Feed to the size of the shell?

[ClairDipson72]

what exactly does that mean? should be obvious to me, but it isn't.

his shell is the size of like ONE spinach leaf... so he gets one leaf to eat??

are we counting shell thickness too ?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've never heard that expression. But it could make sense. I usually offer a pile of food about the diameter of the tortoise..........But that is just by coincidence.

 

[ClairDipson72]

I've never heard that expression. But it could make sense. I usually offer a pile of food about the diameter of the tortoise..........But that is just by coincidence.

right so if he's 2 inches in diameter, that's still one leaf. lol. he needs more than that right?

 

[leigti]

Rule of thumb that I have heard this to feed a pilot greens the size of your tortoise, the whole tortoise you can start with that, if he eats it all up and looks for more then give more. You can feed a couple times a day. If he is continually leaving food then maybe you can feed a little less.

 

[ClairDipson72]

@leigti Hope I'm not over feeding. He gained 0.2 oz in a week.

 

[Lyn W]

It was recommended to me that I think if the shell as a bowl and feed that amount as guide, but if he wants more give more.
I'm sure I have read here that they will only eat as much as they need, which I have found to be true with Lola and he will leave food when he's had enough - don't know if that's true for all though.

 

[Yvonne G]

right so if he's 2 inches in diameter, that's still one leaf. lol. he needs more than that right?

No, your little guy might be as big around as the size of one leaf, but he's not flat like a leaf. A little pile of food is what they're talking about.

I don't adhere to that concept. I put enough food so that there is still a tiny bit left at the end of the day. If he cleans it all up, that means I didn't put down enough. If he leaves a whole bunch, that means I put down too much.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Yvonne. Tortoises are grazers and need to be able to munch all day at will. They key is to feed the right foods and have a large well designed enclosure with the right temps and conditions. There is no need for people to be starving tortoises. It accomplishes nothing good.

I put out a big pile of food and hopefully they eat most of it by the end of the day. If its all gone by noon, I know I need to add more. If there is still a bunch left at the end of the day, I know I offered too much. The quantity needed can change with the season, the current weather, and with the type of foods offered.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

what exactly does that mean? should be obvious to me, but it isn't.

his shell is the size of like ONE spinach leaf... so he gets one leaf to eat??

are we counting shell thickness too ?

Volume of the shell, not the foot print. And semi packed volume of greens at that. It's not a bad rough measure for a starting point to offer, providing more or less as your idea of amount changes.

 

[Prairie Mom]

what exactly does that mean? should be obvious to me, but it isn't.

his shell is the size of like ONE spinach leaf... so he gets one leaf to eat??

are we counting shell thickness too ?

Interesting discussion. Thanks for posting your question

 

[Len B]

Never let them go to bed hungry and keep them warm enough so they wake up looking for something to eat.

 

[TerrapinStation]

Interesting stuff. I agree with the consensus that a little more is definitely better than not enough (or is it too much of everything is just enough????)

My redfoot is definitely a grazer/all day eater (like his father....hmmmmm) and some days he could eat and eat and eat, others he just nibbles here and there and sleeps. I try to always keep something fresh on his dish, even though his favorite hobby is just sitting on top of a bed of mustard greens and kiwi....... messing up my beautiful presentation!!!!

 

[SGT Fish]

Im no expert, but I feed my guy as much as he wants unless im not home. I fill his two dishes with as much will fit at night and then give him more when i get home from work. he usually leaves a little left over but comes back for it shortly. I seperate the dishes so that he has to adventure a little and it kinda simulates grazing

 

[W Shaw]

I've heard that Russian tortoises are kind of hard wired to gorge and tend to get overweight in captivity. Mine is a recent rescue who was seriously underweight and malnourished. They said they gave him a "handful" of greens every day. Now that he's with me, I give him a pile about as big as he is in the morning before I go to work, and then hand feed him for as long as he wants (usually 15 minutes) in the evening. On the weekends I give him a slightly smaller pile for breakfast and then another batch in the early afternoon. No point in making him eat wilted stuff that's been sitting there all morning, if I'm there to give him fresh. And then he still gets his bedtime snack. Breakfast and lunch he has to eat a variety of stuff that's good for him. At bedtime, he can have all one thing if he wants to. The vet says this is a good plan until he's up to a normal weight and then at that point he suggests scaling back a little.

 

[Odin's Gma]

Until recently I didn't feed my tort, per se, I grew his food and allowed him to graze freely. But, while waiting for everything to green up in his new greenhouse enclosure, I have had to start feeding him daily. Oddly enough I have found that a little mountain about the size of his shell (volume, not footprint) is pretty accurate. So, I got a bowl that is nearly identical in size to his shell which I take outside and clip weeds until it is packed fairly densely without pulverizing and bruising everything. It's a good guideline