Eating dirt

[THEELEG]

OZZY exploring his outside home checking out the growing greens, he has nibbled at the soil is that alright??

And he just pooped in front of my wife lol

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I only had 1 dirt/rock eater. I added some powdered MinerAll to his food and the rock eating stopped. I eventually stopped the supplement and the habit never came back.
Some say they eat substrate when they are lacking certain minerals.
Maybe it's not that..Maybe it was a test bite, I don't know. Keep an eye and see if it keeps happening.

 

[Jodie]

I have several that will eat dirt and rocks. I supplement twice a week with MinerAl. It has not stopped. I have removed as many rocks as possible and continue to do so. I keep my tortoises well hydrated. They pass rocks on a regular basis.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I have several that will eat dirt and rocks. I supplement twice a week with MinerAl. It has not stopped. I have removed as many rocks as possible and continue to do so. I keep my tortoises well hydrated. They pass rocks on a regular basis.

Interesting.

My tortoise didn't come with an "everything you'll ever need to know about me" manual. Did yours? LOL

 

[Jodie]

Interesting.

My tortoise didn't come with an "everything you'll ever need to know about me" manual. Did yours? LOL

Nope. And I can't find one anywhere lol. If I think I am getting things figured out, one of them throws me a curve ball.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

In my limited experience, they'll all have a nibble at some point, if only a tester, as has been suggested.
Tidgy did it when very young and then stopped and another tortoise I 'visit' likes to eat any small rock like objects, in preference to food, it seems.
Give it a cuttlefish bone to nibble, even when outside, maybe that will help.
And torts pooping in front of family/guests is one of the joys of tortoise keeping.

 

[THEELEG]

In my limited experience, they'll all have a nibble at some point, if only a tester, as has been suggested.
Tidgy did it when very young and then stopped and another tortoise I 'visit' likes to eat any small rock like objects, in preference to food, it seems.
Give it a cuttlefish bone to nibble, even when outside, maybe that will help.
And torts pooping in front of family/guests is one of the joys of tortoise keeping.

This is the best reply yet lol, he has a cuttle but I haven't seen him go after it. I wasn't sweating it to much was just wondering

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

This is the best reply yet lol, he has a cuttle but I haven't seen him go after it. I wasn't sweating it to much was just wondering

Sorry to put a damper on it, but I should have said that if he does it too much it could be a problem and cause impaction unless he is kept very well hydrated like Jodie said.
If he's not eating his cuttle bone, and some torts won't, scrape a little on his food a couple of times a week.

 

[THEELEG]

Sorry to put a damper on it, but I should have said that if he does it too much it could be a problem and cause impaction unless he is kept very well hydrated like Jodie said.
If he's not eating his cuttle bone, and some torts won't, scrape a little on his food a couple of times a week.

That's what I have been doing, soaking, vitiam powder, and calcium powder

 

[Tom]

I have several that will eat dirt and rocks. I supplement twice a week with MinerAl. It has not stopped. I have removed as many rocks as possible and continue to do so. I keep my tortoises well hydrated. They pass rocks on a regular basis.

I see this more with tortoises fed a lot of grocery store foods.

What do you feed?

 

[THEELEG]

I see this more with tortoises fed a lot of grocery store foods.

What do you feed?

I've been feeding him grocery now, but our garden is starting to grow and today was the first day he has eaten off of that

 

[Tom]

I've been feeding him grocery now, but our garden is starting to grow and today was the first day he has eaten off of that

Grocery store type foods, wherever they are grown are lacking in fiber. Frequently its the need for fiber that causes them to want to eat the substrate. Are you using Zoomed Pellets or real grass in the diet, mixed in with the other foods? If not, you should be.

 

[THEELEG]

Grocery store type foods, wherever they are grown are lacking in fiber. Frequently its the need for fiber that causes them to want to eat the substrate. Are you using Zoomed Pellets or real grass in the diet, mixed in with the other foods? If not, you should be.

Like my front yard grass?? I read some dif stuff on here

 

[Tom]

Like my front yard grass?? I read some dif stuff on here

Yes. You need chemical free real grass. It is best to use tender, young freshly sprouted grass for hatchlings like yours.

Read this one. It will explain:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[THEELEG]

Yes. You need chemical free real grass. It is best to use tender, young freshly sprouted grass for hatchlings like yours.

Read this one. It will explain:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Hell I'll go by some seeds and plant some in his outdoor spot we made

 

[THEELEG]

Yes. You need chemical free real grass. It is best to use tender, young freshly sprouted grass for hatchlings like yours.

Read this one. It will explain:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

I've read this one also and we have planted off this and bought

 

[Tom]

Hell I'll go by some seeds and plant some in his outdoor spot we made

Make sure to get the right seeds. The hardware store stuff is often coated in chemicals and full of additives.

Here is the best stuff I've found:
http://www.groworganic.com/premium-horse-pasture-mix-irrigation.html

 

[THEELEG]

Make sure to get the right seeds. The hardware store stuff is often coated in chemicals and full of additives.

Here is the best stuff I've found:
http://www.groworganic.com/premium-horse-pasture-mix-irrigation.html

Thanks you sir I shall be ordering it in the morning

 

[Jodie]

I see this more with tortoises fed a lot of grocery store foods.

What do you feed?

In winter I grow grass and supplement grocery greens with grassland tortoise food and Mazuri. Currently ans since early May they are fed several kinds of grass, thistle, dandelion, prickly lettuce and other weeds and flowers that are safe. Grape leaves, pumpkin and zucchini leaves, rose leaves, hostages.... no grocery greens.

 

[leigti]

In winter I grow grass and supplement grocery greens with grassland tortoise food and Mazuri. Currently ans since early May they are fed several kinds of grass, thistle, dandelion, prickly lettuce and other weeds and flowers that are safe. Grape leaves, pumpkin and zucchini leaves, rose leaves, hostages.... no grocery greens.

I know what's causing the problem, it's all those hostages you are feeding them don't you just love AutoCorrect. And Siri makes me say all sorts of weird things.