Hello, I have 2 sulcata tortoises that I have had since they were babies. I live in Arizona with a pretty dry and empty backyard that is mostly concrete. Since they were babies the main food we have fed them has been store-bought romaine lettuce, as well as whatever veggies or other leafy greens we buy or have at home. Usually, this consists of cucumber skin, kale, collard greens, etc. Recently their diet has mostly been lettuce and after doing some research I've learned that grass and hay is what they should mostly be eating. I am just not sure what to do in this situation other than planting grass or buying hay online. if I do buy hay, which type should it be? What could be some affordable options for me?
5 year old tortoise food concerns
- Thread starter BLIGES
- Start date
Wow, their diet needs to be greatly improved ASAP. Also they should not be living as a pair. You need to separate them ASAP
Cactus pads should be fed along with orchard grass hay, hibiscus leaf and flower, mulberry leaf, grass, just to name a few. Romaine is mostly water and nutrition. Also get mazuri tortoise food. If you can't do these things, consider rehoming them. They need big improvements quickly. Also,do you have a heated night box for when you do get cold there? They need to be able to have access 24/7 to temps no lower then 80 day and night, specially during your cold times.
Cactus pads should be fed along with orchard grass hay, hibiscus leaf and flower, mulberry leaf, grass, just to name a few. Romaine is mostly water and nutrition. Also get mazuri tortoise food. If you can't do these things, consider rehoming them. They need big improvements quickly. Also,do you have a heated night box for when you do get cold there? They need to be able to have access 24/7 to temps no lower then 80 day and night, specially during your cold times.
In addition to the food problem, you have at least two other major problems to fix ASAP.
Grasses, weeds and leaves are what they should be eating. Its weed season right now so learn to ID your local weeds and start adding those in to their diet. Mallow, sow thistle, thistle, prickly lettuce, bristly ox tongue, filaree, wild mustard, broad leaf or narrow leaf plantain, etc... All new foods will need to be introduce slowly and gradually. They will not eat the "right" foods if you just put them in front of them without a lengthy introduction process. Cut up their lettuces and other favorite current foods and spray with water. Then mince up minuscule amounts of the new foods that you wish to introduce, and mix it all in. Start with TINY TINY amounts at first. It should take weeks to eventually get to half old and half new. Soon the mulberry leaves, grape leaves and spineless opuntia cactus pads will be growing, and those are great all summer long.
To introduce hay, get orchard grass or Bermuda. Grab handfuls and chop it up with scissors. Make a bed of hay on a large food tray and feed all the other foods on top of that. They likely won't even try to eat it for weeks or months, but eventually they will, and it will become the majority of their diet. You can also chop a small amount super fine, soak it in water to re-hydrate it, and mix that in with all the other chopped greens.
Now on to your two major problems that need to be solved immediately:
1. They can't live on concrete. Sooner or later it will wear through their feet and you will come home to little bloody foot prints all over the concrete. This is really bad and really hard for them to recover from. Prevent it ASAP. The larger and heavier they are the worse this is. People sometimes get away with it with smaller tortoises for a while, but its not good.
2. They cannot live together as pairs. This is really really bad for both of them. Groups can sometimes work, but not pairs. Separate them whatever way you can right away.
Next possible problem to solve: Do you have a heated night box for them? If not you need one, or two, ASAP. Here are two examples:
Single Tortoise Night Box
I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...
tortoiseforum.org
Double Door Night Box
As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...
tortoiseforum.org
Here is a whole bunch of info to welcome you to the forum:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
tortoiseforum.org
@BLIGES ... MAZURI. This is a food you can feed to your Sulcatas. It is sold on chewy as well as other places, it is a good thing to add to their diet. It is not a "Feed this only" there is NO food that should be fed by itself and always. You will want the original "Mazuri 5m21." You know that something needs to change, that's why your here. Please do not get offended or get your feelings hurt, the people here are telling you WHAT has to be done to keep them alive. Tortoises don't show illnesses very well and they die very slow, miserable the whole time. You have to make some serious decisions, Are you willing to provide what it is they need not what you are willing to do? With 2 everything is doubled Housing, lights, heaters, etc. and can become a lot to do. If you think it will be too much you can either find a forever home for one or both. Sulcata Tortoises are not an easy pet to have and take a tremendous amount of time and money. I hope for the torts sake you are willing to do WHATEVER it takes.
