ALDABRA TORTOISE BREEDER

Abdulla6169

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* Not at all, just blends in good on those pictures. We start all of our aldabra hatchlings on cactus from day one!
My tortoise avoids it. I really want to feed cactus to him, but that cactus must grow :rolleyes:. I am extremely lucky, the cactus I have has no spines (not even those tiny missiles!) :D
 

Abdulla6169

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Prickly pear grow well here too. Figs, mulberries, celosia, melon, cucumber, zucchini, parsley, aloe, spiderwort, ganazia, aster, germaniums, roses, desert rose, agave, grape, petunias, purslane, dandelion, and olives all grow well here too. You are probably in a zone 11 too, so you can use some of these. To think I know all these plant is just amazing!
Edit: Purslane is pretty high in oxalic, some of these are "feed in moderation" plants. So just be careful :) But knowing you, you must give them a great variety of food. Can you tell me some of them?
 
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ALDABRAMAN

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SW Forida
Prickly pear grow well here too. Figs, mulberries, celosia, melon, cucumber, zucchini, parsley, aloe, spiderwort, ganazia, aster, germaniums, roses, desert rose, agave, grape, petunias, purslane, dandelion, and olives all grow well here too. You are probably in a zone 11 too, so you can use some of these. To think I know all these plant is just amazing!
Edit: Purslane is pretty high in oxalic, some of these are "feed in moderation" plants. So just be careful :) But knowing you, you must give them a great variety of food. Can you tell me some of them?

* We feed all tortoises under one year of age or under two pounds an all natural diet, no commercial food sources or supplements of any kind. Cactus pads are always available as an option, however they prefer to eat grass and weeds the majority of the time!

IMG_8044.JPG
 

Amanda81

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In your personal opinion, do you feel that keeping them on a natural diet til they are 1 or 2pounds has anything to do with how smooth their shell turns out?
 

ALDABRAMAN

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In your personal opinion, do you feel that keeping them on a natural diet til they are 1 or 2pounds has anything to do with how smooth their shell turns out?

* Absolutely!

* The first picture is one that we raised until four years old on a natural diet and the second one left at 3", both from the same clutch.

IMG_1453.JPG IMG_8994.JPG
 
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Amanda81

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* Absolutely!

* The first picture is one that we raised until four years old on a natural diet and the second one left at 3", both from the same clutch.

View attachment 96581 View attachment 96582
Holy cow!! That's a huge difference. Well, that says it all right there, my baby will for sure have all natural, I don't care if I have to rent a greenhouse to grow a pasture in over the winter. That's really amazing.
 

Amanda81

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Your area that they graze in, do you use a seed mix on it? I have good grass but it's just your basic grass. No variety of grasses, unless you want to count the horrid crabgrass. I was thinking about ordering some "grazer seed mix" to add to my tort garden and the "yard" I'm growing in my reptile room. I built a 8'x12' "yard" to grow inside this winter. I'm attempting to brainstorm on how to convert entire thing into a closed chamber and then my baby can just have the whole thing til warmer weather gets here and he can go outside. Of course I have other things, weed wise, in there but I am still checking on the grazer mixes.
 
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