What’s Everyone Feeding With the Lettuce Shortage?

daniellenc

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As I’m sure everyone has noticed the ecoli outbreak has greatly reduced grocery store offerings. For those in warm climates this is an easy solve but for us northerners I’m struggling. Week one I bought a bunch of radicchio, arugula, endive, and some micro greens. Expensive for one tort and most of it rotted before it was eaten. He also did not eat as well but it is cooling off so I wasn’t worried. Friday I went back to stock up and now EVERYTHING except spinach, kale, and chard was gone. Sooo I bought it but I’ve never fed kale and spinach so Saturday he went on feeding strike because it’s new. This morning I emptied his bowl and he’s happily feeeding on Mazuri but I really rarely give Mazuri and don’t want to turn him into a monster and have him refuse greens later.

So what is everyone else feeding? He’s a Redfoot so I stocked up on fruit but I’m struggling with allowing him all the fruit and Mazuri he wants. When is this recall ending and does anyone know any indigenous Maryland plants still growing? My outdoor staples are rose of Sharon, hasta, clover, dandelion, mulberry, and plantains which are mostly gone.
 

Yvonne G

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My staple is endive and escarole. I usually buy it in bags called Santa Barbara Mix. But last week even those bags were not available. I stocked up on green leaf lettuce. Nice thing about having that in the fridge is I really like the taste of it, and will eat it too. Red leaf lettuce is good too, but the heads are a lot smaller and I don't feel I get my money's worth.
 

daniellenc

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My staple is endive and escarole. I usually buy it in bags called Santa Barbara Mix. But last week even those bags were not available. I stocked up on green leaf lettuce. Nice thing about having that in the fridge is I really like the taste of it, and will eat it too. Red leaf lettuce is good too, but the heads are a lot smaller and I don't feel I get my money's worth.
Yes this is exactly my issue. Everything is gone here too as of this week. What are some common escaroles? The manager said they’ll be getting limited stuff in but no mixes like I normally feed. I love my mix it has 10 different greens in it and using that with fruit and Mazuri in winter and weeds and fruit in summer has made offering a variety so easy. I’m just worried about his diet not being ideal until the greens return and buying multiple heads for one tort is crazy expensive because while I like salad I don’t like it enough to eat it daily lol.
 

daniellenc

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Kale, Turnip greens, mustard greens, we have a store here called Fresh Market that sells dandelion greens too.
He hates kale and all turnip and mustard greens are gone. Even Whole Foods here was bare. I guess I can grab squash, zucchini, and bell peppers. I’ll try mushroom again too because he’s the only RF I know who doesn’t dig it usually but will nibble. I really hope stores don’t realize all veg/fruit processed where romaine is may be contaminated because he’ll starve hehe.
 

Cheryl Hills

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I am still picking weeds from outside. They are getting a bit thin on the pickings but, I also use hay for the salcatas, and mazuri for all of them. And yes, it has froze and is cold with some snow. I just move the snow. Today it will be 50! Found plenty greens for them.
 

daniellenc

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I am still picking weeds from outside. They are getting a bit thin on the pickings but, I also use hay for the salcatas, and mazuri for all of them. And yes, it has froze and is cold with some snow. I just move the snow. Today it will be 50! Found plenty greens for them.
Whatcha still picking? My rose of Sharon and mulberry are in a shambles and gross. I also hibernate in winter myself but maybe I’ll have to take a walk later.
 

drew54

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Im getting grasses outside. Very few weeds and no flowers. Mulberry leaves are no more also. Store bought I get mustard and turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, watercress, red leaf, radachio, cilantro, and two pellets of mazuri.

I just mix a little of each in with the grass and she eats it well.
I try to give her a good range of things.
 

daniellenc

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Im getting grasses outside. Very few weeds and no flowers. Mulberry leaves are no more also. Store bought I get mustard and turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, watercress, red leaf, radachio, cilantro, and two pellets of mazuri.

I just mix a little of each in with the grass and she eats it well.
I try to give her a good range of things.
Are these still in your stores though? Maryland freaked out this week and pulled everything
 

drew54

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Are these still in your stores though? Maryland freaked out this week and pulled everything

Yeah, Kroger, Meijer, Wal-Mart, pay less, and we also have an organic store in the town I work in. Kroger pulled a bunch of stuff a week or two ago, but have been fully stocked since then.
 

drew54

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I don't feed kale or romaine and I don't buy the salad mixes either. I mix everything by hand and buy organic greens. I try to gather as much and as many types of grasses in mine and my sister's yard/field. Her area is it in the country and has many different soft grasses. My hatchling send to like it a lot more than ways in my yard.
 

Cheryl Hills

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Whatcha still picking? My rose of Sharon and mulberry are in a shambles and gross. I also hibernate in winter myself but maybe I’ll have to take a walk later.
I am still getting grass, dandelions, rocket, plaintain, wild strawberry leaves, and thistle. I don’t have mulberry and my rose of sharons are done.
 

Yvonne G

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Find a feed store and call them to ask if they have orchard grass hay. Most grass-eating tortoises take to it very well.
 

wellington

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It's only romaine which shouldn't be relied on so much anyway. There is all kinds of other better greens to feed. If anyone is having a problem feeding them your feedingtoi much romaine.
 

Yvonne G

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It's only romaine which shouldn't be relied on so much anyway. There is all kinds of other better greens to feed. If anyone is having a problem feeding them your feedingtoi much romaine.
This is a good point, Barb. But for those of us feeding many animals, a couple heads of romaine a day added into the many other things in the tub, is sorely missed.
 

drew54

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For me mine doesn’t eat romaine but the stores here have pulled all greens pretty much.

It would make sense to do tat if all their produce came from the same place, but most produce is sold to a distribution chain which then is sold to stores and restraunt. So, it's possible that contamination spread and they had pulled it all to lower the risk of it spreading more. It's also to protect therm from lawsuits if someone gets it through contamination.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Does anyone know if "green leaf" and romaine are the same thing?
The romaine all disappeared and green leaf showed up overnight in it's place. It sure looks like romaine.
Any lettuce makes up a small part of my tortoise diet. But I feed some to my fish a few times a week.(koi)
 
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