Tortoise food

[James9811]

Hi all! Just want to start by saying thank you for making me feel so welcome here, your information is going to be invaluable. I take everything I learn from you all on board and I’m bound to make mistakes, but I welcome any advice!

SO

my question is, when you guys are getting your broadleaf weeds, where exactly do you get them from? We can’t seem to find any around here (could be that time of year!). We currently have a few winter blossoming tortoise favourite flowers growing, but I really want my dandelions and catear as I hear they’re particularly delicious to our little friends!

also if it helps, I’m in the UK!

 

[Lyn W]

Unfortunately for us in the UK weeds are few and far between at the moment so we have to rely on shop bought salad leaves.

I mainly use Aldi Crispy mixed salad bags (45p) which has a good mix of leaves, they've just changed the bags to dark blue in my area (used to be light green). That is my base and I add things like lambs lettuce, pak choi, kale, spring greens, carrot leaves etc and other Ok veg off The Tortoise Table to give variety. Morrisons, Lidl and Asda also do good mixes - you have to read the ingredients - look for things like Batavia, escarole, endive, frisee red and green leaf and radicchio lambs lettuce. Florette Classic Crispy has a great mix but can be expensive and Sainsbury also have a good bag but again over £1 a bag,
The darker leaves are better. Romaine is Ok to add in if the leaves are dark but shouldn't be a main diet , romaine hearts are too pale. Iceberg and little gem have too many sugar which most species of torts can't handle and can have a laxative effect - as can cucumber and fruit shouldn't be fed.
I pick out the white stalky bits and soak the rest to rehydrate the leaves and wash off any chlorine they may have been washed in before packing.
For my leopard I also grind up Readigrass finely to mix onto wet leaves to add fibre but I'm not sure if that will be OK for your Russian check the caresheet to see if grass is part of their diet.

When the weeds come back, pick from safe areas i.e not near roads because of car fumes or anywhere where pesticides or weed killers may have been used in the last couple of years such as parks etc.

Any plants you buy from shops or garden centres for food or enclosures need to washed (leaves and roots) and re potted in chemical free soils and left for at least a year to allow any pesticides, fertilisers etc that may have been used on them to grow out. Cuttings from known safe plants are quicker.
You can buy seed packs specifically for tortoise food.

 

[James9811]

Unfortunately for us in the UK weeds are few and far between at the moment so we have to rely on shop bought salad leaves.

I mainly use Aldi Crispy mixed salad bags (45p) which has a good mix of leaves, they've just changed the bags to dark blue in my area (used to be light green). That is my base and I add things like lambs lettuce, pak choi, kale, spring greens, carrot leaves etc and other Ok veg off The Tortoise Table to give variety. Morrisons, Lidl and Asda also do good mixes - you have to read the ingredients - look for things like Batavia, escarole, endive, frisee red and green leaf and radicchio lambs lettuce. Florette Classic Crispy has a great mix but can be expensive and Sainsbury also have a good bag but again over £1 a bag,
The darker leaves are better. Romaine is Ok to add in if the leaves are dark but shouldn't be a main diet , romaine hearts are too pale. Iceberg and little gem have too many sugar which most species of torts can't handle and can have a laxative effect - as can cucumber and fruit shouldn't be fed.
I pick out the white stalky bits and soak the rest to rehydrate the leaves and wash off any chlorine they may have been washed in before packing.
For my leopard I also grind up Readigrass finely to mix onto wet leaves to add fibre but I'm not sure if that will be OK for your Russian,

When the weeds come back, pick from safe areas i.e not near roads because of car fumes or anywhere where pesticides or weed killers may have been used in the last couple of years such as parks etc.

Any plants you buy from shops or garden centres for food or enclosures need to washed (leaves and roots) and re potted in chemical free soils and left for at least a year to allow any pesticides, fertilisers etc that ay have been used on them to grow out. Cuttings from known safe plants are quicker.
You can buy seed packs specifically for tortoise food.

You are a lifesaver, thank you so much!
Ive just ordered lots of seeds from eBay so I can grow my own weeds, dandelions etc, so in a couple weeks of indoor growing hopefully they’ll be ready too!

 

[Lyn W]

You are a lifesaver, thank you so much!
Ive just ordered lots of seeds from eBay so I can grow my own weeds, dandelions etc, so in a couple weeks of indoor growing hopefully they’ll be ready too!

Good luck!

 

[James9811]

Unfortunately for us in the UK weeds are few and far between at the moment so we have to rely on shop bought salad leaves.

I mainly use Aldi Crispy mixed salad bags (45p) which has a good mix of leaves, they've just changed the bags to dark blue in my area (used to be light green). That is my base and I add things like lambs lettuce, pak choi, kale, spring greens, carrot leaves etc and other Ok veg off The Tortoise Table to give variety. Morrisons, Lidl and Asda also do good mixes - you have to read the ingredients - look for things like Batavia, escarole, endive, frisee red and green leaf and radicchio lambs lettuce. Florette Classic Crispy has a great mix but can be expensive and Sainsbury also have a good bag but again over £1 a bag,
The darker leaves are better. Romaine is Ok to add in if the leaves are dark but shouldn't be a main diet , romaine hearts are too pale. Iceberg and little gem have too many sugar which most species of torts can't handle and can have a laxative effect - as can cucumber and fruit shouldn't be fed.
I pick out the white stalky bits and soak the rest to rehydrate the leaves and wash off any chlorine they may have been washed in before packing.
For my leopard I also grind up Readigrass finely to mix onto wet leaves to add fibre but I'm not sure if that will be OK for your Russian check the caresheet to see if grass is part of their diet.

When the weeds come back, pick from safe areas i.e not near roads because of car fumes or anywhere where pesticides or weed killers may have been used in the last couple of years such as parks etc.

Any plants you buy from shops or garden centres for food or enclosures need to washed (leaves and roots) and re potted in chemical free soils and left for at least a year to allow any pesticides, fertilisers etc that may have been used on them to grow out. Cuttings from known safe plants are quicker.
You can buy seed packs specifically for tortoise food.

Do you give them everything from those Aldi bags or are there bits you need to take out?

 

[Lyn W]

Do you give them everything from those Aldi bags or are there bits you need to take out?

I take out all the white pale bits and break off the longer stalks but the leaves are all good.
I only feed what I would eat and nothing that could be a choking hazard - some may say I'm too fussy but I'm a better safe than sorry kind of person.