Weed ID for sulcata

[babytortie]

My baby sully seems to only want to eat dandelion. At one point he did eat some grape leaves and hibiscus leaves/flower that I gave him but now he ignores it all and only seems to eat the dandelion that I occasionally add in. I have some purslane and geraniums in my yard that I also tried to introduce with no luck. There aren't much dandelions growing in my yard so I can't chop it up everyday and mix it in to "trick" him as others have suggested in other threads. Do you think if I just left these other items in his enclosure that eventually he will eat them or do I need to buy dandelion somewhere to mix in??

Also, can anyone tell me if the weeds/plants I've attached pics of are edible?

 

[Yvonne G]

There is no 11th commandment that says, "thou shallt eat dandelion!!!" If your tortoise won't eat it, that's fine. He doesn't need dandelion in order to grow healthy and large.

The two plants in the first picture are ice plant on the right - edible, and oxalis on the left, which is edible, however high in oxalates and should not be fed a whole lot. The second picture is some sort of prickly lettuce or sow thistle or something like that. It is edible. And the last picture is edible also. I think its called sow thistle.

 

[Tom]

All the foods you mentioned are good foods as part of a variety (although I would not let a baby eat oxalis), but they are also strong tasting with a pungent odor and very tough texture. Unless the breeder did considerable work getting the baby used to this sort of food, it is not likely to eat it right away. Keep introducing all that stuff but also add in some softer stuff that is easier to eat and some GRASS. Check this out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

If you continue on this path you will end up with a healthy sulcata that eats anything and everything later on. Nice job!

 

[babytortie]

Thanks, Tom. If our lawn was fertilized within the past 2 months, is there a timeframe that would be considered "safe" for us to let our tort graze in the grass if we don't fertilize any longer? Or is it never safe to eat at this point no matter how long ago it was fertilized? I will try to grow fresh, unfertilized grass while he's still young but in the future I'm hoping I can just let him graze our lawn/yard.

Also, where can I buy Mazuri? I'm thinking I can add this to make a more well-rounded diet.

 

[babytortie]

T

There is no 11th commandment that says, "thou shallt eat dandelion!!!" If your tortoise won't eat it, that's fine. He doesn't need dandelion in order to grow healthy and large.

The two plants in the first picture are ice plant on the right - edible, and oxalis on the left, which is edible, however high in oxalates and should not be fed a whole lot. The second picture is some sort of prickly lettuce or sow thistle or something like that. It is edible. And the last picture is edible also. I think its called sow thistle.

thanks Yvonne! I think I was confusing the sow thistle with dandelion as they look similar. Thank goodness it's edible as that's what I've been feeding him on occasion!

 

[Tom]

Thanks, Tom. If our lawn was fertilized within the past 2 months, is there a timeframe that would be considered "safe" for us to let our tort graze in the grass if we don't fertilize any longer? Or is it never safe to eat at this point no matter how long ago it was fertilized? I will try to grow fresh, unfertilized grass while he's still young but in the future I'm hoping I can just let him graze our lawn/yard.

Also, where can I buy Mazuri? I'm thinking I can add this to make a more well-rounded diet.

Depends on what sort of fertilizer was used. If it was just plain fertilizer, its probably fine after two months of watering and rain. If it was a long acting "weed n feed" it could be a real long term problem.

For one baby you can buy one of those organic wheat grass pots from a grocery store or pet store and use clippings form that for about a month or two. Keep your pot in a window sill and water as needed and it will continue regrowing for a while. I was getting about 8-10 cuttings from each. If you repot it with some good potting soil, it will last even longer.

Many sellers on this forum offer Mazuri in small quantities for you. I like Tyler at tortoisesupply.com because he is a friend, but there are many good members here that also sell it.

 

[babytortie]

Is "catnip" the same as wheatgrass? I see pots of catnip sold at Petco and was just curious if that's the same thing and ok for torts as well?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Catnip is in the mint family. Not sure what cat grass is, but it's out there.

 

[Tom]

Is "catnip" the same as wheatgrass? I see pots of catnip sold at Petco and was just curious if that's the same thing and ok for torts as well?

No. Totally different. They usually sell cat grass or wheat grass right next to it though.