No lettuce for my Hermanns?!

I have always thought that Romainne lettuce, kale and other mixed greens were good food for my Hermanns. Now I saw for the first time in this forum that one should avoid lettuce in their diets. I thought it was a staple! I feed my two 9-month old Hermanns Mazuri Small Totise Diet LS 3 times a week and then lettuce, kale,carrots and some cucumbers the other days. I also give some clover rom my garden as a treat.

Romain and head lettuce if mostly just water. It can be fed, it's not one that should really be a staple.

How about kale?

Eliezer Blatt said:

How about kale?

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Kale is a good nutritious food, should be fed in moderation, check the tortoisetable website for more detail on each plant.

Eliezer Blatt said:

How about kale?

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Kale and collard greens contain goiterogens and she not be fed frequently or in large quantities. Both are fine as a small part of a varied diet, as is lettuce.

The problem with most grocery store greens is:

1. Low calcium.
2. Poor calcium to phosphorus ratio.
3. Low fiber.

Your Mazuri LS is helping with the fiber and also balancing out some of the missing nutrients. Over the long term, the diet you are feeding could lead to health problems.

Your species is a broad leaf weed eater. The best foods for your tortoise are broadleaf weeds of the correct species. dandelions, broad or narrow leaf plantain, sow thistle, prickly lettuce, mallow, and many many more. In spring and summer add in some grape leaves, mulberry leaves, spineless opuntia cactus, hibiscus leaves and flowers, and so many more.

Here is a thread I typed up for sulcatas, but if you scroll down a little bit, there is a good list of all sorts of plants, weeds, flowers and other stuff to feed them: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Great! Thanks.