orchard hay

surfergirl

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Just grabbed my sully some orchard and timothy hay. never have fed him any other hay much but bermuda and my grass shavings. He went to town on it. He eats the bermuda hay good but he had a grin on his face when he smelled the orchard hay tonight. it is fifty degrees in the ATL and he is warm as a bug in a rug in his house. gurssing it is much sweeter so he won't be getting much of it but giving him a treat every once and in a while is nice for him.

20181124_193747.jpg Here is a picture capturing his pure orchard hay eating pleasure. :)

20181124_193747.jpg
 

EllieMay

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Just grabbed my sully some orchard and timothy hay. never have fed him any other hay much but bermuda and my grass shavings. He went to town on it. He eats the bermuda hay good but he had a grin on his face when he smelled the orchard hay tonight. it is fifty degrees in the ATL and he is warm as a bug in a rug in his house. gurssing it is much sweeter so he won't be getting much of it but giving him a treat every once and in a while is nice for him.

View attachment 258067 Here is a picture capturing his pure orchard hay eating pleasure. :)

NICE!!!
 

Tom

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I use and prefer orchard grass hay as my staple for my grass eaters. I also use Bermuda for variety and convenience. Its no problem to let them eat as much of either as they want.

I don't like Timothy hay for tortoises because I find it too stemmy. Larger sulcatas can eat it, but I think orchard or Bermuda is better.

When a tortoise starts eating a lot of hay, pay careful attention to hydration. Best to soak early and often.
 

jsheffield

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I don't imagine my Darwin, a redfoot, will ever be a big consumer of hay, but I was curious ... do you, can you, wet the hay down a bit to avoid possibly dehydrating your tortoises, or do you just make sure that ample water is available?

Thanks,

Jamie
 

surfergirl

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You could soak the hay but it really does not take in that much water. At 43 degrees and humidity at 90% in ATL this morning, it would be tough for me to get him out to soak without his consent. He probably weighs 150 or more now so I just make sure he has a Luke warm bowl of water avail at all times to drink during the colder months. I also spray him down so his shell and skin get moisture. I water down the mazuri I feed him in the winter which does help hydrate during the drier months also.
 

Tom

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I don't imagine my Darwin, a redfoot, will ever be a big consumer of hay, but I was curious ... do you, can you, wet the hay down a bit to avoid possibly dehydrating your tortoises, or do you just make sure that ample water is available?

Thanks,

Jamie
You can soak the hay if you are feeding a daily ration and they are going to eat it all every day. The point of hay for people who own large tortoises living outside in warm climates though is to leave a pile of it and let them self graze as needed. You can't leave wet hay for days because it will mold.

For smaller tortoises that I'm trying to introduce to hay, I will cut up and soak a small batch and then mix it with other greens.
 

Yvonne G

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I don't imagine my Darwin, a redfoot, will ever be a big consumer of hay, but I was curious ... do you, can you, wet the hay down a bit to avoid possibly dehydrating your tortoises, or do you just make sure that ample water is available?

Thanks,

Jamie
No, our recommendation to feed hay is for grass eaters. Your RF is not a grass eater.
 

SULCY

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My guy has finally started to eat orchard grass hay without soaking:). I also give him orchard grass pellets that I soak he wont eat the pellets unless I soak them as they are hard and made for horses. I like to give him the pellets a couple times a week just for the water content. He does have a spot to soak in but just want to make sure he stays hydrated. Plus all the other greens.
 

Tom

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My guy has finally started to eat orchard grass hay without soaking:). I also give him orchard grass pellets that I soak he wont eat the pellets unless I soak them as they are hard and made for horses. I like to give him the pellets a couple times a week just for the water content. He does have a spot to soak in but just want to make sure he stays hydrated. Plus all the other greens.
Your life just got a heck of a lot easier. :)
 

Cheryl Hills

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My bigger torts don’t seem to like it even if I soak. They are 11 and 12 inches, 7lbs. I keep trying. Cut it small and mix it with mazuri.
 

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