Food advice- opuntia

[Thundersnow]

1. ​

   I bought through mail order from Turtlestore.com 1 pound of the Optunia Prickly Pear cactus that others in this group recommended for my 6week old Indian Start Tortoise.Geez these are big! I snipped off the end and cut up in little pieces then put it in his food dish.He doesn't like it at all.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Torts will often only eat something they've eaten before. He doesn't know it's food.

Try this: take a green leaf of something he loves, maybe dandelion? Put a tiny amount of opuntia on the leaf, and roll it up like a cigar, and hand feed it to him. Or, take a knife and scrape the opuntia to get the soft inside of the pad. Then smear the opuntia mush all over a leaf he likes, and put it in his dish. When he starts to get the flavor of the cactus, he'll start eating it willingly. Then you can just toss a piece of pad in with him.

 

[MEEJogja]

I tricked mine into eating some several times like Karen suggests, but I could never get them to eat it voluntarily. They will go to quite great lengths to avoid eating it in salads and the like. I bought several kilos online and when it was so unappreciated I planted it instead, so time is now ticking!

One good thing is that you can store the pads for a very long time while you work on getting your tort to like it. If they were fresh when they were sent to you, expect them to be good for the next month or so before sprouting

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

I would plant a couple of them in pots and wait for some new growth. The new growth is not as tough for a baby. U can continue trying to feed the other large pads while u wait for the new growth

 

[Lyn W]

My leopard absolutely loves it, but not chunks.
I use a vegetable peeler to cut fine slices.
I also scrape off any of the spines even though they are only fine. I think they hurt my tort's mouth because the first time he had some he pulled his head pretty quickly a few times.
It also gives him loose poop so I ration it to every few days.

 

[Thundersnow]

Torts will often only eat something they've eaten before. He doesn't know it's food.

Try this: take a green leaf of something he loves, maybe dandelion? Put a tiny amount of opuntia on the leaf, and roll it up like a cigar, and hand feed it to him. Or, take a knife and scrape the opuntia to get the soft inside of the pad. Then smear the opuntia mush all over a leaf he likes, and put it in his dish. When he starts to get the flavor of the cactus, he'll start eating it willingly. Then you can just toss a piece of pad in with him.

GREAT TIP KarenSoCal it worked!!!!!!! I scraped the soft gooey insides off from the cactus and smeared it on a small leaf of lettuce and he ate it.Thank you VERY much for that tip.Every morning I give him a buffet.I cut up in tiny pieces skinned cucumber,bell pepper,organic baby lettuce,Mazuri LS tort. soaked and mashed.He's a happy boy.he's a great pooper too when he gets his warm water daily soak

 

[KarenSoCal]

GREAT TIP KarenSoCal it worked!!!!!!! I scraped the soft gooey insides off from the cactus and smeared it on a small leaf of lettuce and he ate it.Thank you VERY much for that tip.Every morning I give him a buffet.I cut up in tiny pieces skinned cucumber,bell pepper,organic baby lettuce,Mazuri LS tort. soaked and mashed.He's a happy boy.he's a great pooper too when he gets his warm water daily soak

I'm happy for both of you! It's a very satisfying feeling when we teach them to eat foods that are good for them. ?

 

[jsheffield]

I bought some powdered opuntia, and sprinkle it on greens and fruit from time to time.

Jamie

 

[Tom]

1. ​

   I bought through mail order from Turtlestore.com 1 pound of the Optunia Prickly Pear cactus that others in this group recommended for my 6week old Indian Start Tortoise.Geez these are big! I snipped off the end and cut up in little pieces then put it in his food dish.He doesn't like it at all.

Karen explained it well. All new foods need to be introduced over a long time and in small amounts. Torts are creatures of habit.

My other suggestion is what Chubbs said. I grow my own and I offer tiny tender young pads to hatchlings within days of them coming out of the egg. When introduce early on this way, they eat whole pads now with vigor. This are 2-4 month old platynota that have been eating opuntia since they hatched. BEFORE:
View attachment Star Cactus.MOV

 

[Tom]

AFTER:





I also think this helps strengthen their neck and mouth muscles over time, and also keep their beaks in good shape.

 

[Thundersnow]

I'm happy for both of you! It's a very satisfying feeling when we teach them to eat foods that are good for them. ?

This group is great.You folks really do help us newbies BIG TIME. Thank you,thank you,thank you

 

[Thundersnow]

Karen explained it well. All new foods need to be introduced over a long time and in small amounts. Torts are creatures of habit.

My other suggestion is what Chubbs said. I grow my own and I offer tiny tender young pads to hatchlings within days of them coming out of the egg. When introduce early on this way, they eat whole pads now with vigor. This are 2-4 month old platynota that have been eating opuntia since they hatched. BEFORE:
View attachment 326868

 

[Thundersnow]

OMG,OMG,OMG!!!!! Look at all those lil kids LOVE LOVE LOVE

 

[Thundersnow]

I would plant a couple of them in pots and wait for some new growth. The new growth is not as tough for a baby. U can continue trying to feed the other large pads while u wait for the new growth

Plant them? Just take a pad,stick it in soil and water? Is it really that simple? That would be nice

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Plant them? Just take a pad,stick it in soil and water? Is it really that simple? That would be nice

Yes that simple lol i just use a cactus soil mix and stick the pad about a third into the soil or a lil less... then just give it a good water after u plant it and dont water again for like 3 weeks to a month. Heres one i just planted last weekend

 

[Thundersnow]

We don't have cactus soil here in the bluegrass lol.Do you think Miracle Grow potting mix work? Thanks again

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

We don't have cactus soil here in the bluegrass lol.Do you think Miracle Grow potting mix work? Thanks again

Im sure itll grow in anything as long as its well draining. U dont want soggy soil

 

[Thundersnow]

Thank you again for your advice.Everyone here is so helpful.This is all good information that will keep our torties healthy and on the right track to grow to their full potential

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Thank you again for your advice.Everyone here is so helpful.This is all good information that will keep our torties healthy and on the right track to grow to their full potential

Keep us updated! Love update pics! Good luck

 

[Tom]

We don't have cactus soil here in the bluegrass lol.Do you think Miracle Grow potting mix work? Thanks again

Home Depot, Lowes, or just mix in a bunch of sand to you local dirt. I would recommend no water for the first month. Plant it some where hot and in full sun all day.