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[amanda712]

So I'm getting a Russian tortoise tomorrow, and so far I have everything all set up except I don't have the food yet. I was thinking of feeding Zoo Med Natural Grassland Tortoise Food pelleted diet because it seems like a quality diet and supplementing it with fresh vegetables, but it seems like most people here only feed fresh vegetables. So which is better? My other question is, where do most people get their veggies?

(For the Zoo Med diet, these are the ingredients & analysis: Crude Protein (Min) 9.0%Crude Fat (Min) 2.0%Crude Fiber (Max) 26.0%Moisture (Max) 13.0%Ash (Max) 10.0%Calcium (Min) 0.9%Calcium (Max) 1.3%Phosphorus (Min) 0.4%Sodium (Max) 0.3%; Ingredients: Suncured Oat Hay, Suncured Timothy Hay, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Whole Ground Wheat, Escarole, Endive, Calcium Carbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Yeast Culture, Dandelion Greens (dried), Sodium Bicarbonate, Soy Lecithin, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (heat stable cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Enterococcus faecium, Aspergillus oryzae), Yeast Extract, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Garlic Extract, Anise Extract, Cassia Extract (Chinese), Ginger Extract, Horseradish Extract, Juniper Extract, Natural Flavoring, Marigold (petal extract), Yucca schidigera (whole plant powder), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of stabilized Vitamin C), Zinc Methionine Complex, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Silicon Dioxide, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement (Retinyl Acetate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate (source of Vitamin B5), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Tribasic Copper Chloride, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.)

 

[Tom]

The ZooMed will be a fine part of a varied diet, if he will eat it. You'll need to soak it first. We don't feed a lot of veggies, mostly leafy greens. The best thing for them is broadleaf weeds like dandelion, plantain, clover, mallow, fillaree, sow thistle, etc... You can buy these as seeds and plant them in his outdoor enclosure, or you can scavenge them from known safe areas. I do both. Also look into mulberry leaves, grape vine leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers, rose bushes, etc... Just make sure they are all chemical free. Spineless opuntia cactus is really good for them too.

 

[Edna]

I don't think you'll get a definitive answer to the question of fresh vs. prepared or combination. I feed fresh leafy vegetables from the grocery store, leafy edible weeds from my yard, and a little Mazuri. Having the Mazuri on hand eliminates the need for emergency trips to the store if I haven't planned well. My torts occasionally get grated carrot or pumpkin, and they have all been observed eating earthworms (fresh or dried) and slugs.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Virtually any produce I get is from the grocery store. I have a hibiscus tree in my yard that regularly provides flowers for treats. Any commercial diet is purchased online from the cheapest vendor at that time!

 

[JoesMum]

I agree that the best diet for Russians is leafy greens... Not veg and definitely not fruit.

Dried food can be fed, but few use it exclusively... Most feed it a couple of times a week as part of a varied diet.

The Tortoise Table Plant Database is great for looking up plants that grow in your yard and that you can buy for suitability as feed.

 

[ascott]

I let the CDTs graze their yards...however they have a tremendous appetite and usually mow their yards down in a couple months...no matter how much I water...lol...I even move the one yard around a couple times to let the old man get the goods for as long as possible...I also have two areas around the front porch that I walk two of the others to a few times a week so they can graze those areas all down...and the last one gets the largest yard (he was the first one to make it here as a permanent resident so he had best area/largest area so I don't ever need to offer food to him but I do anyways to make sure he stays hydrated...

The RFs get outside time and they graze but they prefer their food offerings and the baby RFs are still partial to their food offerings....organic spring mix..arugula...romaine...red leaf lettuce...and such...

So for the food offerings I purchase from the health food store to get all organics...and I also have a park where I use to work that has a gazillion dandelion plants so once a week or so I go and collect a ice chest full and they gorge on those greens and flowers and then lazy around the rest of the day drunk off that dandelion hooch....lol...

I also am growing hardy hibiscus and grapevines so hopefully in the next couple years they will have that as a steady supply....

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Amanda:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

I'm afraid you've been misinformed if you've been told that a manufactured diet is best for your tortoise. They need to be outside grazing on natural weeds and plants in order to be healthy mentally and physically. Naturally, when the weather is bad, they can be indoors, but an outdoor habitat should be their main home.

I feed a manufactured diet once a week just to be sure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals that they should. Also, its good to get them to eat something like that so if there's ever a time when fresh greens or grazing isn't available, then you'll have something they will eat.

 

[Laura]

what is it used to eating? Get some of that and make a change to the greens and weeds they do best on..

 

[Tyrtle]

We have two Russian torts. We feed them mostly leafy greens: Organic spring mix with one of these added depending on what looks good at the grocery store that week: escarole, curly endive, beet greens, kale. We also occasionally feed them spineless cactus pads that I order online from Carolina Pet Supply. I sprinkle a calcium supplement on their greens.

When they are outside, they often eat: Rose of Sharon leaves and flower (when it blooms) and they love bindweed. I have other plants in their Day Camp but they rarely eat them. I've been thinking of feeding them some hostas as I have tons of them.

I've never fed them any of the manufactured feeds, but I know others that do.

 

[Jacob]

That will be fine as a varied diet or to feed here and there, but not a staple diet source.
Dark leafy greens are fine, weeds, dandelions, mazuri, rose of sharon, cactus, hibsicus,.

 

[Peaches bts]

We get our spring mix at Costco. I think they are cheaper that the regular supermarket.

 

[amanda712]

Wow! Thanks for all the help & info!

By veggies I did mean greens, sorry to scare everyone. Sadly, I don't have a yard to plant anything, but I could grow some thing perhaps in the tortoise table enclosure. They also can be supplemented Timothy hay correct? I bought some Oxbow while I was at the pet store today picking up my lights. If not, I'll just feed it to my other small animal.

Here is what I bought from the store (organic) today: Mustard greens, Collard greens, and Romaine. Is that a good start? I tried to get a good mix of things from the "safe list."

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Farmers markets are great and fresh.

 

[Jacqui]

Yes, what you bought is a great start. Since you have only one animal, you may want to just buy one bunch of whatever it may be at a time. Two if he can eat it all before it spoils. Then just each time, pick something else. Like maybe this week you gave collards, next time you get turnip greens, then the next time something else. You do not have to give variety at each meal.

That said, I am trying to get enough food growing here to feed everybody from my yard, garden, and pots, atleast during the warm months. Such as each year I am buying atleast 10 new grape vines. I figure the neighbors are soon going to be thinking I am going to start a winery.

For the store bought I normally go to WalMart or Supersaver, but actually I check out whatever store I am going by for good sales and my friends keep an eye out on sales for me too. I do feed Mazuri but not all that often.

 

[Camirdra]

I also feed Mazuri during the winter, along with fresh and frozen from our garden. I order the Mazuri online but I get it in the large bags, we have 5 torts to feed. Mine wouldn't eat the Zoo Med. If you like I could ship you some of the Mazuri to try out on your torts, I have a fresh bag and it is ALOT of food! Send me a pm if you're interested.

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Mine eat Grass, weeds, cactus, hibsicus, sometimes a green pepper, and Mazuri yum yum!!

 

[Camirdra]

I would love to get my hands on a opuntia that is already rooted. I have the grasses, weeds, garden vegis ( I too am overrun with squash lol!) and hibiscus but I haven't had any luck starting cactus. I get the Mazuri online here Mazuri website
and it is $12.23 + shipping for 1lb or $27.73 + shipping for a 25lb bag. My torts love it!