My Cherry Heads are picky eaters. What can I do?

selviester

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91CE9313-C6E7-489E-B347-083B04B84A30.jpeg 11D949B3-A8AC-449D-89AE-85E38719F401.jpeg Hi all,

So I decided to adopt one more baby CH because I figured the first one was having problem eating and would only want to eat with my Sulcata. I dont want to mix them together.

When I got the second CH, everything was fine. But now they are very picky. All they want to eat is grass, weeds, mango, banana and cactus. The breeder said to try give them Repcal, because thats what he had been feeding them. So I tried that and they only took few bites. They refused other types of leafy greens or fruits. Whereas my friend’s eat pretty much everything.

I am wondering why mine are so picky :( I would love to offer lots of variety.
How often can you feed them fruits?

Is this what CH normally like? Being picky?

Pictures attached :)
 

ZEROPILOT

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They will be picky if it works.
They will also eat anything when they're good and hungry.
They wont starve themselves. Mine have been known to yank Bermuda grass out of my lawn if I get lazy with the feeding. Redfoot don't generally eat grass. And they always eat the "best" stuff first before they settle for other things. Sometimes one will go on a short hunger strike until their favorite food returns. But they get over it.
 

drew54

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View attachment 257842 View attachment 257843 Hi all,

So I decided to adopt one more baby CH because I figured the first one was having problem eating and would only want to eat with my Sulcata. I dont want to mix them together.

When I got the second CH, everything was fine. But now they are very picky. All they want to eat is grass, weeds, mango, banana and cactus. The breeder said to try give them Repcal, because thats what he had been feeding them. So I tried that and they only took few bites. They refused other types of leafy greens or fruits. Whereas my friend’s eat pretty much everything.

I am wondering why mine are so picky :( I would love to offer lots of variety.
How often can you feed them fruits?

Is this what CH normally like? Being picky?

Pictures attached :)

Like zero said they won't starve themselves, so you can offer a variety salad style and leave it in there until they eat it. You can mix what you wnt to feed them with the cactus and or mazuri.

My sulcata hatchling was only feed mazuri and romaine. The first day I had her she wouldn't eat any grass, weeds, other leafy greens for several hours. I added mazuri to the mix and she ate just where the mazuri was. I left the food in there and by the end of the day all of it had been eaten.

I continued to give her no other option but to eat what I gave her and after a well she was eating everything I gave her.

The only exception is dill. She won't touch dill and she doesn't like the forest food I got thinking it was the grassland food.
 

selviester

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They will be picky if it works.
They will also eat anything when they're good and hungry.
They wont starve themselves. Mine have been known to yank Bermuda grass out of my lawn if I get lazy with the feeding. Redfoot don't generally eat grass. And they always eat the "best" stuff first before they settle for other things. Sometimes one will go on a short hunger strike until their favorite food returns. But they get over it.
Oh dear what did i get myself into hehehe... how often can you give them fruits though?
 

selviester

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Like zero said they won't starve themselves, so you can offer a variety salad style and leave it in there until they eat it. You can mix what you wnt to feed them with the cactus and or mazuri.

My sulcata hatchling was only feed mazuri and romaine. The first day I had her she wouldn't eat any grass, weeds, other leafy greens for several hours. I added mazuri to the mix and she ate just where the mazuri was. I left the food in there and by the end of the day all of it had been eaten.

I continued to give her no other option but to eat what I gave her and after a well she was eating everything I gave her.

The only exception is dill. She won't touch dill and she doesn't like the forest food I got thinking it was the grassland food.

Thanks now I just left the food and sometimes they would eat it sometimes they won't even touch it :(
 

Toddrickfl1

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Try chopping everything up real fine and mix it together like a mush almost and feed your Tortoises that way.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I give them about 3x a week. Should be okay I think?
Sure
Its thought that in nature they eat mostly fallen fruit and a lot of very unattractive stuff from the forest floor.
My summer time feeding schedule changes to at least half fruit because I can get it very easily this time of year.
 

selviester

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Sure
Its thought that in nature they eat mostly fallen fruit and a lot of very unattractive stuff from the forest floor.
My summer time feeding schedule changes to at least half fruit because I can get it very easily this time of year.
Haha I hear ya on the “unattractive” stuff. Once I caught him eating his friend’s poop!
 

jsheffield

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Oh dear what did i get myself into hehehe... how often can you give them fruits though?

I give mine fruit everyday, but mixed in with other stuff ... Veg and greens and some freeze dried insects.

I recently added mazuri to the mix, and will probably keep him on a bit everyday ... I think variety is the key with these guys.

Jamie
 

selviester

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I give mine fruit everyday, but mixed in with other stuff ... Veg and greens and some freeze dried insects.

I recently added mazuri to the mix, and will probably keep him on a bit everyday ... I think variety is the key with these guys.

Jamie
Thanks for the tips Jamie. I heard it is also okay to give them boiled eggs, chicken and shrimp? Is that true?
 

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