Diet plan

[wilkoqpr]

Hi, has anyone put together a ready made diet plan for Marginated tortoise. My torts are 3 years old and I want to make sure they get a mixture of different foods to eat. They currently eat dandelions regularly with their pellets and calcium powder and then every now and then have fruit, kale, tomatoes and shop bought greens. I would like to have a set plan that will enable them to get enough of everything. Look forward to hearing your diet plans...

 

[JoesMum]

Like all Testudo tortoises, marginated cannot process sugars properly. They should not be fed tomatoes or any other fruit; it will will make them sick.

Keep to the green stuff.

The tortoise table Plant Database and Plant Booklet are brilliant for looking up both weeds and shop plants that you safely use for variety.

 

[wilkoqpr]

Thanks, at one stage they did eat quite a lot of tomato so will cut that out completely now! Would be really good if you could find a set diet to feed a tortoise for optimum health rather than just a list of stuff they can and cant eat that way if you have a set routine to follow it will be easier and the tortoise will benefit. Whatcha think?

 

[JoesMum]

The problem us that the food that is available varies from season to season amd from area to area. Also every tort is an expert at being picky and has its own likes and dislikes.

The list of what's safe just helps you to develop a diet based on what you can get.

 

[wilkoqpr]

Good answer! I think I may have to put together a list of everything I can get hold of and try it bit by bit! Also are the pellets any good and if so is there a specific brand that I should buy that's available in the uk?

 

[JoesMum]

Good answer! I think I may have to put together a list of everything I can get hold of and try it bit by bit! Also are the pellets any good and if so is there a specific brand that I should buy that's available in the uk?

I'm in the UK and use Komodo a couple of days a week alongside the green stuff. Pro-Alpin is good too, but Joe hates it

 

[Kerryann]

I take the list of foods they can eat and pick two or three from the list each week and make a mixture of those greens for the week. Each week I try to pick different greens. I feed my russian and my marginated the same foods. I think giving them a good amount of variety will ensure being nutritionally balanced.