Russian Tortoises eating

[grogansilver]

Hi to every one! Just would like to know what is the best lettuce? To feed to my Russian tortoises so they get all their vitamins? Right now their mainly being feed just romaine lettuce but I know there has to be something out there that will really knock them up and off their feet with there nutritional diet giving them everything! Another form of lettuce prefabley. I do see so many variety of lettuces in the supermarket but its so hard to choose, so I always choose romaine! Plus I also do supplement them with there calcium which does have the D3 in it all the time and I have started a new Anti-Parasite meal powder which I'm suppose to add to their food for three days once per week because they are new and probably are W/C! Pictured! If any body has any comments on it or disagreements of its use from there experience with it please let me know! thanks,Anthony

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

Your tortoise needs much more variety in his diet, Anthony. Romaine isn't bad, its just not good enough. Buy whatever dark, leafy greens the store sells. Escarole, turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, raddiccio, you can even purchase the packaged lettuces as long as you don't buy one that's mainly romaine or iceburg. I use a lot of Spring Mix and Santa Barbara Mix. I buy them at Smart and Final a lot cheaper than the regular store.

The only tortoises I feed are babies. Once they are big enough to go outside, they just graze on the grasses and weeds in their pen.

So I chop up the Spring Mix and to that I'll add some mulberry leaves, grape leaves, fillaree and dandelion, rose of sharon flowers and leaves. I chop it all up and put it in an air tight Tupperware bowl. The bowl of stuff will keep for about 3 days, but by that time I usually have used it all up anyway.

If your Russian isn't a baby, then you don't need to chop it up. But you should be able to find other foods for him besides romaine.

 

[grogansilver]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

Spring Mix and Santa Barbara Mix it will be! but doesn't that have spinch in it which is not suppose to be good for tortoises? what about the Anti-Parasite meal powder is this okay to use for them?

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Oh! by the way emysemys will they eat all the grass that is growing in their enclosure pictured? because i have not seen them touch it!

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

Yeah, mine won't eat grass either. They much prefer clover, dichondra, and broad-leaf weeds. This winter when your guys aren't in the pen, take out all the grass and plant broad-leaf stuff.

I don't know anything about that powder you've pictured. My take on parasites is: Get a fecal test done. If they don't have parasites, don't de-worm them.

 

[grogansilver]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

emysemys how about kahal i think i spelled it right is this also good for them along with the spring mix?

 

[Kristina]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

This is the best advice I can give you on nutrition - http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ises-The-Balanced-Diet-Revealed#axzz1SyRHN6Sj

I'm not sure what kahal is, but if it is an edible, dark leafy green, it is probably just fine. ANYTHING is fine in moderation. It is when you start to rely on just once food item that you run into trouble.

 

[grogansilver]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

This is the best advice I can give you on nutrition - http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ises-The-Balanced-Diet-Revealed#axzz1SyRHN6Sj

I'm not sure what kahal is, but if it is an edible, dark leafy green, it is probably just fine. ANYTHING is fine in moderation. It is when you start to rely on just once food item that you run into trouble.

I spelled it wrong sorry its kale WOW!!! Kristina i see you have a lot of tortoises you deal with there! what is your best food for your Russians you use? i see you have four of them there!

 

[Kristina]

RE: Russian Tortoises eatting

They get something a little different every time I feed them. Their pen is planted with timothy, fescue, several different kinds of clover, alfalfa, dandelion, wild strawberry, plantain, wild violet, all kinds of stuff. Plus I just pick up something different every time I go to the grocery store. Sometimes it is kale, sometimes it is collards, sometimes romaine, red leaf, green leaf, turnip greens, broccoli flowers, swiss chard, you name it, plus they get any uncooked veggie table scraps from what I am feeding my human family If I peel an eggplant, they get the skins. If I have a cabbage butt, they get that. Carrot tops, even iceberg scraps. I feed anything and everything, but it is all in small amounts, and they never get the same thing two days running.

Many people give their Russians fruit as "treats." I NEVER do! The ONLY fruit they get is an occasional cactus fruit, mostly for the Vitamin C.

Give that article I linked a read, and it will explain my feeding philosophy in detail, plus it lists the pros and cons of different food items.

A lot of torts? Nah, counting the turtles, I only have 40