timothy pellets

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orangutan

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So I have 2 young sulcatas, they are about 5 months of age. I am allowing them to graze on bermuda grass i grow in separate shallow dishes that get rotated in and out of the enclosure when they have eaten it practically to the roots! any way they eat very well and i am actually feeding them almost everything i can that i read from africantortoise.com. So my question is, What about some timothy pellets. Its pure timothy hay, sun cured, and shredded and compressed into small pellets, and is sold as rabbit food. i was a little sceptic and have not purchased them yet. I was just wondering since i dont really have different types of grasses to feed if i could get the pellets and soak them for my torts. its perfect size and already shredded. It wouldnt be a main food source just something to add with the bermuda because i also feed them separate from the grass grown in the enclosure. Any information on this or if any one heres of this as safe, please let me know. i just think its easier then the dry hay because its to big, but then i cant even find if hay is ok for young torts. im just trying to give them the best nutrition, and want to have variety for them. If anyone can help thank you.
 

tortoisenerd

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Timoyhy hay is great if you can get them to eat it. From what I know the rabbit timothy hay cubes are the lower quality remnants. Also double check there are no additives/fillers. When introducing them to hay you may be better off with something like the salad style hay from Carolina Pet Supply. Hay is just great for young torts but most under 2 years wouldn't think of it as food (although it is good to introduce to their diet). What about also growing trays of weeds/seed mix? What else do you typically feed from africantortoise.com?
 

kimber_lee_314

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I sprinkle powdered timothy hay on my tort's food once a week for extra fiber.
 

GBtortoises

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Timothy hay is a great source of fiber for all sizes of tortoises and most species will graze on it, some much more than others.

I've never used timothy cubes, just loose hay. You may want to check the ingredients to see if a binder is used to make it hold it's cube form as is done with alfalfa cubes. In most alfalfa cubes molasses is used as a binder.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Orangutan:

I just wanted to say...

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to the forum!!

(Besides fresh weeds and grasses and dark, leafy greens, I sometimes use Mazuri Tortoise Diet. There's lots written about it here on the forum, just do a "search.")
 

orangutan

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thanks guys i appreciate it.

so far some other foods i am feeding or feed besides the bermuda grass are:

all in lesser amounts then grass;

cactus, small amounts of prickly pear, kale, collard greens, dandelion leaves, small amount of carrot tops(i read it inhibits calcium absorption, may not feed again), small amount of carrots, endive, water cress, and some red leaf lettuce.

im still reading on more foods they can eat and i plan to get them as much variety as i can. I still have to try the some other foods on africantortoise, but i think the torts are on the right track right now to live a healthy life.

also i had purchased some mazuri at the reptile expo and i have given it to them as kinda of a little treat, they really love it. I also read that mazuri is not good for young torts either so i dont know if its ok in small amounts or just trash it.

the prickly pear is also stored frozen because the torts can not eat it faster then it goes bad. I know it may lessen the nutrional value but the pear is not really a staple in there diet just a little something extra.

the timothy pellets are just timothy hay, no extras, no binder like mollasses, i have seen this in alfalfa because they give it to horses like this. Either way i think i might try the pellets and i'll let you guys know how it goes.
 

spikethebest

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orangutan said:
also i had purchased some mazuri at the reptile expo and i have given it to them as kinda of a little treat, they really love it. I also read that mazuri is not good for young torts either so i dont know if its ok in small amounts or just trash it.

Which reptile expo did you get it at?

A lot of people use Mazuri from the very start with their tortoises, and have great success! Dont trash it. It gets them off to a great start... smooth shell, proper protein/fat/fiber/calcium intake.
 

orangutan

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yeah hey! how are you?

I asked some questions before i bought the mazuri, but i didnt feel like i was totally content with the info i got.

Now i dont know how much you know about mazuri but when feeding sulcatas i read to stay away from grain products, now the first ingredient in mazuri is soy a grain or legume but under grain as well, and second corn a grain, followed by oat and wheat also grains. Now im not dissing the product i just am informed from sulcata station to never feed these things. also the protein of mazuri is minimum 15%, but the protien percent in grasses other than alfalfa is around 9% max.

My tortoises seem to like it very much! though is it from the cane molasses in it?

Have you heard if grains can harm tortoises?

Any info you have on this would be very helpful. I want to know as much as possible for my torts about all their diet needs.
 
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