rock eating sully

[jason g.]

The last 3 days I soaked my sully she had rocks in her poo. The 1st couple of times it was a couple little pebble but today she pooped a gravel pit. She had 12 pebbles in her poop. She pooped two healthy looking logs but a lot of rocks. She acts normal and I found where she got the rocks from (her temporary outdoor enclosure). Her permanent outside enclosure is OK till she digs down a foot or so. The issue is that the dirt in my yard is a mix of pea gravel and dirt. In her outdoor inclosure I dug out a foot of dirt and replaced it with 10" organic potting soil and 2" of cypress mulch.

When she gets older do I need to dig up all the bullcrap dirt and put new dirt in or will she grow out of the rock eating thing. I hope I don't have to dig my yard up. Lol

 

[colinstringer]

How old is she?

 

[ascott]

my sully + I hope I don't have to dig my yard up.

This is funny, you do realize that she will likely do this for you, right??

I would suggest that if she is eating rocks and such it may be because she is bored....I would suggest placing more plants and some stuff for her to do in that enclosure...I would try this as well as leaving food hidden in different spots...if she continues she may be trying to gain some nutrients she may be lacking from her diet?

 

[Tom]

Some of them do this. It seems to come from a mineral deficiency or imbalance. It is not necessarily a lack of calcium. Sometimes adding calcium makes it worse, since it can increase whatever the imbalance is.

At Yvonne's suggestion, I tried a product called "Miner-All" from Sticky Tongue Farms, and this stopped my tortoises rock eating habit. I saw many a gravel lined soaking tub too. Not any more. At first I used it three times a week, then after I saw improvement, I cut it back to once a week.

 

[Jacob]

Iv seen my sulcata eat a couple small rocks in his enclosure but it was never an issue just twice he did it, even one time i seen my Sulcata eat some bird poop.
Tom's suggestion is a great way to go.

 

[Jacqui]

Meanwhile, keep up with the soaks, as it can take a long time to clear the pebbles/gravel/rocks completely out.

 

[jason g.]

Thank you everyone. I actually have 10 different plants in there and Kentucky blue grass planted I'm just waiting on them to pop up. Her temporary enclosure is the issue. I wish I could make it all grow over night. It's a relief to know rose formally known as Rodney is just being a tort. I was told she was 9 months old.

 

[cemmons12]

Cooper went thru this stage for a while. But so far (knock on wood) he hasnt shown any interest in them this spring....

 

[jason g.]

Cooper went thru this stage for a while. But so far (knock on wood) he hasnt shown any interest in them this spring....

How old is Cooper?