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Where did I ever even get the idea to feed chicken food to tortoises? Kay Booth, it was her idea. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XQZ0PM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
I'm not suggesting you buy that book or not, it's just where the concept came from. It was published in 1980, and it's been another 40 years since then. Kay fed CDT Purina Mills Layer crumbles. They now come in an ORGANIC version.
Layer Crumbles now have 80 years of use, which is more than all the other 'tortoise diets' combined. That in itself does not mean it is better or worse, but it does speak to the fact that it works.
So, let's look at some of the ingredients. More or less the same for 95% of the bulk of the diet between "old" Mazuri and organic layers crumbles, but of course the Mazuri is not organic. Layer crumbles don't have molasses and have more calcium and a corresponding amount of D3 to be utilized with that calcium.
If you don't care to read all the following, just check out the attachment.
Mazuri "old" tortoise pellets: from https://www.mazuri.com/mazuri/repti...82-faMRwVJpp1pYIsx8LGSS3qXQHx28waAvTEEALw_wcB
Ground soybean hulls, ground corn, dehulled soybean meal, ground oats, wheat middlings, cane molasses, dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat germ, dicalcium phosphate, soybean oil, brewers dried yeast, calcium carbonate, salt, dl-methionine, choline chloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (form of vitamin E), biotin, cholecalciferol, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, folic acid, riboflavin, preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, nicotinic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, citric acid, l-lysine, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate.
Purina Mills organic Layer crumbles: from https://nrsworld.com/products/purina-organic-layer-crumbles-35lbs
Organic Ground Corn, Organic Soybean Meal, Organic Wheat Middlings, Organic Wheat, Organic Heat Processed Soybeans, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Soybean Oil, Salt, Diatomaceous Earth, Organic Tagetes (Aztec Marigold) Meal (Color), Dried Kelp, Methionine Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Choline Chloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Panothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Nicotinamide Bisulfite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin.
The layer crumbles have a similar nutrient profile to "old" Mazuri, less the molasses, BUT far more important, many times more calcium, enough to support a chicken laying an egg everyday. It also has enough D3 to support the use of that more calcium. AND IT'S ORGANIC.
I'm not suggesting you buy that book or not, it's just where the concept came from. It was published in 1980, and it's been another 40 years since then. Kay fed CDT Purina Mills Layer crumbles. They now come in an ORGANIC version.
Layer Crumbles now have 80 years of use, which is more than all the other 'tortoise diets' combined. That in itself does not mean it is better or worse, but it does speak to the fact that it works.
So, let's look at some of the ingredients. More or less the same for 95% of the bulk of the diet between "old" Mazuri and organic layers crumbles, but of course the Mazuri is not organic. Layer crumbles don't have molasses and have more calcium and a corresponding amount of D3 to be utilized with that calcium.
If you don't care to read all the following, just check out the attachment.
Mazuri "old" tortoise pellets: from https://www.mazuri.com/mazuri/repti...82-faMRwVJpp1pYIsx8LGSS3qXQHx28waAvTEEALw_wcB
Ground soybean hulls, ground corn, dehulled soybean meal, ground oats, wheat middlings, cane molasses, dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat germ, dicalcium phosphate, soybean oil, brewers dried yeast, calcium carbonate, salt, dl-methionine, choline chloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (form of vitamin E), biotin, cholecalciferol, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, folic acid, riboflavin, preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, nicotinic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, citric acid, l-lysine, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate.
Purina Mills organic Layer crumbles: from https://nrsworld.com/products/purina-organic-layer-crumbles-35lbs
Organic Ground Corn, Organic Soybean Meal, Organic Wheat Middlings, Organic Wheat, Organic Heat Processed Soybeans, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Soybean Oil, Salt, Diatomaceous Earth, Organic Tagetes (Aztec Marigold) Meal (Color), Dried Kelp, Methionine Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Choline Chloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Panothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Nicotinamide Bisulfite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin.
The layer crumbles have a similar nutrient profile to "old" Mazuri, less the molasses, BUT far more important, many times more calcium, enough to support a chicken laying an egg everyday. It also has enough D3 to support the use of that more calcium. AND IT'S ORGANIC.
