wanting to get a Aldabra and had a question on feeding

hmmca

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Mar 9, 2014
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Hello,

I am a new member, and I have been reading a lot, one of the threads I liked a lot was by Ben Awes and his "convince me not to get an Aldabra" and I did see that he got one.

I do not have experience with Tortoise's, but I have raised reptiles and I have been reading for years about them and although it will be an undertaking I an ready to take the plunge.

One thing I would like to get a grip on is what are the costs involved in feeding ( one of the things I believe in is getting any animal I get the best food to help with health as my macaw and his macadamia nuts can attest!) I know alfalfa hay is important and other hay grasses, as well as fruits and veggies, I have read where some say a tortoise diet like pellets is not good for them and I would like to get opinions on that as well.

The other question I wanted to ask is how are they with dogs? My dogs know how to act around other animals so I know they would not harm a tortoise, but would the Aldabra be scared all of the time or would it work out after time?

Thanks and if any one knows where I can get a well stated baby up to a couple of years old please chime in.

Best Greg
 

wellington

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I can't help,with cost. I'm sure where you are located, it will cost more then others that can feed a more natural grazing diet all year long. The pellets most of use us are Mazuri tortoise diet. It is a good addition to a varied diet.
As for dogs, dogs and tortoises should NEVER be together without 100%, non interrupted supervision. Even the best trained dog, could or will think a tortoise is a chew toy.
ALDABRAMAN is a great source for a very well started Aldabra. I don't know if he ships or not. I know he doesn't like too, but not sure if he still will do it.
 

ben awes

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hmmca said:
Hello,

I am a new member, and I have been reading a lot, one of the threads I liked a lot was by Ben Awes and his "convince me not to get an Aldabra" and I did see that he got one.

I do not have experience with Tortoise's, but I have raised reptiles and I have been reading for years about them and although it will be an undertaking I an ready to take the plunge.

One thing I would like to get a grip on is what are the costs involved in feeding ( one of the things I believe in is getting any animal I get the best food to help with health as my macaw and his macadamia nuts can attest!) I know alfalfa hay is important and other hay grasses, as well as fruits and veggies, I have read where some say a tortoise diet like pellets is not good for them and I would like to get opinions on that as well.

The other question I wanted to ask is how are they with dogs? My dogs know how to act around other animals so I know they would not harm a tortoise, but would the Aldabra be scared all of the time or would it work out after time?

Thanks and if any one knows where I can get a well stated baby up to a couple of years old please chime in.

Best Greg

Hi Greg, yes, I'm the guy that asked to be convinced not to get an aldabra and I was convinced pretty well - but I got one anyway. Mine is still very small and young and so i have a few years to expand and prepare for a larger tort. That being said, I did not make the decision lightly. I figured, like you, that I have proven to myself that I do not lose interest over time, that i have a track record of taking good care of my animals, and I LOVE hanging out with them. Of course there is a selfish component - but we all have that to some degree. I figure that bad owners live everywhere and if I were a tort I would rather live in northern climate than be owned by a guy who did not know what to feed me or how to care for me.

Anyway, I know only a tiny amount about the questions you have asked. I will say that everyone seems to feed Mazuri, and it is not correct to say it is bad for them. In captivity it is very difficult to provide the breadth of diet they would find in the wild and so pellet food like Mazuri is almost a requirement. The mainstay of my diet is Orchard Grass which I currently buy by the 50lb bale from Oxbow Hay Company - a fraction of the cost to buy by the bale than in small bags. I'm sure there are others. I mix in some Mazuri everyday and supplement fresh stuff every other. Fresh is a significant expense so I cannot provide fresh every day, but as often as I can. I chose a tortoise as a pets because their primary diet is hay. How much they eat as adults I do not know, but I am years away from finding that out. I also would be very careful with my torts around any dog, no matter how friendly they are.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Ben

PS, there are not that many places to get Aldabras and I would not look for the cheapest. The breeders are fairly well known, I'm sure you know who they are.
 

Saleama

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I have 5 sulcata babies and they went from a pound of food every week and a half, to a pound of food every day and a half in just 8 months. This time next year they will probably be eating over a pound of food each everyday. I can not imagine having a single Tort that will eat more than all of them combined on a daily basis. It must be staggering to watch them eat and have to pay for it. Someone the other day mentioned their little guy went from a little guy to a 200lb beast in 7 years? How soon until that little 200 pounder is a little 400 pounder?
I want one so bad it hurts and one day, if I can make sure I have a place for him or her to go when I die, I will get one but as it stands, I have enough relatives telling me that I need to stop, lol. The one thing you need to remember when getting an Aldabra, and this may be the most important thing, is to post lots of pictures of him and his home! :)
 

tortoisetime565

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Deff buy one from ALDABRAMAN, his name is Greg. His are by far the cutest!! Aldabras to buy are pricy. Anywhere from 1800-4000. I want one but I instead chose to rescue three more Sulcatas. Aldabras age slot more care than another tortoise in the fact that in just 2 years they can be 12"+. Where as a sulcata can be 7"+ at that age. (One of mine is 4 and just not 9".) For a first time tortoise owner I would suggest a smaller tortoise than an Aldabra. Like a redfoot, or even a russian or leopard. I am in no way, however convinced that you cannot take care of it. If you have ben researching I'm sure you will have proper care. If I were you I would be sure to have everything setup before getting the tort. I would hate to buy such an expensive tortoise only to have him die in the first few years. You also need to plan ahead. All tortoises grow at different rates. Some slower than others. I also have a sulcata around 2 and he is 6-7". Compared to the twice as old sulcata that is only 9". As for feeding you need to stick to grasses and weeds. Aldabras are grazers. They love grass as well as weeds. A little veggies here and there are not bad at all either. I would be sure to have plenty of things for them to eat. Plant some grape vines and lots and lots of grass seed and weed mixes. You can get those kind of mixes from any kind of nursery or even a website. Also for the Aldabra they like the sun and to bask but in a matter of mins can want to be in the shade. Be sure you account for that. Also remember that these tortoises often et 500 + pounds. I'm sure that whatever you decide you will be able to care for the tortoise!


As for cost, I spend around $60 a week in veggies for my torts. However, this is because all of my grass and plants are dead from the winter storms. That price goes down in the summer.
 

Yvonne G

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I have two male Aldabran tortoises. They are 14 years old this year and weigh over 200lbs (too big for me to lift onto a scale). If I had to actually buy food for them, I'd probably have to give them up. They eat a lot! But they live in a very large yard and are able to find all they need by grazing. Once a week I offer them Mazuri Tortoise Diet, and I go through a 20lb bag in a month. When the grape vines and mulberry trees have leaves, I offer them quite a bit of those. I see a time in the very near future when I'm going to have to expand the yard for them because as it is now, I don't ever have to knock down their grass. They keep it trimmed nicely. Take a look through Aldabraman's thread and look at his pictures. He buys tons of extra produce and hay to give to his guys, and they live in a very large yard to graze all day.
 

Yvonne G

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I guess mine are spoiled. I have a nice, fresh bale of orchard grass hay in the garage (protected from weather), and once a week I toss them a flake, however, all they do is walk through it. They don't eat it.

(flake = a section of hay bale about 6" thick)

Here's their yard. I'm standing at the far end, so you basically can see the whole yard. The fence in the middle is only a partial to act as a visual barrier. That's SO in the doorway, and he's now about twice as big as BO, who is over to the right in the picture. BO is getting better, slowly but surely.

03-10-14e_zps74cdabeb.jpg
 

ben awes

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Yvonne G said:
I guess mine are spoiled. I have a nice, fresh bale of orchard grass hay in the garage (protected from weather), and once a week I toss them a flake, however, all they do is walk through it. They don't eat it.

(flake = a section of hay bale about 6" thick)

Here's their yard. I'm standing at the far end, so you basically can see the whole yard. The fence in the middle is only a partial to act as a visual barrier. That's SO in the doorway, and he's now about twice as big as BO, who is over to the right in the picture. BO is getting better, slowly but surely.

03-10-14e_zps74cdabeb.jpg

Love your photos Yvonne - would love to see more of your guys in situ!
 
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