Sulcata baby not eating.

[Spoomsister]

We have only had Rodney for four days and he doesn't appear to be eating much. All of our temps and humidity, substrate, humid hide, etc. are all per Toms recommendations. We are feeding him hand picked fresh hibiscus leaves, dandelion leaves, grass, and occasional petal from a hibiscus flower. He is pooping and peeing regularly. Getting soaks every other day. Yesterday he only took a couple bites of his food, and today he hasn't touched it. Is this normal for new babies? He ate the first two days ok.

 

[Tom]

Where did you get him? While your diet is EXCELLENT, most breeders (sadly) don't feed that sort of stuff. It may be that what you are offering is unfamiliar to him. Can you get in touch with the breeder and ask him/her what the tortoise is used to eating? Start with that, or some romaine, or some spring mix and gradually mix in more and more of the new good stuff. It helps if you finely chop up the favorite stuff and then just add a small amount of finely chopped up new stuff and mix it all together. Gradually, over time, switch to more and more of the new/good stuff and less of the old/familiar stuff.

Also, are you keeping it warm at night too? That can make a difference in appetite.

 

[Spoomsister]

I got him from TortoiseShack.com. :0(
They didn't tell me what his diet consisted of, or his age.

At night he sleeps in his humid hide which stays around between 78-82.

 

[cemmons12]

I have to agree with chopping the stuff up. Cooper wouldn't hardly eat at first and I started chopping it up and he has ate like a pig ever since! He went from 65 grams at 2 months to almost 1300 grams at his 1 year date! Good luck to u both!

 

[Spoomsister]

I have to agree with chopping the stuff up. Cooper wouldn't hardly eat at first and I started chopping it up and he has ate like a pig ever since! He went from 65 grams at 2 months to almost 1300 grams at his 1 year date! Good luck to u both!

Wow!!! That's awesome! How finely do you chop it?

 

[cemmons12]

I have to agree with chopping the stuff up. Cooper wouldn't hardly eat at first and I started chopping it up and he has ate like a pig ever since! He went from 65 grams at 2 months to almost 1300 grams at his 1 year date! Good luck to u both!

Wow!!! That's awesome! How finely do you chop it?

Very small, but not to a lquid form if that helps, I hope. Then when he is done I have to clean his pretty little face as the small stuff sticks and stains his face and nose. But its well worth it to get him to eat as much as he does. Next time I shall try and post a close up pic for u... This is his kale, collard greens, and baby spring mix from tonight, the brown and red is his Mazuri and Red Tort Sticks, both of which I buy from Coastalsilkworms.com. They rock on super fast delivery!! Never a complaint from me against that company and I also buy cactus pads from them as well. Hope this helps you out! Good luck!!! Only his supper is chopped now a days, his lunch is full pieces as he needs to learn to eat full pieces now at a yearold. Just very hard for me to cut him off completly since this is when he eats the best.. He is a spoiled brat and I'd have him no other way at this point...

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

It's a good diet. Make sure the tort is getting let outside every so often. This will liven him/her up and cause them to eat more often. They also need real sunlight or they become sluggish and eat less often.

 

[handsomeEdger]

I would start with some good spring mix and cut it up so it's small, once it starts eatting that start adding cut pieces of flowers ect.