New table

[Pearly]

Hello Mark and welcome from Texas, USA. I keep the Redfooted. Got them as tiny hatchlings 14 months ago and after initial struggles with different open top enclosures I finally gave in and got 40 gal breeder tank and this has been the BEST thing for those babies. I keep bio-substrate and love the tidy look so I cover the top of it with sheet moss, the kind you scoop off the surface where it grows in large sheets or clumps and just lay it on the substrate. My babies seem very happy marching of sort moss, they can also dig under if the want the other plants are just weeds from the garden where I never use chemicalsi just love this stuff! So fluffy! this is what my babies mostly walk on











Like mentioned above I've only been doing this since June'15 plus and don't presume to be offering advice on tortoise keeping but thought I'd share with you what has worked for me and put some pictures for you to see what I'm talking about. The beauty of this forum is that you get all kinds of ideas and can pick and choose what works for you and your pet. I love your enclosure military theme by the way

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'm

yes???

 

[Tom]

yes???

I hope he wasn't typing while driving...

 

[jim taylor]

yes???[/.

Sorry kids hijacked my phone. Probably my littlest she's 3 and just hits buttons till she finds YouTube. I have two girls 6 and 3 both and are tort lovers already im sure they will be members one day. Every time they see me on the forum they ask me what tortoise I'm looking at. They where so excited when we went to pick up speedy it was the longest hr drive of my life where's the turtle dad, r we still getting the turtle dad, why does it take so long to get a turtle dad, but they r just like their dad animal lovers from the start.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Having raised 2 boys , I am laughing and having sympathy at the same time.
Here show them Bob, 17 yrs old 125 lbs...
Sorry Mark, didn't mean to hijack your thread. No more

 

[Mark Cassell]

Hi Mark and welcome, am also new to the world of tortoise's . I'm from Belfast and just like you don't get the good weather / outside heat like most. I keep mine in soil only, I noticed if I used play sand as a mix the he was wheezing, my vet said just to us the top soil and see how he gets on. No more wheezing now. But to tell you the truth, anytime he sees me he goes mad to get out of his enclosure, and spend most of his time having the run of the house when am here. I know a lot of or everyone would disagree or object to it but he's healthy, eats like a trooper, poops well, bright eyed, wheel spends everywhere and he is full of beans, and it been that way for 8 year's. No issue's. I hunted the internet, bought 10 books on them joined this sit, but info I got was different every time. Just do your best and see what works and what doesn't. I work on getting good portions wright with good variety of different foods, weighing him weekly, and keeping an eye on is stools, activity levels, abnormal breathing, and bright eyes and healthy mouth. And that works for me.

Thanks! What breed of tortoise do you have? And what are you looking for in the stools? They are firm and dark brown.

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks! What breed of tortoise do you have? And what are you looking for in the stools? They are firm and dark brown.

That sounds fine. To be honest, you're looking out for them... keeping an eye open for worms (which would need treating) ... and they should be firm. However, exact texture and colour varies with diet.

There is a huge amount of information out on the internet and in books. Much of it is outdated... and this outdated info is frequently spread by pet shops and, sadly, some breeders and vets too.

On TFO we have the most up to date information written by species experts, so please do rely on the TFO care sheet for your Horsfield and on the members most experienced in your species.

 

[Mark Cassell]

Hello Mark and welcome from Texas, USA. I keep the Redfooted. Got them as tiny hatchlings 14 months ago and after initial struggles with different open top enclosures I finally gave in and got 40 gal breeder tank and this has been the BEST thing for those babies. I keep bio-substrate and love the tidy look so I cover the top of it with sheet moss, the kind you scoop off the surface where it grows in large sheets or clumps and just lay it on the substrate. My babies seem very happy marching of sort moss, they can also dig under if the wantView attachment 185786 the other plants are just weeds from the garden where I never use chemicalsView attachment 185787i just love this stuff! So fluffy! View attachment 185788this is what my babies mostly walk on
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Like mentioned above I've only been doing this since June'15 plus and don't presume to be offering advice on tortoise keeping but thought I'd share with you what has worked for me and put some pictures for you to see what I'm talking about. The beauty of this forum is that you get all kinds of ideas and can pick and choose what works for you and your pet. I love your enclosure military theme by the way

Awsome! Your enclosure just looks like an actual jungle. Thanks for the advice I'm really struggling at the moment with what to feed her, I look everywhere for different weeds, flowers, everything but just can't tell what's what! and have tried growing my own. Your guys look really happy

 

[Mark Cassell]

Having raised 2 boys , I am laughing and having sympathy at the same time.
Here show them Bob, 17 yrs old 125 lbs...
Sorry Mark, didn't mean to hijack your thread. No moreView attachment 185813

He's amazing ☺️

 

[Mark Cassell]

That sounds fine. To be honest, you're looking out for them... keeping an eye open for worms (which would need treating) ... and they should be firm. However, exact texture and colour varies with diet.

There is a huge amount of information out on the internet and in books. Much of it is outdated... and this outdated info is frequently spread by pet shops and, sadly, some breeders and vets too.

On TFO we have the most up to date information written by species experts, so please do rely on the TFO care sheet for your Horsfield and on the members most experienced in your species.

I look for them everyday, just to make sure as I know you can tell a lot from the stools

 

[Mark Cassell]

That sounds fine. To be honest, you're looking out for them... keeping an eye open for worms (which would need treating) ... and they should be firm. However, exact texture and colour varies with diet.

There is a huge amount of information out on the internet and in books. Much of it is outdated... and this outdated info is frequently spread by pet shops and, sadly, some breeders and vets too.

On TFO we have the most up to date information written by species experts, so please do rely on the TFO care sheet for your Horsfield and on the members most experienced in your species.

Soooooo many different information.

 

[Mark Cassell]

Can anyone help me with food? I've practicly studied the tortoise table website! All the weeds, flowers, cactus, etc. I look everywhere when I'm on the road, different places I go for work as I work all over the UK ,i go walking looking in people's gardens down the woods and can only ever find the same things. Plantain leafs are her daily favourite mainly because it's everywhere, then there's dandelion leafs she loves the flowers but they are scarce this time of year, I give her clover, daisys when they flower, the odd thistle which she doesn't really like.
I'm worried I'm not giving her enough of a varied diet.
Please help. Thanks Mark.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I like this for ideas, particularly the ones in bold print.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
Daisy's are not good, though one or two won't hurt.

 

[Mark Cassell]

I like this for ideas, particularly the ones in bold print.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
Daisy's are not good, though one or two won't hurt.

Not daisys sorry, I meant pansys, never fed her daisys.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Can anyone help me with food? I've practicly studied the tortoise table website! All the weeds, flowers, cactus, etc. I look everywhere when I'm on the road, different places I go for work as I work all over the UK ,i go walking looking in people's gardens down the woods and can only ever find the same things. Plantain leafs are her daily favourite mainly because it's everywhere, then there's dandelion leafs she loves the flowers but they are scarce this time of year, I give her clover, daisys when they flower, the odd thistle which she doesn't really like.
I'm worried I'm not giving her enough of a varied diet.
Please help. Thanks Mark.

Dandelion leaves are good for her my Sulcata love them even the baby. Do you think if I sent you a box with socks and (she says grinning) and started /starter cactus for Meatball, it would cost a fortune? Send me a PM if you are interested. Can you get escarole and endive, radicchio? Kale too, good stuff to fall back on while you figure out how to do it all. Don't you have something called Rocket there? I understand that's good for them too. Super moderator will correct me if I'm wrong.

Mark, Here too, on TFO you will get a bit of different info. But we have more experts, Veterinarians, and expert breeders, authors, and a bunch of well experienced keepers, if you ever get 'bad' information from someone here on the forum, someone or a group will correct them. So please trust most of us. Take what you need and leave the rest. I live in the PacificNorthWest where people don't tan they rust. It rains here for 7 months interspersed with ice and snow, so I personally raise my desert type tortoises different than is suggested. Mostly I have been successful in the part 'I' had control over. I asked for advice when I first moved here, took what I needed and left the rest and I have raised a few good tortoises and one great one. I also keep box turtles. Most of my animals are special needs. Missing jaws, blind, 3 legged.
Anyway, that's my feeding advice for you. Not much help I guess.

 

[JoesMum]

Mark,

Variety is variety over time and not variety every day or even within the same week.

You are not seeking to serve a dozen different things every meal.

Tortoises are opportunistic feeders. In the wild they'd eat what was in season and readily available. If they came across something good they'd probably eat it to the ground and then move on to find something else which might be another of the same plant.

So, when it comes to weeds and plants you use the ones you can get. As the winter draws in, many of us use a pellet supplement like komodo (you can't get mazuri in the UK) to tide us through a season when picking outside becomes very difficult and we are relying on supermarket greens.

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Rose of Sharon, it might do well in your climate.....

 

[RosemaryDW]

I don't know how often you get them where you are but nasturtiums are really easy to grow in a (relatively) sunny spot. They reseed and naturalize so here we often see them in damp spots growing wild. They are easy to identify with round leaves, bright red, orange, or yellow flowers. The entire plant is safe to feed and is one of my girl's favorites. We get them more in our wet season and in a bit of shade here, Southern California being a relatively dry and sunny area.

Keep feeding her the thistles. What she doesn't like today, she may nibble and love eventually!

 

[JoesMum]

I don't know how often you get them where you are but nasturtiums are really easy to grow in a (relatively) sunny spot. They reseed and naturalize so here we often see them in damp spots growing wild. They are easy to identify with round leaves, bright red, orange, or yellow flowers. The entire plant is safe to feed and is one of my girl's favorites. We get them more in our wet season and in a bit of shade here, Southern California being a relatively dry and sunny area.

Keep feeding her the thistles. What she doesn't like today, she may nibble and love eventually!

View attachment 186233

Nasturtiums are easy to grow in the UK too However, they are seasonal but you could have some in pots on a windowsill indoors.