Grassland Tortoise Food

[Jen Rosell]

I'm wondering how important it is to feed your tortoise food like Grassland?? I've been trying to get mine to eat it for 2 weeks and she won't touch it.... Any advice is appreciated

 

[JoesMum]

What you feed depends on the species of tortoise. Many of us only use proprietary food in the winter months when it is harder to find the weeds that we need to maintain a balanced diet.

 

[CourtneyG]

I feed mine a mix of Mazuri and grassland with their greens maybe 3 times a week. The Mazuri is sweet and that helps encourage them, and also I mix the stuff on their greens.

 

[Jen Rosell]

I have a Russian, and I tried mixing it but she picks the good stuff out...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jen:

While the Grassland Tortoise food is one of the better commercial diets, it isn't necessary at all to feel you have to use it, or any commercial food. It is perfectly ok to feed you tortoise dark leafy greens, weeds and leaves.

 

[Tom]

Yvonne is absolutely correct.

Still, the ZooMed diet is a good way to improve the quality of grocery store greens. Try this: Soak a single pellet in some water. When it turns to mush mix it all up in a bowl and coat the days greens and other food with it. Then your tortoise can't eat around it. Few tortoises are just going to walk up and eat a new food all by itself. It may take a few weeks of this, but eventually your tortoise will begin to recognize the taste, smell and texture as a food source and over time you can up the ratio a bit.

 

[Jen Rosell]

OK great!! Thank you very much