What and when to feed 2 day old baby desert tortoises

Tanyabobanya

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Hi I have 2 just hatched baby desert tortoises.
When do I start feeding and what? The umbilical chord has gone down in the second one. I have them in the same plastic container for now. I have 2 four year olds from the same parents but missed this part of their lives- thank you!
I have a hibernating question but should probably look for that forum..
Tanya
 

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Tom

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Hi I have 2 just hatched baby desert tortoises.
When do I start feeding and what? The umbilical chord has gone down in the second one. I have them in the same plastic container for now. I have 2 four year olds from the same parents but missed this part of their lives- thank you!
I have a hibernating question but should probably look for that forum..
Tanya
Start them in brooder boxes if the umbilical scar is still exposed and open.

Its all explained here:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/

Once they are ready for enclosures, refer to this one. Care is the same for these two species:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Like Barb said, soak and feed ASAP and keep them warm.
 

Tanyabobanya

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Start them in brooder boxes if the umbilical scar is still exposed and open.

Its all explained here:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/

Once they are ready for enclosures, refer to this one. Care is the same for these two species:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Like Barb said, soak and feed ASAP and keep them warm.
Thank you ! Brooder ? Ahh! Can I leave them in plastic container for now?
 

Tanyabobanya

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Brooder = Plastic shoe box placed in a warm incubator or a bird brooder is what I use. Its all explained in the thread.

Right ok. Well they’ve hatched in an incubator so they’re past brooding. Does anyone have any feelings about keeping 2 babies, 2 days old, in the same container or is it wiser to separate them? Thank you!
 

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Cheryl Hills

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Right ok. Well they’ve hatched in an incubator so they’re past brooding. Does anyone have any feelings about keeping 2 babies, 2 days old, in the same container or is it wiser to separate them? Thank you!
They should stay in the incubator for at least 5 days or until the yoke scare is healed completely.
 

Tanyabobanya

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They should stay in the incubator for at least 5 days or until the yoke scare is healed completely.
Oh ok. It looks almost gone. I have them on wax paper in plastic small open container with a heating pad underneath. I have glass tanks but have been

told they are dangerous. My mom used glass takes for generations though. Should I separate them?
 

Cheryl Hills

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I really cannot say, I think they will be ok for now but it is not recommended to keep two torts together. Maybe someone with a bit more knowledge can answer this
@Tom
 

Tanyabobanya

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I really cannot say, I think they will be ok for now but it is not recommended to keep two torts together. Maybe someone with a bit more knowledge can answer this
@Tom
Thank you. I think I’ll separate them. They’re climbing the walls and each other.
 

Tom

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Oh ok. It looks almost gone. I have them on wax paper in plastic small open container with a heating pad underneath. I have glass tanks but have been

told they are dangerous. My mom used glass takes for generations though. Should I separate them?
They need to stay in covered shoe boxes to keep humidity up while they absorb their yolk sacs and close up the umbilical scars. I also do daily soaks during this time. It usually takes 7-10 days after hatching.

The glass tank thing is an old persistent myth. I and several other experienced keeper here have raised baby tortoises in glass tank without issue for decades. They are actually better for all the reasons "they" say they are bad.
 

Tanyabobanya

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They need to stay in covered shoe boxes to keep humidity up while they absorb their yolk sacs and close up the umbilical scars. I also do daily soaks during this time. It usually takes 7-10 days after hatching.

The glass tank thing is an old persistent myth. I and several other experienced keeper here have raised baby tortoises in glass tank without issue for decades. They are actually better for all the reasons "they" say they are bad.
Thank you . And separate?
 

Tanyabobanya

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Thank you . And separate?
Are tanks better than shoe boxes? I have both. They are really active. One has a back leg that isn’t fully extending though. I hope it’s ok. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.
 

TechnoCheese

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Are tanks better than shoe boxes? I have both. They are really active. One has a back leg that isn’t fully extending though. I hope it’s ok. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.

I think the point is that you need to be able to keep humidity, so a small tub might be easier to do that in.
 

Tom

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Are tanks better than shoe boxes? I have both. They are really active. One has a back leg that isn’t fully extending though. I hope it’s ok. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.
Shoe box until the umbilical scar is all closed up and healed. Then a tank with substrate and lights.

The brooder box simulates what they do in the wild. They hatch underground in their damp humid nest chamber and they stay there absorbing their yolk sac and closing the umbilical scar. When they are all closed up, they dig out and join the world.
 
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