Does anyone else hand feed their baby tortoise?

[S.a.z.z.l.e]

I’d already fed her dandelion leaves and a flower, and a couple of clover flowers, and she’d eaten a little lettuce by herself earlier. But is it normal to have to hand feed your baby tortoise?
She always goes back to bed after eating, I presume this is what they do when they’re digesting their food?

 

[TaylorTortoise]

sO adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TaylorTortoise]

last time I hand fed my adult russian tortoise, he snipped my hand thinking it was food and he latched onto my skin, and I julted and spazzed out by shaking my hand back and forth to get him off. We both were in great distress from it.

 

[S.a.z.z.l.e]

She’s accidentally nipped my finger a couple of times but though it hurt, I just took my finger away!

 

[MandyLLL]

My Redfoot baby tort gets hand fed often, though she eats with or without my help. I mainly use food to lure her out of hide for soaks.

Personally I think it’s a good way for the tort to build human-tolerance Although I am fairly new to tort keeping. Curious to hear opinions of experienced members.

 

[S.a.z.z.l.e]

My Redfoot baby tort gets hand fed often, though she eats with or without my help. I mainly use food to lure her out of hide for soaks.

Personally I think it’s a good way for the tort to build human-tolerance Although I am fairly new to tort keeping. Curious to hear opinions of experienced members.

I’m with you on the human/tort tolerance thing! I do like feeding her, and she comes running when I wave a leaf in her direction!

 

[MsBijou]

Great positive human experiences are always good as long as the activity doesn’t cause stress ❤️

 

[Pebbles Roberts]

I’d already fed her dandelion leaves and a flower, and a couple of clover flowers, and she’d eaten a little lettuce by herself earlier. But is it normal to have to hand feed your baby tortoise?
She always goes back to bed after eating, I presume this is what they do when they’re digesting their food?

I have a 9 month old Hermann tortoise and I have always hand fed her, just because I love to. She does eat independently of me, but she loves soaked dandelion pellets and I feed her these by hand. I think it helps us to bond; she runs over to me when I'm ready to feed her. She's never bitten me.

 

[Luzmary Holt]

I’d already fed her dandelion leaves and a flower, and a couple of clover flowers, and she’d eaten a little lettuce by herself earlier. But is it normal to have to hand feed your baby tortoise?
She always goes back to bed after eating, I presume this is what they do when they’re digesting their food?

Hi,

I have a Sulcate Desert tortoise (Tortellini) I had him since he was 7 months old, I have hand fed him ever since, (he eats on his own though). He is 4-1/2-year-old and 30-35 lbs. know; he still loves to be hand fed; I always try to keep my fingers away as he could accidentally bite.

He recognizes my voice and or knows his name when I call him, he loves to be by my side when I’m out gardening or in the yard, they do learn to interact with people if they are around often

 

[TammyJ]

It is absolutely not normal if you have to hand feed the tortoise. It's just a nice feeling for you. IF he doesn't bite you. Lol!

 

[Pebbles Roberts]

It is absolutely not normal if you have to hand feed the tortoise. It's just a nice feeling for you. IF he doesn't bite you. Lol!

I agree 😂

 

[Joshane]

I dont hand eed mine very often. He's taken dandelions out my hand a couple of times but that's it.

 

[Cathie G]

I hand feed now and then just for a very special treat for the two of us. It's usually a wild strawberry or dandelion with the stem. Something like that. A stem helps to keeps it friendly