ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food Pellets

[nicoleneigel]

Hello all,
I've been feeding my baby Leopard Tortoise a wide variety of the appropriate greens since I got her about a month ago. And just yesterday I went out and got a container of the grassland tortoise pellets from ZooMed because I know that these wild grasses and hays are very important and should make up the majority of her diet. She loves most of the greens that I give her and she eats them for me very well but she is not interested in these pellets once I've wet them and mashed them up. She wouldn't touch it last night when I first offered it to her so I just left it out in hopes she might eat it eventually. But it was still there this morning. So I cut up some greens and mixed them in, hoping that she might eat it better this way. I was planning on just putting less and less leaves in everyday until she started eating it alone and then I'd give her some greens at night for a snack. But she's still only picking out the leaves.

If I just keep offering her it like this do you think she'll eventually get hungry enough to learn to like it?

 

[Yvonne G]

I alternate between the Zoo Med and the Mazuri. I chop up my babies' food pretty small, using a mixture of weeds from outside, endive, escarole, turnip greens, collards and some zucchini. I take the soaked pellets and mash them up with a fork, then I mix it all together with the greens. The pellets are tiny particles and mix in well. The babies eat it all up, but if I only feed the pellets they won't eat.

 

[diamondbp]

My young leopards aren't fond of the grassland pellets either. My older leopards will eat it, but not as willingly as they eat mazuri. So I wet down the grassland pellets and simply hand mix it in with their other greens. I only feed it once a week or so. It seems there is always a good bit of it left over. Mazuri they get a little more often.

 

[Jodie]

I agree with the above. I feed it twice a week and mix it with small chopped greens. None of mine like it and do their best to pick the greens out. They get some though lol.

 

[wellington]

Baby leopards are not fond of grasses and hays. When mine was little, he would never eat it either. If you can trick him into eating some that would be good as part of the rest of the stuff your giving him. A diet of just the pellets is not good.

 

[nicoleneigel]

Baby leopards are not fond of grasses and hays. When mine was little, he would never eat it either. If you can trick him into eating some that would be good as part of the rest of the stuff your giving him. A diet of just the pellets is not good.

Well I didn't intend on only giving her pellets I was just going to make it about half of her diet. But thanks for the advice it's very helpful.

 

[nicoleneigel]

My young leopards aren't fond of the grassland pellets either. My older leopards will eat it, but not as willingly as they eat mazuri. So I wet down the grassland pellets and simply hand mix it in with their other greens. I only feed it once a week or so. It seems there is always a good bit of it left over. Mazuri they get a little more often.

I agree with the above. I feed it twice a week and mix it with small chopped greens. None of mine like it and do their best to pick the greens out. They get some though lol.

Okay thanks that's helpful. I've heard a lot that it should be a big part of their diet but if only twice a week works for you then I can try it that way

 

[Jodie]

Okay thanks that's helpful. I've heard a lot that it should be a big part of their diet but if only twice a week works for you then I can try it that way

I also grow grass inside. I feed 60 percent mixed grocery greens and 40 percent grass the other 5 morning's. I feed Mazuri 4 times a week in afternoon, cactus twice mixed with a little Mazuri and pumpkin or squash 1 afternoon a week. This is for my babies. The older guys I feed a bit differently.

 

[J.P.]

i grind these pellets in a mortar and pestle, then mix the small bits with finely chopped greens. they can't pick through the mix if it's chopped well. moisture also helps make everything stick together. i use minced/grated cucumber if i want to add moisture.

 

[Robber]

Mine was stubborn for a while with it, but now he will eat it like crazy by itself even, and has since he was 8 months old or so. I had to be persistent and keep putting it in and mixing it up a bit too. If you offer it two or three days in a row with no alternative, that will make a big difference too(sometimes you have to be more stubborn than the tortoise ) I seldom feed it by itself, but it is a very good standby to have on hand, and I will use it when I don't have any cut hay or grass.

 

[Tom]

Tortoise take time to get used to new things. Start by soaking a single pellet in some water and then thoroughly mush it all up with the days greens. Mix it all up, so she can't eat around it.

 

[bouaboua]

I use them daily for all my torts. I like it ans I thing my torts like it too.