feeding redfoots

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Zamric

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I've been reading about raising redfoots and one thing they all have in common about diet is animal protein but then they talk bout cat food or dog food. I don't like those ideas for protein because its not readily avalable in the wild..... Could Mealworms be used for animal protein or nightcrawlers for adults?
 

ascott

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yes, if they will eat them....but not every day....only so often...I personally feed mine the freeze dried crickets, mealworms, shrimp and also boiled eggs and broiled chicken pieces (tiny pieces and only a little)...I know that some will do the dog food thing but that is just personally weird to me...don't know exactly why but just is :D
 

Sammy

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I feed mine Boiled egg white once a week & Mazuri
 

jackrat

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Animal protein is animal protien. Whether it comes from worms,eggs,or cat food,the tortoise's body cannot tell the difference. It assimilates them all equally,physiologically speaking.
 

Zamric

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aahhhh... "Impaction"... that is the word i feared most! is it because if the hard outershell? I thought that would help with calcium.... but now that i typed it out it just sounds stupid... the outershell of a mealworm would not be calcium based... OK, mealworms go on the rare treat list. I am aware of how often to feed protein but just dont "feel" right about cat/dog food.
 

N2TORTS

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pinkie mice ....and for the larger Rf's ..baby chicks even!
Grubs, grasshopper......found locally
 

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A few quick points.

1. There is no clinical evidence that Red-footed tortoises NEED meat proteins in their diet. Forest tortoises live in places that although very green, are also very low in nutrients (thin soil, constantly being washed out of minerals, heavy competition, etc.) so they probably eat meat there to maximize nutritional completeness.The fairly nutrient-rich foods we offer in captivity may eliminate the need for protein as a separate issue.

2. They DO need protein, all animals do. Plant proteins are all many animals and most other tortoises need, so may be all Red-footeds need as well.

3. The general consensus is to feed some meat to Red-footeds and other forest species of tortoises. It is still unclear how much they need, but it is probably not very much.

4. What to offer? Opinions vary all over the board here, but 'variety' is probably the safest answer here as well. I prefer using live worms and other soft-bodied invertebrates (Phoenix worms, etc. are great!), occasional pinkies, cooked chicken straps, occasional hard boiled egg and some of the shell, etc.

5. The benefits of cat and dog foods are mainly cost and convenience. Since they are usually a pretty small part of the diet, they probably are not a big deal one way or the other (assuming you use a good, low-fat brand). We have a cat, but the only time I have used cat kibble with my current herd is a couple of times when there was no fresh food in the house and I had already fed Mazuri recently.
 

Yvonne G

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jackrat said:
Animal protein is animal protien. Whether it comes from worms,eggs,or cat food,the tortoise's body cannot tell the difference. It assimilates them all equally,physiologically speaking.

Someone has been watching too many high fructose corn syrup commercials.
 

jaizei

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emysemys said:
jackrat said:
Animal protein is animal protien. Whether it comes from worms,eggs,or cat food,the tortoise's body cannot tell the difference. It assimilates them all equally,physiologically speaking.

Someone has been watching too many high fructose corn syrup commercials.

:)
 

Zamric

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Madkins007 said:
A few quick points.

1. There is no clinical evidence that Red-footed tortoises NEED meat proteins in their diet. Forest tortoises live in places that although very green, are also very low in nutrients (thin soil, constantly being washed out of minerals, heavy competition, etc.) so they probably eat meat there to maximize nutritional completeness.The fairly nutrient-rich foods we offer in captivity may eliminate the need for protein as a separate issue.

2. They DO need protein, all animals do. Plant proteins are all many animals and most other tortoises need, so may be all Red-footeds need as well.

3. The general consensus is to feed some meat to Red-footeds and other forest species of tortoises. It is still unclear how much they need, but it is probably not very much.

4. What to offer? Opinions vary all over the board here, but 'variety' is probably the safest answer here as well. I prefer using live worms and other soft-bodied invertebrates (Phoenix worms, etc. are great!), occasional pinkies, cooked chicken straps, occasional hard boiled egg and some of the shell, etc.

5. The benefits of cat and dog foods are mainly cost and convenience. Since they are usually a pretty small part of the diet, they probably are not a big deal one way or the other (assuming you use a good, low-fat brand). We have a cat, but the only time I have used cat kibble with my current herd is a couple of times when there was no fresh food in the house and I had already fed Mazuri recently.

Thanks Mark! Good Info!

I raise mice to feed my snake, so pinkies are a good option and will help keep my mouse population down, not to mention they WILL add calcium to his diet from bone content.

I was a Chef for many years and did dietary menus for people. Because of this training I feel that when feeding exotic animals you should keep as close to "wild" conditions as possable. So, where I can see a tortoise coming across a nest of mice for dinner, I finde it hard to belive he will stumble across a piece cooked chicken meat or egg. I know nutritionaly there is little or no differance but on the instinctual level of the creature (any Exoctic) there very well could be.

That is just my humble oppinion on general dietary needs of any creature.
 

Zamric

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More questions on Redfoots:)

concidering habitat for redfoots, I'de like use live plants in the habitat... make it "Terrarium Like" could I use ferns or will they poison a redfoot if eaten?
 

jackrat

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emysemys said:
jackrat said:
Animal protein is animal protien. Whether it comes from worms,eggs,or cat food,the tortoise's body cannot tell the difference. It assimilates them all equally,physiologically speaking.

Someone has been watching too many high fructose corn syrup commercials.
LOL I was waiting for someone to say something to that effect.
 
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