Eggshells?

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
Sometimes when we are out back Tuleo will find bits of shell (it almost looks like sea shell) in our natural soil and attempt to eat them. I got to thinking about calcium and shells and was wondering about eggshells from our hens. They are free range, organic fed, we don't use pesticides and haven't in the 15 years we have lived here. Does anyone know if a tortoise could have a bit of eggshell every now and then? Obviously not the entire shell but I am wondering if this would be a good calcium supplement?

Thoughts?

(Random photo of Tuleo when he was little, just because he is cute.)

here3.jpg
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Yes, Dawn. I'd asked a while back about eggshell and was told they could eat it. the few times I offered boiled egg, I just kinda mashed the egg and didn't peel it.
There is a lot of high calcium coral rock in our yards here..It's reclaimed swamp!
My tortoises eat it if I don't catch it first.
Your guy is tiny compared to mine, so maybe break it up with your fingers first
 

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
Yes, Dawn. I'd asked a while back about eggshell and was told they could eat it. the few times I offered boiled egg, I just kinda mashed the egg and didn't peel it.
There is a lot of high calcium coral rock in our yards here..It's reclaimed swamp!
My tortoises eat it if I don't catch it first.
Your guy is tiny compared to mine, so maybe break it up with your fingers first

Oh! They can eat the egg as well?! Good to know! Thank you. Tuleo is almost two so I don't think I will need to break it up, but will watch him to be sure.

I appreciate it!
 

tortadise

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
9,560
Location (City and/or State)
Tropical South Texas
Yep. I feed lots of boiled eggs for protein. Shells and all they love them. I don't give the Sulcatas any though. In the wild they're certainly opportunistic, and have been documented eating carrion and annuals. But I leave my sulcatas in captivity on an all grass,weeds and cactus diet. Feed away.
 

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
Yep. I feed lots of boiled eggs for protein. Shells and all they love them. I don't give the Sulcatas any though. In the wild they're certainly opportunistic, and have been documented eating carrion and annuals. But I leave my sulcatas in captivity on an all grass,weeds and cactus diet. Feed away.

Kelly - can you clarify for me? You said you feed eggs & their shells but not to your Sulcatas, but then you said "Feed away." Tuleo is a Sulcata (he will be 2 in July.) Should I avoid the shells (and egg?) He has access to grass and weeds all day, just wanted to clarify.

Thanks so much!
 

tortadise

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
9,560
Location (City and/or State)
Tropical South Texas
Kelly - can you clarify for me? You said you feed eggs & their shells but not to your Sulcatas, but then you said "Feed away." Tuleo is a Sulcata (he will be 2 in July.) Should I avoid the shells (and egg?) He has access to grass and weeds all day, just wanted to clarify.

Thanks so much!
Yeah I did kinda contradicted myself vastly. The ones I feed the entire boiled egg and shell on a some hate regular basis(every 7-10 days) to are yellow foots, red foots, elongated, forsteni, erosa, homeana, all the box turtles, Manouria, speks hingebacks, western bells hingebacks. Every so often the European species I'll give maybe every other month. Same with the stars and pancakes. I've only given the shells to the sulcatas. In fact all of the offspring when hatched I crumble the shells they hatch from and they eat it.

It's ok to give entire boiled egg and shell to a us kata, but I'd perhaps wait until they're a bit larger, your avatar makes it appear he's a wee guy.
 
Last edited:

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
Yeah I did kinda comtradict myself vastly.

Yea, I was scratching my head with that one...lol

I should probably change my avatar, I just cannot bear too. Here is Tuleo now, he is almost two years old. My avatar is of him at five weeks old...

nomorerain.jpg
 

tortadise

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
9,560
Location (City and/or State)
Tropical South Texas
Yea, I was scratching my head with that one...lol

I should probably change my avatar, I just cannot bear too. Here is Tuleo now, he is almost two years old. My avatar is of him at five weeks old...

View attachment 131966
Awesome, yeah you can offer the full hard boiled egg with no issues. Shell and everything. Perhaps ounce a month or so. Make it like a treat that he needs to find though. Keep the "wild instinct" alive in him. I know @DeanS or @Tom (one of the two) have provided photos of an spatula in situ Sulcata that feasted on a bird. I've also just recently seen a wild hermanni enjoying some feast on a fox carcass. Which is a very grass/weed strict species in captivity. Animal protein is not bad for tortoises. In large amounts it can be. But even in the wild it is not steadily consumed. Hence the opportunistic meaning. Lots of good minerals in animal meats too. Iron rich blood, calcium from gnawing on bones etc...
 

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
Awesome, yeah you can offer the full hard boiled egg with no issues. Shell and everything. Perhaps ounce a month or so. Make it like a treat that he needs to find though. Keep the "wild instinct" alive in him. I know @DeanS or @Tom (one of the two) have provided photos of an spatula in situ Sulcata that feasted on a bird. I've also just recently seen a wild hermanni enjoying some feast on a fox carcass. Which is a very grass/weed strict species in captivity. Animal protein is not bad for tortoises. In large amounts it can be. But even in the wild it is not steadily consumed. Hence the opportunistic meaning. Lots of good minerals in animal meats too. Iron rich blood, calcium from gnawing on bones etc...

Awesome and very informative. THANK YOU!
 

DawnH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Southeast Texas
It's nature baby. Take it for the best of your shelled friend :)

THAT IS SOME CRAZY CHIT!

(First thought after viewing wee baby bird getting eaten...)

Actually it is the only thought I have...lol

*shudder*
 
Top