular "red label" formula and not the less palatable type LS.
It looks like the regular "red label" formula and not the less palatable type LS.
littleleo
Member
Is that bad then? And how often do you feed it to a leopard tortoise besides spring mix, cucumber and tomato? Etc
No what you have in my opinion is better. I use the mazuri as a way to cover all the vitamins and stuff it doesn't get from greens. 2-3x a week is about how often I use it. Sometimes on its own and sometimes mixed with fresh grass clippings or other greens. Soak it in hot water for a few minutes to really soften it up. A baby will eat 2-3 pellets. That bag will last you awhile. I add a pellet to the next time if the tortoise finishes all what I have him last time. I would start off with one for now.
littleleo
Member
Oh okay. Thank you Bducks16!!
Mazuri is good as part of a varied diet. I like to feed it once or twice a week.
The other stuff you mention does not make up a good diet. Spring mix is okay for part of the diet, but cucumber and tomato are not good items to feed regularly. They need a diet high in fiber and foods that have a high calcium to phosphorous ratio. You should be feeding weeds, succulents, flowers and leaves. If you must use grocery store greens favor endive and escarole, but use lots of variety. You will need to supplement with grass hay, grass, or something similar to add fiber.
This was written for sulcatas, so just skip the text and scroll down to the list of good foods:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
littleleo
Member
Tom: If you could choose the best weeds, flowers, succulents what would they be? And where do I find them?
littleleo
Member
Also I was feeding him prickly pear but someone told me they are high in oxalates. So I'm not sure what feeding route to take. I have orchard grass hay as well and i try to cut it into really small pieces but he doesn't seem to enjoy it as much. He pushes it aside.
Its all in that list. Also, I grow what does best in my climate. You'll have to see what does well in your climate. I see you are in Santa Barbara. Are you close enough to the coast that you never get a winter freeze? If yes, then you can grow lots of Cape Honeysuckle and Hibiscus.
Wild leopards eat a lot of succulents. Spineless opuntia pads are a great way to mimic this here in our captive environments. Don't worry about the oxalates in this case. We all feed it and its good for them. There is a lot that is not understood about tortoises nutrition and the whole "oxalate" thing.
Leopards are not usually big grass eaters. Even fresh grass. Its unlikely that your leopard will ever eat plain grass hay. It is best used as a supplement mixed in with other greens to add fiber. I call it "amending" the grocery store greens.
Chop up a very small amount of the grass hay super fine, let it soak in warm water for 30-40 minutes and then thoroughly mix it in with the days greens. Start with a tiny tiny amount, and gradually work up to more as the tortoise accepts it and gets used to it.
You can try bermuda hay too.
i do not mind oxalates that much. as long as the torts are fed a varied diet.
my leopards did not like grass at first, but they have now turned into lawnmowers.
my leopards did not like grass at first, but they have now turned into lawnmowers.
