frank rose
Member
I was wondering if I soak egg shells and get them mushy can I feed them to my tortoise as a source of calcium if there is any calcium in them?
can i feed my tortoise egg shells?
- Thread starter frank rose
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Hello and welcome to TFO. 
Finely crushed egg shells are a good source of calcium. Persuading your tortoise to eat them is a different matter.
A tiny pinch of calcium powder sprinkled on food 3 times a week is enough for health. You can feed too much calcium.
What species of tortoise do you have?
Finely crushed egg shells are a good source of calcium. Persuading your tortoise to eat them is a different matter.
A tiny pinch of calcium powder sprinkled on food 3 times a week is enough for health. You can feed too much calcium.
What species of tortoise do you have?
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Welcome.
I've never heard of or seen any egg shell get soft because it was wet.
But I feed my adult Redfoot tortoises smashed, whole boiled eggs.
I believe @Grandpa Turtle 144 puts shells in a coffee grinder and pulverizes them.
Most of the forum uses supplemental powder or cuttlebone or both.
I've never heard of or seen any egg shell get soft because it was wet.
But I feed my adult Redfoot tortoises smashed, whole boiled eggs.
I believe @Grandpa Turtle 144 puts shells in a coffee grinder and pulverizes them.
Most of the forum uses supplemental powder or cuttlebone or both.
- Joined
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- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
If you've ever kept tortoises outside, you'll see that when they need calcium, they will try to find it by chomping on cement blocks or eating rocks, etc.
If you leave cuttlebone around. It may not get touched for long periods of time and if you use the dust/powder, use very , very little because it makes the food unpalatable for most animals.
If you leave cuttlebone around. It may not get touched for long periods of time and if you use the dust/powder, use very , very little because it makes the food unpalatable for most animals.
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Hello Frank
I've been raising torts for 16 years ! I've got leopard torts , Russian , Greeks , Az desert torts , Hermanns, Marginal torts , Pancake , Egyption , and Box turtles .
I've been drying out egg shells and running them through a coffee grinder for my torts . Cause you don't know what is in store powders . And I don't want my torts to choke on a small part of cuddle bone or to have the salt in cuddle bone . And in the wild I can see a tort finding a empty egg shell in the wild and eat it . But I don't see a tort going fishing for a cuddle fish . But it's always your choise . Welcome to the TFO and have a great day !
I've been raising torts for 16 years ! I've got leopard torts , Russian , Greeks , Az desert torts , Hermanns, Marginal torts , Pancake , Egyption , and Box turtles .
I've been drying out egg shells and running them through a coffee grinder for my torts . Cause you don't know what is in store powders . And I don't want my torts to choke on a small part of cuddle bone or to have the salt in cuddle bone . And in the wild I can see a tort finding a empty egg shell in the wild and eat it . But I don't see a tort going fishing for a cuddle fish . But it's always your choise . Welcome to the TFO and have a great day !
frank rose
Member
A very warm welcome to the forum.
Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread.
What species is your tort? Any pics of him/her and his/her enclosure?
he is a redfoot I have read beginner mistakes and i don't have a picture just yet
Excellent. Mash a boiled egg, shell and all and feed the lot to your tort.
Redfoots need occasional protein
frank rose
Member
from what I have heard on youtube from life hacks and stuff if you boil eggs in water mixed with baking soda the egg shell should come off pretty easily and it I guess in a way I would say them is they are very easily breakable which is what I ment by mushy also would the baking soda harm the tortoise? no I have not fed them the egg shell yet
frank rose
Member
Hello Frank
View attachment 191042
I've been raising torts for 16 years ! I've got leopard torts , Russian , Greeks , Az desert torts , Hermanns, Marginal torts , Pancake , Egyption , and Box turtles .
I've been drying out egg shells and running them through a coffee grinder for my torts . Cause you don't know what is in store powders . And I don't want my torts to choke on a small part of cuddle bone or to have the salt in cuddle bone . And in the wild I can see a tort finding a empty egg shell in the wild and eat it . But I don't see a tort going fishing for a cuddle fish . But it's always your choise . Welcome to the TFO and have a great day !
thanks for the info so I can mark cuddle bone off the the list for what to eat
frank rose
Member
ill see if I can get a pic I don't have a phone and the camera I have dosent have a memory card ill try and get a pic with my laptop
frank rose
Member
so should I put a little bit of cement blocks in the tank so I know when he needs some calcium
frank rose
Member
Hello and welcome to TFO.
Finely crushed egg shells are a good source of calcium. Persuading your tortoise to eat them is a different matter.
A tiny pinch of calcium powder sprinkled on food 3 times a week is enough for health. You can feed too much calcium.
What species of tortoise do you have?
I have a redfoot and could I mix it in with some sort of lettuce or mash it up with like a fruit?
frank rose
Member
also sorry I couldn't respond any earlier I just got out of school to anyone wondering
DO NOT use baking soda to dissolve the shell. Your tort MUST NOT eat baking soda; it will harm him.
If you want to feed the shell then boil the egg and peel the shell off with your fingers - it's very simple - or simply wash a shell from an egg you've cooked for you to eat and then grind it up or bash it into as small pieces as you can get (preferably powder)
The alternative is to mash the shell in with a boiled egg and feed all of it to your tort.
frank rose
Member
that is so far the best image ive gotten with my laptop yes I know the water bowl (lid to a container) is a little steep I don't really have the money to get a new one I try to soak him every day I never have seen his poop or anything so clean up is gonna be hard his food plate is by his heat and uv light he just got done with lunch
frank rose
Member
k thanks I will keep that in mind not to use baking soda also my tortoise is I guess you could say is between a baby and a juvenile how much egg should I feed him?
frank rose
Member
ok thanks
