Silly Question....Chopped greens...?

[HappyHermanns]

Ok, so I wasn't going to post this but why not, right!? I'll never know otherwise

When we "prep" our torts food my husband chops it fairly small because they seemed to struggle a bit ripping pieces off.. Our guys are Hatchlings.
What is best for them?

I heard that they can also get "lazy" and if you spoil them with certain things (like hand feeding a lot) they may not want to do it themselves..
If we chop the food will they forget how to eat bigger stuff?

 

[Scottyoh123]

I always think how would they find it in the real world they would have to rip the leaf up so I think having bigger bits maybe start alittle bigger than you have been and then a little bigger get the little one used to it an should be fine I rip mine in half and let the little guy do the rest

Hope this helps

 

[HappyHermanns]

I always think how would they find it in the real world they would have to rip the leaf up so I think having bigger bits maybe start alittle bigger than you have been and then a little bigger get the little one used to it an should be fine I rip mine in half and let the little guy do the rest

Hope this helps

It does!
Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond to me.
It is so funny how the smallest questions seem to be the biggest brain busters! haha
If this were about a baby (I'd be fine, lol) but you could ask almost anyone for some kind of help but with tortoises, I don't know any other mamas! lol

Thanks again!

 

[Yvonne G]

I like to chop up the food for their first year. And as the year progresses my chopping gets bigger and bigger. Babies seem to be able to eat more when you chop it up.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I also chop and mix things up.
It seems to get them used to NOT picking and choosing the very best bits.
With my adults, I just throw whole heads of Romain, fruit,etc.
I don't cut or peel anything.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Yeah I thought about this some off and on. In the wild . . .

they are usually out and about when grass and forbs are still 'baby' too.
there are a 10,000+ more choices
many don't make it, we want ours to make it - yeah
they grow much slower, for the most part as they are indeed struggling with food and optimal temps

Our tortoises are wild animals, but they are not IN the wild. I think it's good to give every advantage. Yvonne summed it up well.

Also consider, when you chop it up and MIX many food items together, you greatly reduce the choosiness attitude we all read about so much here on TFO.

BTW, in no way shape or form was this a silly question.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Thanks a lot, all of you!!

That makes me feel much better.
and YES, maybe if they can't be so choosey now they wont be so much so when they get bigger!

and thanks for validating my "silly" question!!

 

[Rue]

I haven't chopped anything. But of course there are some bigger leaves and some smaller leaves. Frankly, it doesn't seem to matter. She eats what she wants to eat...no matter how big it is...lol.

 

[WithLisa]

I've never chopped anything either. I believe they should learn how "real" food smells and looks like and how to handle it. Besides I don't want them to eat anything I put in front of them, mine are not choosy at all but carefully sniff on every leaf to avoid toxic plants.

 

[Tom]

I don't cut up anything except long blades of grass and stiff stemmed alfalfa if I'm feeding babies. Leaves remain whole and intact for them to tear at. Even for hatchlings.

 

[wellington]

I did the same as Tom. However, I only have one hatchling. When I got my first tort ever, I chopped everything up. He ate fine. With my new hatched hatchling, I didn't do that, after all who is chopping it up in the wild. I chop nothing and s/he eats like a champ.

 

[Raymo2477]

I rarely chop, but I will rip up greens for hatchlings.

 

[Pearly]

I chop now but blended/pureed the first month. One of my babies was not eating. I was really worried so did the "mother thing" and went on a nurturing quest. I have a thread about feeding my picky eater where I give few tips, things that have worked for me. And when I say "chop", I really CHOP cactus very finely until it releases the slimy juice various greens, soaked Mazuri (I use several different brands of tort dry food that I rotate over the course of a week and add a little to their morning meal) things mixed up and I always put couple of fresh whole leaves as to "not deprive" them of the real experience of eating from the whole leaf.

 

[HappyHermanns]

Thanks everyone! We will be working our way towards larger pieces.

 

[HappyHermanns]

I chop now but blended/pureed the first month. One of my babies was not eating. I was really worried so did the "mother thing" and went on a nurturing quest. I have a thread about feeding my picky eater where I give few tips, things that have worked for me. And when I say "chop", I really CHOP View attachment 177804 cactus very finely until it releases the slimy juiceView attachment 177805 various greens, soaked Mazuri (I use several different brands of tort dry food that I rotate over the course of a week and add a little to their morning meal) View attachment 177806things mixed up and I always put couple of fresh whole leaves as to "not deprive" them of the real experience of eating from the whole leaf.

Great pics!
Thanks a lot for that and the info!
I can see how a bigger "stalk" might be a bit easier for them the "grip" onto to tear pieces off.