Redfoot feeding!

[Christina Chornomud]

Ok, So my redfoot tortoise is turning out to be a picky eater ! he LOVES his turtle pellets, but does not really enjoy mustard, collard, or turnip greens. If I only feed him the greens, he only has a bite or two. He also wouldn't even try rasberries, but he does enjoy tomatoes and romaine lettuce. If I offer him anything other than a turtle pellet, he has a few bites and goes and burrows. If i give him a pellet, he eats about half of the pellet. I feed him 2x's per day. Since he's a baby, is this too much? Thank you

 

[Turtlepete]

What kind of turtle pellets? Mazuri tortoise chow, Zoomed forest mix?….
They don't really need fed multiple times a day…How old is he? If "he" is a hatchling/yearling, soak him once daily and then place him in front of the food. Feeding them once a day is plenty enough. If he's over a yearling every other day is suitable. They will come back and browse on the food if they are hungry.
Just keep offering greens and different kinds of fruit. Few reds turn down strawberries. Papaya is much loved to. Banana would be another good choice. Just keep trying greens and fruits and keep offering them until he decides he likes them.

 

[Christina Chornomud]

It doesn't say... i bought him and the food from the turtle source:

http://www.theturtlesource.com/i.asp?id=32510&p=Tortoise-Diet

and this is the description of what the food is:

We feed all our tortoises this diet, from hatchlings to breeders. We moisten it, and mix it with mixed vegetables, calcium supplement and the favorite foods of the specific tortoise species we are feeding.

Made specifically for tortoises, this diet is the perfect blend of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals that is essential for tortoises to grow, thrive and breed.

Awesome! I'll try strawberries and bananas I have those on hand. I haven't fed him any animal protein yet. Should I really give him a dead mouse? that sounds so gross. and I can't imagine him chowing down on a mouse!!! maybe he would... i don't know lol. Is it bad to feed him twice a day? He's a hatchling between 14-16 weeks old. I usually 'bathe' him 2x's per day too lol. just being over protective It's not deep enough to get his eyes wet so no eye infections over here But i'll cut it down to once a day on feeding and baths

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My tortoises don't go nuts over greens such as mustard and collard, either. Try Romain and pre moistened/softened dog food. Are there any Hibiscus plants around? That is their favorite. I'm also growing a mulberry tree for them, leaves and fruit and many other weeds and plants that they do like.

 

[Redstrike]

Dandelion greens, clovers, plantains (not the fruit - http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=plma2), hibiscus species, mulberry, marigolds, etc. are great. As for grocery store greens, spring mix is usually a good option. Mine really like arugula as well.

The pellets shown from turtle source look an awful lot like Mazuri to me...seems suspicious if it is. You can mix it in with their greens, reducing the ratio of pellet to greens to wean them off or go cold turkey and simply give them greens and nothing else for a few days. They'll eventually get hungry enough to eat. Despite their small stature, they're incredibly tough animals and are currently testing your willingness to feed them whatever Turtle Source has packaged up there.

I'm assuming this is a new tortoise and you haven't had it long? If so, you may want to place the food in the tortoises enclosure and walk away. It's fun to watch the little guys eat but some are a bit shy and will leave if you stand there and watch them. I would hope the tort would eat more than 1/2 the pellet.

Lastly, tell us about your setup or direct me to where you have previously. If heat (mid 80's) and humidity (at least 70%) aren't optimal, it can influence their feeding behaviors. Is this the only tortoise in that enclosure?

 

[Christina Chornomud]

Ok hi guys!

@ZEROPILOT As far as hibiscus plants ...i'm not sure. I live in the city so I'm limited on plants floating around. But i bought this GREAT mix from Arizona Compound and in it they have a ton of cool weeds and flowers etc that tortoises love, so I'm awaiting it's arrival . In the last couple of weeks he's become less finicky about his eating. He will eat his greens now. He really likes his tortoise pellet, he definitely eats more than half now and pecks at the other stuff provided. I think he was only eating a little because I was feeding him twice per day, now I only feed him once a day. I now rotate between pellet and green day, just greens day and greens and fruit days. I haven't tried banana yet. I go to the store through the greens aisle and just pick a couple of leaves off of all the different greens he can eat. I get about a weeks worth (which is about a handful) that way i don't have to waste a ton of money on fresh greens that go bad within a week. I give him mango, sometimes strawberry. I give him animal protein in the form of mealworms and snails it's one of his favorite things to eat!

@Redstrike You are correct he is definitely a new tortoise, but i have now had him for about a month so I'm getting more used to how and what to feed him What i usually have been doing is put him in a separate bin to eat, and he chows down for me. I do this after I soak him. Once he's done i put him back in his enclosure. Just recently, he's begun to come out on his own to eat (like 2-3 times so far). So I leave a tiny portion of what he doesn't eat for him to get used to eating on his own. As far as humidity, his humidity stays between 75-90% for me. I live in a pretty humid place so it's about 60% on average ambient here. And his temperature has stayed 80 on the cool end and 95 under his basking lamp. And yes, he is the only tortoise in the enclosure

I have a feeling that when he was with the breeder he was primarily fed the pellets, so he just needed to get used to the greens. Thanks everyone! Sorry for the long response!

 

[pfara]

Glad to hear that he's eating a little better. I remember when I bought greens just so 90% of it went bad by the end of the week. They now can eat half of a bagged salad mix per day. I'm kinda glad I live in an area that discouraged me from getting a sulcata.. I'm pretty sure I'd get screwed after the first year (only because I'd have to convert the whole backyard into farmland and it *still* wouldn't be enough food). Tortoises.. gotta love 'em