sprouts for your Aldabras?

Suranai

Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
58
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Winters has been very tough on my aldabras as far as their food is concerned. They have been feeding on mostly mazuri ls. Once in a while, I do get them some store-bought veggies, which can be very pricy - especially for their size (over 35lb each). Lately, I have been thinking of making some fodders for my torts so they can enjoy fresh food at a more affordable price and (maybe?) healthier than regular veggies from the supermarket.

So, I'm here to ask for your opinion on which seeds are best for making fodders. Popular fodder seeds I'm thinking of are: barely, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Not sure if these are good for Aldabras to consume as far as the nutritional values are concerned. Thank you in advance for your advice and comments.
 

dd33

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 22, 2018
Messages
525
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Winters has been very tough on my aldabras as far as their food is concerned. They have been feeding on mostly mazuri ls. Once in a while, I do get them some store-bought veggies, which can be very pricy - especially for their size (over 35lb each). Lately, I have been thinking of making some fodders for my torts so they can enjoy fresh food at a more affordable price and (maybe?) healthier than regular veggies from the supermarket.

So, I'm here to ask for your opinion on which seeds are best for making fodders. Popular fodder seeds I'm thinking of are: barely, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Not sure if these are good for Aldabras to consume as far as the nutritional values are concerned. Thank you in advance for your advice and comments.
You should be getting close to the size where they will eagerly eat hay. Look for some good quality Orchard grass hay. If they don't eat it right away start chopping it up real fine and mixing it with their Mazuri. You can also try leaving the hay strands a little bit longer and mixing in some carrot peelings to add something brightly colored to entice them.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Winters has been very tough on my aldabras as far as their food is concerned. They have been feeding on mostly mazuri ls. Once in a while, I do get them some store-bought veggies, which can be very pricy - especially for their size (over 35lb each). Lately, I have been thinking of making some fodders for my torts so they can enjoy fresh food at a more affordable price and (maybe?) healthier than regular veggies from the supermarket.

So, I'm here to ask for your opinion on which seeds are best for making fodders. Popular fodder seeds I'm thinking of are: barely, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Not sure if these are good for Aldabras to consume as far as the nutritional values are concerned. Thank you in advance for your advice and comments.
I do what dd33 suggested for you and it works great.

You can also get horse hay pellets, soak them, and mix that all in with the other foods to add fiber and variety. Start with just a few pellets at first. Gradually add more.

You can do the same thing with ZooMed Grassland or Forest tortoise pellets. Purina Organic Lay Crumbles for chickens is another good one to mix in.

Also, look for a local wholesaler that provides produce for restaurants. I have a local guy that drops off a case a week on my porch for less than $30. He has endive, escarole, collards, arugula, romaine, green or red leaf, etc. Periodically, I'll have him drop off some cilantro or spring mix too. I chop up a few head of whatever I'm using that week and mix in some of the aforementioned soaked hay or pellets.

You can also oder cases of spineless opuntia from several sources on the web, and that is excellent food for them too. High in calcium, fiber, and moisture. That is good for a feeding once or twice a week, and it help lubricate the dry hay in their GI tract too. You can grow your own in summer, or in pots. @Turtulas-Len is in Virginia and he's got several varieties that can survive your winters.

Unless you have large pasture areas and the right weather to do it, growing your own for multiple tortoises of that size, and growing, is not practical. It takes too long to grow it, and they just eat soooooo much every day.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I do what dd33 suggested for you and it works great.

You can also get horse hay pellets, soak them, and mix that all in with the other foods to add fiber and variety. Start with just a few pellets at first. Gradually add more.

You can do the same thing with ZooMed Grassland or Forest tortoise pellets. Purina Organic Lay Crumbles for chickens is another good one to mix in.

Also, look for a local wholesaler that provides produce for restaurants. I have a local guy that drops off a case a week on my porch for less than $30. He has endive, escarole, collards, arugula, romaine, green or red leaf, etc. Periodically, I'll have him drop off some cilantro or spring mix too. I chop up a few head of whatever I'm using that week and mix in some of the aforementioned soaked hay or pellets.

You can also oder cases of spineless opuntia from several sources on the web, and that is excellent food for them too. High in calcium, fiber, and moisture. That is good for a feeding once or twice a week, and it help lubricate the dry hay in their GI tract too. You can grow your own in summer, or in pots. @Turtulas-Len is in Virginia and he's got several varieties that can survive your winters.

Unless you have large pasture areas and the right weather to do it, growing your own for multiple tortoises of that size, and growing, is not practical. It takes too long to grow it, and they just eat soooooo much every day.
I get a case of mixed greens for free from my local grocery store weekly. It's all the stuff they peel off the heads/bunches and what they feel they can't sell. I have no idea why they think that though. It all looks very good and very edible for humans. I do this all winter long for about 4 or 5 years now and never had anything I couldn't feed or wouldn't eat myself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Always ask your produce manager if they can order you cactus, some can some can't. I get a case for anywhere between 25-30 bucks.
 

Suranai

Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
58
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
You should be getting close to the size where they will eagerly eat hay. Look for some good quality Orchard grass hay. If they don't eat it right away start chopping it up real fine and mixing it with their Mazuri. You can also try leaving the hay strands a little bit longer and mixing in some carrot peelings to add something brightly colored to entice them.
I tried that before w/ timothy hay and my torts just smelled the food and stared at me them sad round eyes. I couldn't help it but removed the hay and just gave them flesh veggies.

...
You can do the same thing with ZooMed Grassland or Forest tortoise pellets. Purina Organic Lay Crumbles for chickens is another good one to mix in.

Also, look for a local wholesaler that provides produce for restaurants. I have a local guy that drops off a case a week on my porch for less than $30. He has endive, escarole, collards, arugula, romaine, green or red leaf, etc. Periodically, I'll have him drop off some cilantro or spring mix too. I chop up a few head of whatever I'm using that week and mix in some of the aforementioned soaked hay or pellets.

You can also oder cases of spineless opuntia from several sources on the web, and that is excellent food for them too. High in calcium, fiber, and moisture. That is good for a feeding once or twice a week, and it help lubricate the dry hay in their GI tract too. You can grow your own in summer, or in pots. @Turtulas-Len is in Virginia and he's got several varieties that can survive your winters.

Unless you have large pasture areas and the right weather to do it, growing your own for multiple tortoises of that size, and growing, is not practical. It takes too long to grow it, and they just eat soooooo much every day.
I have the ZooMed. my tort didn't like them at all even when i mixed w/ mazuri. Although the idea about local wholesaler interests me. I also have spinless opuntia but my torts seem to get diarrhea after eating them (they started to poop in liquid) and so I stopped feeding them. But I do give them as a treat instead. .. and no, I do not have a large enough backyard.... beside, it's cold here in winter.

I get a case of mixed greens for free from my local grocery store weekly. It's all the stuff they peel off the heads/bunches and what they feel they can't sell. I have no idea why they think that though. It all looks very good and very edible for humans. I do this all winter long for about 4 or 5 years now and never had anything I couldn't feed or wouldn't eat myself.
Mmm... you think it safe? do you wash the veggies first before giving them to your torts?
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I tried that before w/ timothy hay and my torts just smelled the food and stared at me them sad round eyes. I couldn't help it but removed the hay and just gave them flesh veggies.


I have the ZooMed. my tort didn't like them at all even when i mixed w/ mazuri. Although the idea about local wholesaler interests me. I also have spinless opuntia but my torts seem to get diarrhea after eating them (they started to poop in liquid) and so I stopped feeding them. But I do give them as a treat instead. .. and no, I do not have a large enough backyard.... beside, it's cold here in winter.


Mmm... you think it safe? do you wash the veggies first before giving them to your torts?
It's perfectly safe! There is nothing wrong with the stuff. If you seen it, you wouldn't think twice about buying it. I don't was is only because it has been washed several times by the sprayer at the store.
Also do not use Timothy hay, it's the orchard hay someone mentioned you want to use. The Timothy hay is very woody. You have to keep trying all the foods until they eat it. You are the one that needs to do the right thing and not give in to their sad eyes that only you see cuz they don't give the sad eyes. If they had their way, they would eat all the bad stuff like fruit that they can't have, that's where we have to be good tortoise keepers and get them to eat all the good stuff and as big a variety as we possibly can.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I tried that before w/ timothy hay and my torts just smelled the food and stared at me them sad round eyes. I couldn't help it but removed the hay and just gave them flesh veggies.


I have the ZooMed. my tort didn't like them at all even when i mixed w/ mazuri. Although the idea about local wholesaler interests me. I also have spinless opuntia but my torts seem to get diarrhea after eating them (they started to poop in liquid) and so I stopped feeding them. But I do give them as a treat instead. .. and no, I do not have a large enough backyard.... beside, it's cold here in winter.
You are moving too fast. You have to start with tiny amounts finely chopped, rehydrated and mixed in. No tortoise likes the dry hay or the ZooMed pellets initially. Some take weeks or months to get used to it and start to like it.

I'll be the third person to say don't use Timothy hay. I've tried all of them. Orchard grass hay works best, and Bermuda or teff is fine too. Using the horse hay pellets is an easier way to get them on hay, than using hay. It introduces the hay into their systems in small amounts and gets the intestinal flora and fauna up to speed. You can use just two or three soaked pellets mixed into a bucket of greens at first, and gradually add more after a period of weeks.

Same with the cactus pads. Introduce a little at a time. When they get bigger and really start eating a lot of dry hay, those cactus pads will be life savers.
 

New Posts

Top