For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Caboose

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Should i feed them the leaves on the hibiscus flower plant??


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]
 

Caboose

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How often should i give them supplements, and what kind of supplements should i get and what about protein?


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]
 

samsmom

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you really should check out the thread listed below my signature, there are several very informative and helpful threads written by Tom! it's alot to read but would really be worth your time to read each one!
 

Baoh

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Caboose said:
Should i feed them the leaves on the hibiscus flower plant??


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]

You can. I do.


Caboose said:
How often should i give them supplements, and what kind of supplements should i get and what about protein?


My Sulcata Michelangelo[TURTLE]
and my RedFoot Raphael [TURTLE]

Depends.

I like to provide a multi-mineral (amounts to give are not set in stone, so a light sprinkling over some food a few times a week can be nice to improve intake). Also, cuttlebone. Protein should be a part of the diet as well as adequate fiber and water. Variety should provide this, but you can also choose foods which are higher in protein if it is lacking.
 

SANDRA_MEISSNEST

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Our whole yatd has bermuda grass,they been eating that all day long with weeds in between

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Lilyloveslettuse

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We just got some good seed to plant containers for winter feeding from sulcatafood.com Only took a couple days to get here!!! They also have elephant grass starts.
 

specsgirl

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wellington said:
Shoot, I have way more grass and can buy hay easier then the other stuff. Tatum does eat by grazing and some Mazuri, looking for a better winter diet. That's the hard time to feed the better stuff.

Living in northern WI I found a neat trick to feeding "green grass" year round. I take fresh cut grass and freeze in gallon freezer bags in the freezer. I have an extra chest freezer so this works for me. I take out what I need on a daily basis..and viola...fresh thawed good for you food...which is also very inexpensive!
 

samsmom

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Living in northern WI I found a neat trick to feeding "green grass" year round. I take fresh cut grass and freeze in gallon freezer bags in the freezer. I have an extra chest freezer so this works for me. I take out what I need on a daily basis..and viola...fresh thawed good for you food...which is also very inexpensive!
[/quote]

nutrition wise i wonder how beneficial the frozen grass is? does anyone know?
 

specsgirl

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samsmom said:
Living in northern WI I found a neat trick to feeding "green grass" year round. I take fresh cut grass and freeze in gallon freezer bags in the freezer. I have an extra chest freezer so this works for me. I take out what I need on a daily basis..and viola...fresh thawed good for you food...which is also very inexpensive!

nutrition wise i wonder how beneficial the frozen grass is? does anyone know?
[/quote]

I would think it would be about the same as fresh frozen veggies and fruits. Those stay highly nutritious and it's the way they are cooked that destroys some of the nutrition. Worst case it would be equivelant to feeding dried grasses I would think. Of course..this is just my best "farmers guess" :)
 

EKLC

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Great thread Tom. Bad diet is still prominent even in respected zoos. You typically see a big platter of romaine, carrots, kale, mazuri. The inadequacy of this diet is seen in the runny poops. It's ridiculous, since it's not even the cheap option.

Salad style from CPS is a great product as well, especially for small tortoises and during the winter. You can start mixing it in when they're young and get them used to a rougher diet.
 

Tom

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Hatchy said:
Is alfalfa hay good for them?


Sorry I mean Timothy hay



Adults can eat Timothy hay and alfalfa hay. Babies usually won't eat dry hay of any kind. My preference to feed older tortoises is orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay. I grow alfalfa and mix it in with other foods from time to time.
 

Hatchy

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My baby seems to eat Timothy hay when mixed with spring mix but won't touch it alone. Is there any store bought things that you would recommend over hay such as salad style?
 

Tom

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Salad style is great stuff. Endive and escarole are my favorite grocery store foods. I also like cilantro and collard greens in moderation. Mixing in seem salad style to any of the above makes it worlds better for them.

Are there no mulberry trees near you? No hibiscus or grape vines? Nowhere for some pots of opuntia pads or sprouting some grass seed?
 

Seegie

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I've started feeding my 3 mo old Sulcatas mulberry and wheatgrass along with a little bit of fresh greens. I agree with all natural food for them. I live in the desert and have been researching all the plants I have on my property..will return with what I have for feedback :) Thanks for the great thread.
 

wildchild6771

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I wonder if it's possible for tortoises to be addicted to lettuce?

I always feed my baby "salad style" of grape leaves, grasses, baby tears, rose leaves, red leaf lettuce nd other goodies I can get my hands on. Almost always he/or she will only eat the lettuce. After a while if he or she knows I won't budge and give more lettuce it will eat the other food. Doesn't always happen, though. I've tried so many different leaves and flowers they're allowed to eat and nothing. Hopefully it will get out of its picky eater phase soon.
 

Tom

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wildchild6771 said:
I wonder if it's possible for tortoises to be addicted to lettuce?

I always feed my baby "salad style" of grape leaves, grasses, baby tears, rose leaves, red leaf lettuce nd other goodies I can get my hands on. Almost always he/or she will only eat the lettuce. After a while if he or she knows I won't budge and give more lettuce it will eat the other food. Doesn't always happen, though. I've tried so many different leaves and flowers they're allowed to eat and nothing. Hopefully it will get out of its picky eater phase soon.

In my experience, when they are not started on a varied diet as hatchlings, they seem to develop preferences for soft easy to eat grocery store foods. Conversely, if they are started on strong tasting, fibrous leaves, weeds and grasses, they will eat new stuff more easily. My hatchlings see all sorts of grass, weeds, leaves, succulents, cactus pads, Mazuri, etc... People who have bought them tell me they aren't picky later on down the road.

"Salad Style" is a reference to an actual bagged product that you can sprinkle on top of greens to add fiber to tortoise diets. It is basically finely blended grass hay.
 

tortwalt

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which mix from the groworganic.com list do you recommend Tom?

PVFS Organic General Livestock Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Alkali Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Bloat Resist Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Dairy Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS General Livestock Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Intermountain Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Premium Horse Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Herbal Pasture Mix (Irrigated) - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)
PVFS Omega-3 Chicken Forage Blend - Irrigated - Nitrocoated Seed (lb)

I will be growing this on flats for the time being inside until my lil fellow gets bigger and I'll grow a large section outdors
 
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