Should I Starve My Sulcatas

Tank & Scooter

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I have two 3 month Sulcatas, over the weeks I've learned exactly how much they eat. They pretty much eat a pile of food the same size as them every day. I know some people recommend feeding every 2 days, but I think that's unsanitary. I don't want moist food in a hot n humid environment for 50 hour+.

My problem is, the lady I got them off of, told me to feed them romaine lettuce, I think I fed them that for the first 3 weeks. After i joined forum and learned more about torts, I try n strive for a natural diet. I have spots within a one block radius of my house where I get lots n lots of hibiscus flowers and leaves, also feed dandilons and false dandilons in moderation, carrot shaving for vitamin A, and a bunch of different grasses, cactus.

MY PROBLEM is, I try and reduce romaine but if I don't add romain, they will only pick at the food and eat a tiny bit. With romaine they will Finnish food.

Should I just cut romaine out the picture completely? Im wondering if they'll get more and more Hungary each day, till they start eating natural food?
 

wellington

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Romaine isn't really bad to feed. It's only really bad if it's the only thing being fed or if it's the bigger part of their diet.
You can play hard ball with them and slowly reduce the romaine until they are eating the food without it or keep adding it to their food but maybe in a smaller quantity.
 

tortoiseplanet

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Some people like to start slowly reducing romaine in each feeding until you are feeding none. Although I found just giving them the foods you want to feed them right away has worked best for me. They’ll eventually get hungry and eat the offered foods.
 

Yvonne G

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I mix up a bunch of different food items, but then, I'm feeding a whole bunch of tortoises. I fill a bushel basket with romaine, collard, grape and mulberry leaves, green leaf lettuce, zucchini, occasionally cucumber, bok choy, any edible plants and weeds growing at the moment. Every so often I also mix in moistened alfalfa pellets, moistened grass hay pellets, moistened mazuri, moistened Layena chicken food.
 

Tank & Scooter

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I mix up a bunch of different food items, but then, I'm feeding a whole bunch of tortoises. I fill a bushel basket with romaine, collard, grape and mulberry leaves, green leaf lettuce, zucchini, occasionally cucumber, bok choy, any edible plants and weeds growing at the moment. Every so often I also mix in moistened alfalfa pellets, moistened grass hay pellets, moistened mazuri, moistened Layena chicken food.
Cool, hey that's another thing I was gonna ask, if you guy's only make them salads? I switch it up, I'll make them salad, then I'll switch it up and let them choose , I'll divide their food so they can choose.

I was also talking on another post that I wanna boil grasses and maybe flowers and make them tea, feed them tea instead of water.
 

Tom

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I agree with the other posters here. Slowly reduce the amount of romaine, but don't worry about it. Romaine mixed with grass and all that other good stuff is still a good diet for your babies. In time, they will be eating anything and everything and begging for more.

I would not do the tea thing unless you plant to switch it out and sanitize the water bowl ever hour or too. All those nutrients will encourage bacterial growth. No need for it. Plain water and the good foods you are feeding is all they need.
 

RosemaryDW

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Not sure why you need to feed them tea? They will eat the right things over time but it’s a hard change. Like you were eating McDonald’s every day and then overnight someone switched to only broccoli and brown rice. :eek:

No need to make salad for a couple of tortoises, at least not long term. It makes sense when you have multiple tortoises or babies to feed and you want to be sure everyone is getting the right foods. But it’s not how they would normally eat.

I am pretty sure my tortoise was eating a lot of romaine before I got her; it didn’t take long to wean her off that plant but she didn’t take entirely to weeds for about five months. She got a fair amount of grocery store foods during the transition and did just fine. She only ever got whole leaves or plants and did just fine with that, as well.

Interestingly enough she just had her first romaine in over two years. She liked it; but didn’t make a rush for it. Guess she’s really moved on to other foods!
 

TriciaStringer

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Our twenty month old was raised mostly on romaine and some pellets (not good kind). We’ve had her a little over a month. She is still being such a toddler. She moves everything around her plate to pick out the Romaine. She spends a lot of time outside and I have caught her grazing many times so I’m not that concerned. She’s also gaining lots of weight. I still go harvest from my backyard each day for her salad. I think she has started liking the Mazuri though. I don’t use it too often though. I also take the soft remainders at the bottom of the bag of Timothy hay and wet them so they stick to the Romaine. She will eventually get there. I just hate buying the Romaine each week.
 
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