My tortoise wont eat hay?

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Hollie85

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My 3 year old male sulcata wont eat hay. I bought him off craigslist a year ago, he was on a horrible diet of fruits & veggies everyday and left outside in freezing weather:( As a result, he has pyramiding. I did tons of research to learn about proper care and diet. I want him to eat hay but he just smells it and plows right over it lol. I adore him and I want him to eat healthy. Any suggestions? Thanks!
 

dmarcus

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If you want him to eat hay, you will have to trick him into eating it.

Cut the hay up small, soak it in water, then mix it with his favorite food. Then once he gets the taste for it you will not have to do it like that, but it may take some time.
 

Urtle

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This is true. You have to trick them once or twice.
 

Tom

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In my experience they usually won't start eating plain dry hay until they are at least a foot long. There are exceptions, but ordinarily, this is how it goes.

If you want him to eat it earlier then Dmarcus' suggestions are the best way I know how.

And by the way, pyramiding is caused by keeping them too dry and dehydrated as hatchlings. It is not caused by cold temps in winter or a diet of fruits and veggies.
 

Hollie85

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Thanks. I was told that pyramiding was caused by diets too high in protein and dehydration like you mentioned.
 

cljohnson

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Mine are still small and they eat it.
I bought an old food processor at a yard sale for 5 bucks.
I started by grinding it up and sprinkling it on their favorite greens.
Now I just add a little warm water and they eat it straight.
 

Laura

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what is do, is get some of thier fave foods, and mix it up in a pile of hay. they 'accidently' get some hay while grabbing the other stuff. This will hopefully get them to realize that hay is food too. they get a taste for it..
Mine still won't just eat the dry stuff,, but they eat a good amount doing it that way.
You can also cut the hay up into smaller pieces and sprinkle it over thier food.
 
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