My redfoots poop...

[betweenshells]

Hey y'all, sometimes my redfoot's poop is a bit unformed. What's this mean? I have only had her for a couple weeks now, I believe she's anywhere between 3-5? I've started to feed her everyday, but was mostly feeding her every other day for some time because that's what I was initially instructed to do but after posting on here, I've started to feed her more often. I have given her romaine, green leaf lettuce, turnips, arugula, watermelon, papaya, mango, and very little protein - a few worms and crickets. She doesn't ever finish her daily portion but eats a good amount of it - with preference for her romaine. She doesn't poop everyday, but most days she will poop when I soak her in warm water. Any tips or advice on if I'm doing something wrong?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The poop will vary a lot by what goes in.
That stringy looking poop looks like plant fiber to me. Normal if she's been eating lots of green leafy stuff.
What I see doesn't alarm me

 

[Ralph Zoontjens]

That **** looks good to me.
Plenty of fiber, good consistency, a color you would wear.
I'm curious, I also heard, from many sources, that feeding every other day is better. And that a mature redfoot (I have two) only needs to be fed 2 times a week. I find that building in a few 'rest days' works fine for them, even if they start begging.
So I wonder what made you switch back to a daily regimen.

 

[Krista S]

That **** looks good to me.
Plenty of fiber, good consistency, a color you would wear.
I'm curious, I also heard, from many sources, that feeding every other day is better. And that a mature redfoot (I have two) only needs to be fed 2 times a week. I find that building in a few 'rest days' works fine for them, even if they start begging.
So I wonder what made you switch back to a daily regimen.

That sounds like torture and inhumane to regularly deny your tortoise of food for a few days at a time, even when you think they’re begging! They don’t choose to starve themselves regularly in the wild. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Can I ask, in what way do you think it is “better” for the tortoise, to deprive them of food. Is it that it is better/easier for you?

 

[COmtnLady]

I provide a variety of greens, piled to approximately the size of her shell, about 20% fruit (she loves blueberries, bananas, melons, cucumbers, and mangos), occasionally half a dozen mealworms, and a tablespoon of commercially made pellets, every day. Because I'm silly, I still cut her food/leaves into bite-sized pieces... half the time it looks like an expensive salad from a fancy restaurant... I feel like I should have a towel draped over my arm and tell her I'll be her server for the evening.

In growing season I add in some tort-safe flowers and weeds for variety.

I also leave the dish of food in her enclosure until the next day when I replace with fresh. She eats what she wants and sometimes comes back for a midnight snack.

She's about 7-8 years old, has doubled her size in the last four years, and seems quite happy. I just keep her 80 and 80, 80% humidity and 80 Degrees Farenehight (27 Celcius), feed her, clean her habitat, and have fun watching her.

My Redfoot's poop always looks like the samples/pics you have shared. When they're soaking, the water washes away/dilutes some of the softer parts and then what's left does tend to look a little stringy.

As long as she's interested in the world around her, as active as she wants to be, and isn't constipated, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy her presence.

She looks good!


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