Pumpkin for the Sulcata

[TFCO]

Hello everyone and happy new year! I have a question how often can I feed my sulcata 100 % pure canned pumpkin he weights in at 174 grams. I was think of adding it in once or twice a week to his daily feeding. Is it good for them and how much could I give to him in one feeding.

Thanks for any help!

 

[thelub]

Pumpkin is listed here http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm as a good source of nutrients. Be careful what canned pumpkin you feed it because some of it contains spices and other bits that aren't good for a tort. Also, cooking veggies tends to kill off some of the good nutrients. I'd be most worried that it contained spices and flavorings for pumpkin pie that probably wouldn't be good for a tort.

 

[Tom]

This is all going to be opinion. There is no scientific studies on how much pumpkin should be fed to a tortoise. I wouldn't use more than a little once or twice a month for a baby. I feed whole pumpkins to my adult herd. About one a week during this time of year. It actually represents only a small portion of their diet since they eat so much grass, grass hay and weeds every day.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I agree with Tom - I wouldn't feed pumpkin that often. Mine get it when it's in season - maybe once every other week. Good luck!

 

[Yvonne G]

I wouldn't use the canned pumpkin at all. If you're using pumpkin because you think it is a de-wormer, then you can stop, because it's not.

If you take pumpkin seeds, dry them then grind them up and sprinkle them over the tortoise's food, this will be a natural de-wormer. Not the pumpkin itself.

 

[EllieN]

I'm a new sulcata mom, so not an expert, but I did a lot of reading online at all sorts of sites before I found this forum (and stuck). From what I read, pumpkin has a little too much protein to be fed very often to very young sulcatas. It's different when they're older. Since my Puck is still small, she only gets about a teaspoon's worth every week or every couple of weeks. But try to find a can of pumpkin that small! So I bought a can (make sure pumpkin is the only ingredient on the label) and froze it in ice cube trays, just a teaspoon in the bottom of each one, then emptied them into a ziplock bag that I keep frozen. I have a year's worth from one can

 

[TFCO]

I'm a new sulcata mom, so not an expert, but I did a lot of reading online at all sorts of sites before I found this forum (and stuck). From what I read, pumpkin has a little too much protein to be fed very often to very young sulcatas. It's different when they're older. Since my Puck is still small, she only gets about a teaspoon's worth every week or every couple of weeks. But try to find a can of pumpkin that small! So I bought a can (make sure pumpkin is the only ingredient on the label) and froze it in ice cube trays, just a teaspoon in the bottom of each one, then emptied them into a ziplock bag that I keep frozen. I have a year's worth from one can

Great Idea and thats you for the input I will freeze the pumpkin like you are doing. I have a large can and will have a year supply also.

Thanks

 

[EllieN]

After thinking about it I think it was the carbohydrate content, not protein, that makes it unsuitable to seed in large amounts....