Does anybody have a good food list for Three toed box turtles?
Food list for box turtles?
- Thread starter leigti
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Berries, bananas, boiled egg, boiled chicken, crawfish, worms, super worms, crickets, spring mix, raw lean red meat, pinky mice, snails, slugs, small fish... I make a mix that has some of the stuff listed mixed with finely chopped spring mix. They love it! If you have them indoors make sure to put it in early evenings and take out what they didn't eat the following afternoon. They will do most of the eating in the evening and the morning unless they are older. The older ones will eat out of your hand whenever after you have had them long enough.
Chris told me no beef products unless it was beefheart. I don't know why, but I trust him on that, so just throwing that out there.
Saleama has a good list.
Saleama has a good list.
Beef heart is very very lean and vitamin rich. I use sirloin and cut it from the leanest area and then chop it tiny because I just can't bring myself to buy beef heart and I can't find it in the small quantities I need. They do not get red meat often, only when I buy me a steak which is about once a month. I have seen people feed their boxies bologna and hamburger! It makes me sick when they say stuff like, "Well, they eat it!" Of course they do. And kids eat candy.Chris told me no beef products unless it was beefheart. I don't know why, but I trust him on that, so just throwing that out there.
Saleama has a good list.
I asked Chris where he found beefheart, and he suggested finding a local butcher/deli and seeing if they have any scraps, etc. since it is something that usually doesn't sell well...oftentimes they will have it in the back somewhere and are willing to sell it to you for cheap just to get rid of it.
I have a local butcher I go to but it is not cheap there. There are ethnic uses and evidently I live where alot of people from countries that eat beef heart live. I also just don't care to handle it, lol. I really want to get some live pinky mice and some live crawfish. I didn't buy any at the reptile show Saturday and I wish I had.
I wouldn't do live pinky mice...after working at Petco, I've learned mice and rats will chew and eat through anything, alive or dead. I'd be worried about the turtles. Plus, they're smelly, messy, and gross.
Thanks for the suggestions. I feed my dog and cats a raw diet including Beefheart so that is not an issue. My local grocery store sells it but it is not cheap. The butcher doesn't have a cheap either. I don't think I could do pinky mice that is just a little bit too much wild Kingdom in my house but I don't have any problem with insects and maybe some small fish. I will definitely try over these suggestions and see what works. She looks kind of skinny to me so I'm thinking she needs to eat more.
but I don't have any problem with insects and maybe some small fish. I will definitely try over these suggestions and see what works. She looks kind of skinny to me so I'm thinking she needs to eat more.So do bust people tend to raise their own bugs for the turtle? Such as crickets, pill bugs, worms etc.? If so where do you suggest I get some? I have seen some on Carolina pet supply.
I am raising my own worms. It's pretty fun and easy.
How do you do that?I am raising my own worms. It's pretty fun and easy.
My box turtle diet is a bit involved, but it's been very successful. I feed 50% cooked protein (chicken, turkey, beef, fish, sometimes trout chow or high quality cat food - pretty much whatever I have on hand), 30% vegetables (again - whatever I have on hand and usually what is in season) 10% fruit and 10% greens (I usually buy frozen greens because they are blanched before freezing and don't get as mushy.) I mix all of this up in what I call a "turtle buffet" and freeze it. This way I always have good food on hand. I will thaw this mixture and spoon it out - adding whatever fresh fruits and vegetables I have on hand. Admittedly, some days I just don't have time for all of the chopping and cutting involved, so I just feed the buffet, but I'm ok with that because I know it's still healthy for them. I feed this three times a week. On Monday I add a few drops of cod liver oil (they love the smell of it!), on Wednesday they get a calcium supplement, and on Friday they get a sprinkle of TNT. (Of course they always have cuttlebone in their pens too.) On the weekends I give them live protein. I raise earthworms, night crawlers, pill bugs, mealworms, and superworms. Occasionally they get a thawed pinkie or two. Since they live outside there is an abundance of live bugs for them too. Now and then my cats kill a lizard so I throw it into one of the lucky pens and that is quite a delicacy!!! It sounds involved, but it's really easy - takes me about 15 minutes to feed all my box turtles (and other turtles) and keeps them healthy and happy. Hope that was helpful!
It sounds involved, but it's really easy - takes me about 15 minutes to feed all my box turtles (and other turtles) and keeps them healthy and happy. Hope that was helpful! Yes that was very helpful thank you. It sounds a little how I feed my dog and cats. I feed them a raw diet of meat and veggies for the dog and meet for the cats. So I'm familiar with the concept of mixing the right things together and freezing it and taking it out as you need it. I've only had the turtle a couple days but she won't eat anything worms and mealworms. She did eat some chopped up Beefheart yesterday, she even ate it out of my hand. But she won't have anything to do with the boiled egg, kale, strawberries, or cantaloupe. She is outside in and out outdoor pen during the day when it's not too hot, it has been ridiculously hot here this week so she comes in by noon. I have thrown some worms in her indoor enclosure and plan to put some in her outdoor enclosure also. I plan to look into raising some bugsMy box turtle diet is a bit involved, but it's been very successful. I feed 50% cooked protein (chicken, turkey, beef, fish, sometimes trout chow or high quality cat food - pretty much whatever I have on hand), 30% vegetables (again - whatever I have on hand and usually what is in season) 10% fruit and 10% greens (I usually buy frozen greens because they are blanched before freezing and don't get as mushy.) I mix all of this up in what I call a "turtle buffet" and freeze it. This way I always have good food on hand. I will thaw this mixture and spoon it out - adding whatever fresh fruits and vegetables I have on hand. Admittedly, some days I just don't have time for all of the chopping and cutting involved, so I just feed the buffet, but I'm ok with that because I know it's still healthy for them. I feed this three times a week. On Monday I add a few drops of cod liver oil (they love the smell of it!), on Wednesday they get a calcium supplement, and on Friday they get a sprinkle of TNT. (Of course they always have cuttlebone in their pens too.) On the weekends I give them live protein. I raise earthworms, night crawlers, pill bugs, mealworms, and superworms. Occasionally they get a thawed pinkie or two. Since they live outside there is an abundance of live bugs for them too. Now and then my cats kill a lizard so I throw it into one of the lucky pens and that is quite a delicacy!!!
like pill bugs and worms crickets. Thank you for the information.
The teeny tiny pinky mice would be gone in seconds in my Juvenile habitat. They would not have a chance to grow big enough to get chewy, lol. The ones I was going to buy were less than an inch long. My Ornates would take them out in two bites. I have seen them destroy beetles half again as big. The reason I would want to go live is I can't imagine I would want frozen dead mice in my freezer. Yuck!
Try Uncle Jims Worm Farm. They have everything you need and a whole bunch of stuff you don't need but will want. They even sell the worms to go with all the stuff you will want to buy. I simply put mine in a 20 gallon short sided tub with a locking lid. You have to have a locking lid or the little worms will be all over the place. They love to climb!
That's funny to read because I would rather have frozen dead pinkies in my freezer than having live ones around. (I've heard the pinkies scream - it's horrible!!!) To each his own!
Ok then. Looks like the only way my box turtles are ever going to get pinkies is if some are born in their outdoor area and I don't find them first. I really would hate to have to pick up any....um.... uneaten portions.That's funny to read because I would rather have frozen dead pinkies in my freezer than having live ones around. (I've heard the pinkies scream - it's horrible!!!) To each his own!
I definitely will not be feeding pinky mice, especially life ones. But today I did go out and buy a cricket keeper. Now I can add three dozen crickets to my list of Criders I am actually feeding right now actually I can also add two dozen mealworms so that list also. I wonder if my area of town is zoned for this many animals the guy at the pet store was asking me so many questions that I couldn't answer he probably thinks I'm an idiot but well that's okay. I am a little concerned that my turtle is only eating bugs right now, she won't eat anything else. I will try to make up some of the different "combo meals" that people have suggested and see if that helps to get her to eat some other things. I read in the Boxturtle section that people tend to feed them too much protein and I don't want to do that. But I don't know how to get her to eat other things. Any suggestions? A lot of the information seems to be for babies will that work for an adult one also?
actually I can also add two dozen mealworms so that list also. I wonder if my area of town is zoned for this many animals the guy at the pet store was asking me so many questions that I couldn't answer he probably thinks I'm an idiot but well that's okay. I am a little concerned that my turtle is only eating bugs right now, she won't eat anything else. I will try to make up some of the different "combo meals" that people have suggested and see if that helps to get her to eat some other things. I read in the Boxturtle section that people tend to feed them too much protein and I don't want to do that. But I don't know how to get her to eat other things. Any suggestions? A lot of the information seems to be for babies will that work for an adult one also?
The babies tend to be more carnivorous than the adults, but I still feed my "turtle buffet" to them. They may pick out more of the proteins (although I really can't confirm this) but at least they get bites of other types of foods. Just start mixing new foods to whatever she's eating and eventually she will start eating other things. It takes a while for them to start eating new foods.
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