mineral supplements

[tyguy35]

How many people use mineral supplement and calcium dust. Do you have to use the mineral supplement?

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

How many people use mineral supplement and calcium dust. Do you have to use the mineral supplement?

I have never used it and I am raising a good amount of babies and all of them are perfectly healthy. If you think about it do any babies in the wild have people looking after them giving them any type of supplements on their food? Im not saying thats a reason to not use it but in my experience its not needed. Has anyone on here ever done an experiment with and without supplements?

 

[tyguy35]

Ya makes sense I havent used it. At 18.99 a bottle I cant afford to lol

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Ya makes sense I havent used it. At 18.99 a bottle I cant afford to lol

Sheesh I dont blame ya!!!

 

[tyguy35]

Calcium is only 8.99 lol so im good with that

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Calcium is only 8.99 lol so im good with that

Are you going to start using it? Or have you been using it already?

 

[tyguy35]

Calcium is only 8.99 lol so im good with that

Are you going to start using it? Or have you been using it already?

Oh ya I have been using Calcium since he was born.

 

[Madkins007]

How many people use mineral supplement and calcium dust. Do you have to use the mineral supplement?

I have never used it and I am raising a good amount of babies and all of them are perfectly healthy. If you think about it do any babies in the wild have people looking after them giving them any type of supplements on their food? Im not saying thats a reason to not use it but in my experience its not needed. Has anyone on here ever done an experiment with and without supplements?

I am not going to argue with your success, but this is not a very good reason to not offer minerals. While it is 100% true that tortoises do not get mineral supplements in the wild, it is also 100% true that NONE of us in the US is feeding our exotic tortoises what they would eat in the wild. Almost all of the foods we offer are lower in calcium and other key nutrients than most of their wild diets.

There have been many, many feeding studies done with tortoises and they all show the benefit of proper nutrition- the right calcium, vitamin, and other nutrient balances. They also pretty much agree that MOST of these nutrients should be obtained naturally through the diet, but that if the diet is deficient, they need to be provided.

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Ya makes sense I havent used it. At 18.99 a bottle I cant afford to lol

That is a rip-off. You can use any standard human multi-vitamin/mineral tablet and crush it to get a great, cheap, high-quality supplement.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

How many people use mineral supplement and calcium dust. Do you have to use the mineral supplement?

I have never used it and I am raising a good amount of babies and all of them are perfectly healthy. If you think about it do any babies in the wild have people looking after them giving them any type of supplements on their food? Im not saying thats a reason to not use it but in my experience its not needed. Has anyone on here ever done an experiment with and without supplements?

I am not going to argue with your success, but this is not a very good reason to not offer minerals. While it is 100% true that tortoises do not get mineral supplements in the wild, it is also 100% true that NONE of us in the US is feeding our exotic tortoises what they would eat in the wild. Almost all of the foods we offer are lower in calcium and other key nutrients than most of their wild diets.

There have been many, many feeding studies done with tortoises and they all show the benefit of proper nutrition- the right calcium, vitamin, and other nutrient balances. They also pretty much agree that MOST of these nutrients should be obtained naturally through the diet, but that if the diet is deficient, they need to be provided.

---

Ya makes sense I havent used it. At 18.99 a bottle I cant afford to lol

That is a rip-off. You can use any standard human multi-vitamin/mineral tablet and crush it to get a great, cheap, high-quality supplement.

---

Like I said in my original post thats not a reason to not give them any added supplements. The OP asked if it was needed and as long as hes getting a good varied diet he doesnt need anything extra. I'll experiment a little this summer with some freshly hatched tortoises and if I like how the ones on the supplements are growing better than the ones that dont have it then I will put all my torts on it.

 

[Tom]

I like to use the occasional mineral supplement in addition to the plain calcium. In some cases our torts can develop deficiencies that will cause them to eat rocks and other things that they shouldn't. A mineral supplement will often curtail this behavior. If the torts are healthy, growing and getting the right foods with the right mineral balance, then it shouldn't be necessary. Since I am never really sure they are getting everything the need, I use the supplements as insurance.

 

[tyguy35]

OK makes sense. Ill offer it once every 2 weeks or so

 

[Madkins007]

Like I said in my original post thats not a reason to not give them any added supplements. The OP asked if it was needed and as long as hes getting a good varied diet he doesnt need anything extra. I'll experiment a little this summer with some freshly hatched tortoises and if I like how the ones on the supplements are growing better than the ones that dont have it then I will put all my torts on it.

I misread part of your original note and I apologize for that., I do stand behind the idea that our diets are not natural enough to use that as a discussion point.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Like I said in my original post thats not a reason to not give them any added supplements. The OP asked if it was needed and as long as hes getting a good varied diet he doesnt need anything extra. I'll experiment a little this summer with some freshly hatched tortoises and if I like how the ones on the supplements are growing better than the ones that dont have it then I will put all my torts on it.

I misread part of your original note and I apologize for that., I do stand behind the idea that our diets are not natural enough to use that as a discussion point.

No worries. And what is the longest study that has gone on that you have seen? Maybe there is some long term effects?