Nutritious Soak Water

[TriciaStringer]

I may be crazy but I started something new. We’ve only had our 19month sulcata for a month. Tibby was not being soaked at all and only fed Romaine lettuce with some pellets. I soak her once and sometimes twice a day. I still soak my 13yo sulcata’s Timothy hay to soften it. He would eat it dry, but when you do something for so long, it’s hard to stop. While soaking Tibby, I was draining the water from Sweetheart’s hay. It was time to freshen up her soak water with warmer water so I poured the warm Timothy hay “tea” into her soak tub. I figure it has to have added nutrition so she can get it while drinking her water. Am I just strange or do you think this is a good idea?

 

[TechnoCheese]

Huh, sounds like a cool idea!

 

[Yvonne G]

First thing that popped into my mind was how dirty hay is, and the water would be dirty. . . but then, the poor tortoise eats the dirty hay, so what's the difference? I would guess it would be ok.

 

[SULCY]

I was thinking about that the other day I also soak the hay and when I dump the water out before feeding I was wondering how much of the nutrition of the hay I am dumping down the drain, Something i guess to think about.

 

[katieandiggy]

You do loose nutrients when soaking hay, I think you loose minerals and some of the sugar. We always soaked hay for our lamintitc ponies. I think soaking them In the hay water could be good, but they may not drink because of the taste?