CHEAP FOOD

Clawem

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
105
I went to Tractor Supply a couple of weeks ago and saw that they sell hay pellets. They look like rabbit food pellets but are sold for horses, sheep, goats etc. The one I looked at was orchard grass hay, they also sell alfalfa and timothy in these pellets. I checked the ingredients and it was 100% orchard grass compacted. The price was good $16 for 50lb bag cant beat that. My sulcatas love Zoomed grassland diet when it is mixed with water. Gave them the orchard grass hay mixed with water and they smelled it ,tasted it and walked away. The next day mixed it half and half with Zoomed and they actually started pulling out all the Zoomed and left the grass hay. Now after trying for a couple of weeks they are eating the orchard hay by itself no problem, it looks like they like it now. They still get other things but during the winter this seems like a great way to keep feeding grass and getting them used to eating hay. They are 2 1/2 years old now and growing like weeds. Anyone else use this?
 

mike taylor

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
13,461
Yes I do . I mix it with water and spring mix . Works good .
 

argus333

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
395
once u get them on hay a blale here is $7. u can't beat that. lasts about a month for me feeding 4 sullys.
 

Clawem

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
105
I cant wait for them to eat straight hay that would be great but from what I understand they wont eat it until older. Right know they just look at it like you want me to eat THAT.
 

kball

Active Member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Messages
324
I cant wait for them to eat straight hay that would be great but from what I understand they wont eat it until older. Right know they just look at it like you want me to eat THAT.
Mine is about two and a half yrs old and seven inches and he eat grass hay and loves it.
 

Clawem

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
105
Every week I try some so far no luck hopefully soon as we have a farmer down the road who is a good friend of ours and I would be able to get all the hay I needed. Right now I am so excited that they are eating these pellets. By the way Happy New Year to everyone.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
My aldabrans eat orchard grass hay, but after reading this thread yesterday I bought a bag of grass hay pellets at Tractor Supply. I'll see if they're interested in eating them. The hay gets so messy sitting on the floor of the garage.
 

Juan V

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Valencia
i've always tried to give them dry hay but they really really don't like it. What I normally do is whenever I go for a jog I take a moment to look around for any plant that they could consider edible, like wild lettuce, dandelion and anything green that resembles any of those two plants (to avoid giving them any poisonous plants, ). These two plants are indeed probably one of the best things they can eat AND they love them.

See if you can go for a small walk and look for small plants and bushes along the road or in any vegetation part like grass. They can eat many of them, and if you are unsure about any plant just post a picture here and experts will tell you.

Another thing I also did was I bought a plastic box (10 usd roughly) and some soil and planted grass. the grass started to grow and whenever I want to feed them grass I just trasnport them to this plastic box. the box i use is one of those you can find in many stores that is used to store clothes and **** under the bed, it has tiny wheels and... well they look like this https://www.google.es/search?q=caja plastico ropa&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dCWkVOvbAci3UZrjgbAL&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

these are all cheap options to feed your tortoises and they are waay healthier than feeding them real lettuce or supermarket vegies.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
i've always tried to give them dry hay but they really really don't like it.

That is because yours are tiny babies...

They typically don't start eating dry plain hay until they are 12" (30cm) or more.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I went to Tractor Supply a couple of weeks ago and saw that they sell hay pellets. They look like rabbit food pellets but are sold for horses, sheep, goats etc. The one I looked at was orchard grass hay, they also sell alfalfa and timothy in these pellets. I checked the ingredients and it was 100% orchard grass compacted. The price was good $16 for 50lb bag cant beat that. My sulcatas love Zoomed grassland diet when it is mixed with water. Gave them the orchard grass hay mixed with water and they smelled it ,tasted it and walked away. The next day mixed it half and half with Zoomed and they actually started pulling out all the Zoomed and left the grass hay. Now after trying for a couple of weeks they are eating the orchard hay by itself no problem, it looks like they like it now. They still get other things but during the winter this seems like a great way to keep feeding grass and getting them used to eating hay. They are 2 1/2 years old now and growing like weeds. Anyone else use this?


Those pellets and the ZooMed ones are a great part of a young sulcatas diet, but that should not be the only thing they are eating.
 

Clawem

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
105
They do get other things beside the pellets and zoomed I think it just helps balance out their diet. The more different things they eat the better. The pellets are great for me for during the winter during the summer they are outside eating grass and weeds all day long.
 
Top