Not alarming....right?

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IowaGuy28

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My Tilley, just over a year old Sulcata and roughly 6" big, has the strangest eating habits. I rotate collard/turnip/mustard greens weekly mixed with green pepper chunks and alpha pellets crushed up kinda like a gravy topping. It seems he'll destroy a small plate of this 1-2 days in a row and then just lose his appetite for a few days. Now...he Does eat during this appetite loss but not near as much. He/she also sleeps, a lot, I figure he/she is a preteen so that doesn't surprise me. Someone tell me all this is usual please.
 

danosaurous

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IowaGuy28 said:
My Tilley, just over a year old Sulcata and roughly 6" big, has the strangest eating habits. I rotate collard/turnip/mustard greens weekly mixed with green pepper chunks and alpha pellets crushed up kinda like a gravy topping. It seems he'll destroy a small plate of this 1-2 days in a row and then just lose his appetite for a few days. Now...he Does eat during this appetite loss but not near as much. He/she also sleeps, a lot, I figure he/she is a preteen so that doesn't surprise me. Someone tell me all this is usual please.

Tater does the same exact thing! I am. Not sure if it is normal, but maybe someone will be around to say so :)
 

IowaGuy28

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Gonna try changing to Turnip Greens. I could have swore Tilley was showing signs of distaste for only Collard greens thus far. I never (ever) did get anyone's input, from this forum, on what grocery store foods I can buy for a preteen Sulcata (14months). In the past I've also used seedless cucumber and cactus leaves. Discovered cucumber is mostly water so I discontinued that and cactus leaves don't last very long after they are cut up, maybe a week before dark discoloring. More healthy/good food suggestions from a grocery store please!
 

wellington

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Cactus is a good food source. After you cut it, don't put it in the frig. Just let it sit out. The cut part might get dry, but just cut that off and the rest will be good for a long time. Goes bad quick in the frig. Grocery greens, endive, mustard, spring mix, kale, collard, dandelion, water crest, romaine, turnip greens. Also, check out thetortoisetable.org for more ideas. BTW, your torts eating habits sounds fine.
 

KBisMe

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IowaGuy28 said:
Gonna try changing to Turnip Greens. I could have swore Tilley was showing signs of distaste for only Collard greens thus far. I never (ever) did get anyone's input, from this forum, on what grocery store foods I can buy for a preteen Sulcata (14months). In the past I've also used seedless cucumber and cactus leaves. Discovered cucumber is mostly water so I discontinued that and cactus leaves don't last very long after they are cut up, maybe a week before dark discoloring. More healthy/good food suggestions from a grocery store please!

There is a lot of stuff that works from the grocery store. Kale, spring mix, red lettuce, dandelion greens, collard greens. I found a post where Tom listed out a bunch of them. I'll try to find it when I get back to my computer. I just got "salad style" from tortoisesupply.com too that a lot of people recommend using to add fiber to grocery store bought food. It's finely chopped up hay that's really good for them. I think I paid 9.99 for the bag and its huge! I definitely recommend getting it. :)
 

tortadise

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All my babies will not eat collards. I see this sometimes in my hatchlings if I stick with same routine. Change it up a bit offer some grass and cactus, hibiscus, rose flowers, endive, some squash, grape leaves, sulcata are grazers and are use to digeating grasses and cactus, sometimes strickly feeding greens will stay in the gut a bit longer than grass so they stay full in a way.
 

Tom

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I don't think their eating habits are normal. Mine eat a lot everyday. I can't imagine them skipping or even eating light for a day or two in a row.

I think you need a lot more variety. The three items you mention are all distasteful to some tortoises. I will still feed those some of the time to get some variety, but those are not their favorites. The above suggestions are all good. Endive and escarole are my favorite grocery store foods, but also try cilantro, dandelion greens, watercress, all the lettuces, chards, bok choy, radicchio, celery, carrot tops, etc... Adding some fiber would be good too. The soaked alfalfa pellets are okay once in a while, but some finely masserated orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay would be better. The easiest way to accomplish this is the "salad style" product mentioned above.
 

IowaGuy28

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Wellington - I've been chopping the cactus and refrigerating so your advise may solve this issue...HA.

Thank you...thank you! FINALLY, got some grocery store suggestions. 4th try is a charm I guess!
 

KBisMe

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IowaGuy28 said:
Wellington - I've been chopping the cactus and refrigerating so your advise may solve this issue...HA.

Thank you...thank you! FINALLY, got some grocery store suggestions. 4th try is a charm I guess!

Dandelion greens, mazuri, and salad style mixed for breakfast was a hit with my babies! :)

EatingPic2.jpg
 

jtrux

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About the cactus, just plant it in a pot and slice off some as you need it. Also, at 6" he's getting big enough where he's gonna start getting expensive to feed on just store bought greens, you oughta start planting some seeds from various sources. It's a good way to offer variety as well as well as allow them to graze as they please and not just when you offer food.

Oh and I agree with Tom, my hatchling Leopard doesn't ever not eat a ton. I feed twice a day and he just goes nuts each feed.
 

IowaGuy28

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Your talking about planting grasses in my yard right? It'll regrow after I mow...yes? Dumb questions I know but hey, at least I'm asking. What kind/type of seeds?

The kool thing is my front and back yard need pretty much redone or reseeded. I was told to get shade grass, not many sun spots...
 

biochemnerd808

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There is a whole list of tort-edible plants on http://russiantortoise.net/edible_plants.htm - the website is specific to Russian torts, but all these plants are healthy for sulcatas, too. A lot of these are "pretty" plants that many people grow in their garden anyway. Just make sure you don't throw chemicals on (or near) them, and you can just go out there to pick some leaves or flowers. :)

IowaGuy28 said:
Your talking about planting grasses in my yard right? It'll regrow after I mow...yes? Dumb questions I know but hey, at least I'm asking. What kind/type of seeds?

The kool thing is my front and back yard need pretty much redone or reseeded. I was told to get shade grass, not many sun spots...
 

IowaGuy28

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"You are forbidden" from viewing this Russian tortoise' specific site....?

Care to type out some flowers for me? Preferably the ones that grow back every year, if they exist...
 

shellysmom

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IowaGuy28 said:
"You are forbidden" from viewing this Russian tortoise' specific site....?

Care to type out some flowers for me? Preferably the ones that grow back every year, if they exist...

Hibiscus/Rose of Sharon flowers are very popular with the torts. It's a shrub, so it will always be there once planted. I don't know about up north, but in Florida it produces flowers most of the year.
 

IowaGuy28

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Awesome! Thanks also, I'm jotting all food ideas in my phones memo pad. Any types of grass seed?
 
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