What are you feeding your Torts?

[modestyfirst]

Hi, I wanted to start a thread for newbies like my self, to get an idea of exactly what's on your tort's shopping list. What are you currently feeding your tortoises? This would be a wealth of information to me.

Thanks
Milly

 

[jlyoncc1]

Milly, this would completely depend on what type of tortoise that you have. If you could let us know species and age, people will chime in and give specifics. Welcome to the forum!

 

[janiedough]

I have a sulcata and all I feed him right now is clover, hibiscus leaves and blooms and whatever other weed I find that he can eat. I also give him calcium.

I am still unsure if I should give him some turnip greens or not - I think as long as his poop stays NOT hard as a rock I will keep him on grass, etc. - which is free for me!

 

[modestyfirst]

Hi, I wanted to start a thread for newbies like my self, to get an idea of exactly what's on your tort's shopping list. What are you currently feeding your tortoises? This would be a wealth of information to me.

Thanks
Milly

I have two russian torts. Not sure of the age yet. The female (Rosie) is about 6 inches long and the male (Elmo) is about 4 inches long.

 

[Jenn1]

Hi, I wanted to start a thread for newbies like my self, to get an idea of exactly what's on your tort's shopping list. What are you currently feeding your tortoises? This would be a wealth of information to me.

Thanks
Milly

I have two russian torts. Not sure of the age yet. The female (Rosie) is about 6 inches long and the male (Elmo) is about 4 inches long.

Hi there Milly,
I have 3 rt's and I go by this list,
GREENS
Most grocery stores have a decent selection of greens that Russians readily eat. Ideally the greens should be organic and pesticide free. However this is the real world and not all tortoise keepers have access to "ideal" food. So, I have this section as a starting point for a varied diet. The following greens are easily found in my local stores:
Romaine lettuce
Red and green leaf lettuce
Endive
Escarole
Radicchio
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Kale
Collards
Spring Mix (mixed salad greens)
cabbage (on occasion)




With the above veggies one can develop a good diet. Once again (and I can't stress this enough) variety is the key!
Don't feed the same food day in and day out. Mix varieties and choose a different green as the basis every few days.

OTHER GOOD CHOICES
Some other favorites of my tortoises that are available:
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Hosta
Sedum
Mulberry leaves
Hen and Chicks
Ice Plants
Prickly pear flowers, fruit and pads (burn the spines off)
Dandelion
Plantain (not the banana type fruit....the weed plantago major)
Mallow (flowers and leaves)
Henbit
Rose (flowers and leaves....make sure no systemic pesticides were used)
Chrysanthemum flowers
Cornflowers Plagiobothrys ssp
Forsythia (flowers and leaves)
Dayflower Commelina diffusa (flowers and leaves)
Californian Poppy escholzia

Make sure all are pesticide and herbicide free.
Heres were I get my info from,
http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm
http://www.russiantortoise.org/edible_plants.htm

 

[Miacat]

I have 2 Hermann's tortoises.

I feed them on a 80/20 diet (80 veg/20 fruit)

Vegetables:
-Spinach
-Rocket
-Sprouts
-Dandelion
and other leaves (no lettuce though.

Fruit:
-Tomato
-Grapes
-Strawberries

 

[Yvonne G]

I have two russian torts. Not sure of the age yet. The female (Rosie) is about 6 inches long and the male (Elmo) is about 4 inches long.

Hi Milly:

I purchased a seed mixture from Carolinapetsupply.com/ and another mixture from turtlestuff.com/

Both mixtures are advertised for mediterranean type tortoises. If you can't sow the seeds outside, you can plant them in a kitty-litter pan.

Yvonne

 

[Jacqui]

Milly, this would completely depend on what type of tortoise that you have.

Top thing on my list for the torts are earth worms. Not what most tort owners have at the top (or anywhere) for their's. I have several Hingebacks and they love their worms.

 

[Itort]

Milly, this would completely depend on what type of tortoise that you have.

Top thing on my list for the torts are earth worms. Not what most tort owners have at the top (or anywhere) for their's. I have several Hingebacks and they love their worms.

Just to show differences in torts, my black burmese mountain torts eat & love elephant ears (Colocasia & Alocasia). I don't suggest these for any other tortoise besides Manouria emys. Oh also, my redfoots haven't met an earthworm they didn't like.

 

[Jacqui]

. Oh also, my redfoots haven't met an earthworm they didn't like.

SSHHHHHH!!! Keep that quiet. I don't want my five Redfoots to hear about the earthworms. I have to buy way too many dozens of those crawlers every week as it is.

 

[bandi09]

I just came from the store and bought Dandelion leaves, but the care sheet just says Dandelion. Some items on the care sheets sales (flowers and leaves) I have a Russian tortoise and no idea on the age. I have had him since 10/07.

thanks,

Jamie

 

[Jacqui]

Dandelions are great foods for just about any tort. (Hmmm can't really think whom not to give any to. ) Both the leaves and flowers are fine. Some torts seem to like the flowers best, some the leaves, and some go with both. Just remember a lot of dandies may cause your urates to change color, so don't get worried if that happens.

 

[stells]

Dandelions are good in a varied diet but are a diuretic and can cause dehydration if overfed as a main source of food

 

[stells]

Dandelions are good in a varied diet but are a diuretic and can cause dehydration if overfed as a main source of food Edible weeds and flowers are the way to go

 

[stells]

oops meant to edit not post twice lol

 

[bandi09]

Thanks, They would just be a treat for him. My house gets sprayed once a quarter for pests, plus we have a gardener and dogs, so I don't trust anything from there and I found the dandelion leaves at the grocery store so I thought that would be a great treat. We are moving in 6 weeks, once we get settled in our new home I was going to make a outdoor pen for him to play in, one that I will start from scratch so I know that animals are not peeing on it and that no chemicals are being sprayed. I will pick him some grass from a small section of our yard, I just feel bad that he cannot eat more weeds and stuff. Soon though he will be able to.

 

[Jacqui]

Dandelions are good in a varied diet but are a diuretic and can cause dehydration if overfed as a main source of food

Good point.

Perhaps it's a good time to remind everybody that everything that is listed as good for a tort is good for them, but only as part of a varied diet. Too much of any one thing, for too long of a time, no matter how good it in itself is, can be bad. On the flip side, even food not considered the best for them, is okay if used sparingly.

 

[bandi09]

I do try to vary his diet. I change off on the list for Greens, I usually have about 4/5 different kinds on hand each week. Is that a good way to rotate. Example two days ago I feed him green leaf, yesterday red leaf, today Endive, tomorrow I will probably mix green leaf with some Dandelions. Is this okay or is their a better way. I love to learn and want to do the best for him. Maybe once a month I through in a little apple, I slice it thin, maybe about the size of a quarter.

I also mix some zoo med - tortoise food in. It is like a hay mixture I mix it with water.

He also likes carrots, that is not on the list is that okay?

Sorry for all of the questions. I should have learned from my guinea pigs mistakes not to listen to pet stores.

 

[Jacqui]

Carrots are another food to feed only like once a month. When you feed it, don't cut it up, leave it whole. That way it does double duty and helps keep the beak trimmed down.

 

[bandi09]

Oh, okay I will leave it whole. I figured it woud hurt his beak or his beak would get stuck.