Getting yellow foot to eat protein

SouthernRFT

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I have a large male yellow foot who is very friendly and will eat from my hand. I am having an issue getting him to eat anything other than flowers and fruit though. He won't touch tortoise diet, and has zero interest in protein sources be it wet cat food, and I even tried dog food just to see. I acquired him as an adult (Farm bred) probably just WC zero pyramiding and healthy appetite.

I have a female red foot in the same outdoor enclosure and she will eat everything. I am wondering if there is any reason I should be trying to get him to eat some by maybe hiding some in a hibiscus flower? Or is he getting the d3 from the sun? Also any tips for getting him to eat the tortoise diet?

I have heard no animal protein can cause issues and this is my main concern. Any input appreciated.
 

wellington

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I don't have YF but, when needing to feed an item they don't seem to want, then yes, get creative. If you can, chop it up small, put inside a flower you know he will eat, spritz with a little water, will help the two stick together and then feed. If he takes a bite and then stops wanting to eat the flower, give him a different item he really likes, without the protein food in it. Then, after he eats that, try the one with the protein again. Keep him thinking it's not there.
You can also chop up the proteins and also the stuff he will eat. Mix together and spritz. He will have to eat the protein if he wants the other stuff too.
 

Anyfoot

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I have a large male yellow foot who is very friendly and will eat from my hand. I am having an issue getting him to eat anything other than flowers and fruit though. He won't touch tortoise diet, and has zero interest in protein sources be it wet cat food, and I even tried dog food just to see. I acquired him as an adult (Farm bred) probably just WC zero pyramiding and healthy appetite.

I have a female red foot in the same outdoor enclosure and she will eat everything. I am wondering if there is any reason I should be trying to get him to eat some by maybe hiding some in a hibiscus flower? Or is he getting the d3 from the sun? Also any tips for getting him to eat the tortoise diet?

I have heard no animal protein can cause issues and this is my main concern. Any input appreciated.
Have you tried other forms of protein like.
Boiled or scrambled egg, worms, snails, slugs, pinkies, fuzzies. Bet he doesn't refuse a pinkie/ fuzzy cut in half.
 

Anyfoot

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Have you tried other forms of protein like.
Boiled or scrambled egg, worms, snails, slugs, pinkies, fuzzies. Bet he doesn't refuse a pinkie/ fuzzy cut in half.
Nearly forgot, cooked chicken too.
 

ZEROPILOT

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It's very normal for a tortoise in a "routine" to not want to try anything new. Especially one that is used to eating fruit regularly.
Keep offering it. when he gets hungry, he'll eat it.
Have you ever used MAZURI? It's very helpful for mixing in other foods. My Redfoot clan like Mazuri with wetted down dry dog food in it. (None of mine eat canned dog food or cat food of any kind.)
They do also eat cooked chicken.
 

SouthernRFT

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I have not fed mazuri but I do offer zoo med forest diet. My red foot absolutely loves it. I have not tried other forms of protein then what I listed but I do have a large collection of snakes so have plenty of frozen rodents, pinkies, etc. Now I am going to have to try that and if that doesn't work i'll mix it all in and mash up the fruit. Great advice everyone thanks!
 

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MPRC

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My redfoot is the opposite. He only wants protein and sticks up his nose at greens. I've started making him "burritos" by taking a leaf and spreading a little bit of mazuri or canned pumpkin and wet cat food on it and then rolling it up into a tube so that if he wants the good stuff on the inside he has to eat the greens. Maybe you could try the same with hidden protein.
 

SouthernRFT

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If you keep Redfoot, you NEED Mazuri.

Why do you say that? I don't think corn is a very natural food item for them.

Ground Soybean Hulls, Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Oats, Wheat Middlings, Cane Molasses, Soybean Oil, Wheat Germ, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholecalciferol, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Nicotinic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Natural Mixed Tocopherols (a Preservative), Ferrous Carbonate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Rosemary Extract, Lecithin, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite.
 

Yvonne G

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Mazuri Tortoise Diet is one of the better manufactured diets available for us tortoise keepers. It was originally developed to feed giant zoo tortoises. I know that some of the ingredients don't seem like something you want to see inside your tortoise, however, it works and it helps them grow strong and healthy. I feed it once a week. And my Yellowfoot tortoises love it.
 

ascott

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Why do you say that? I don't think corn is a very natural food item for them.

Ground Soybean Hulls, Ground Corn, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Ground Oats, Wheat Middlings, Cane Molasses, Soybean Oil, Wheat Germ, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholecalciferol, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Nicotinic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Natural Mixed Tocopherols (a Preservative), Ferrous Carbonate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Copper Sulfate, Rosemary Extract, Lecithin, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite.


If you have fed dog or cat food to a tortoise then what is the issue with the ingredients in mazuri? Also, tortoise will go through phases. ? So learn that wave with the tort in yiur care and al will run smoothly.

When a tortoise is in the wild they are a seasonakl eater..so lets say throughout the year during different months a particular plant grows and blooms..a tortoise will gorge on that particular item until it is out of cycle..then they move onto gorge on another..so the animal may eat on one item for weeks and do the same on another..just natural..I say offer as juch of the flowers up as possible during the gorge time and not be so determined to stop it..flowers are a wonderful food item..and not all tortoise in all stages of their life eat large amounts of protein..after all, large amounts of protein can be taxing on ones liver and kidneys..so maybe not stress so much just yet?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Mazuri is a great staple and "fill in" food when I am out of everything else, but Hibiscus leaves.
It is one thing that they will ALL eat, EVERY time.:) (my group, that is)
Also, it is excellent for mixing with medications and supplements as well as less palatable foods.
I'd be lost without it.
 

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