Hermann Tortoise Hatchling - when to eat/soak?

[sbkturtle]

Hello,
Brand new owner of two 6 wks old Hermann Hatchlings. I know they sleep a lot and like to browse when they are awake.

My question is should I wake them up to feed them and if so, what is a good feeding schedule for them? 3 times a day, 2 times a day? My biggest concern is they are tiny and clearly need to sleep, so I don't want to unnecessarily wake them up...

Picture of my lovely, tiny babies attached posing next to an ear bud case for size comparison

 

[wellington]

Safely you made the mistake of getting two. You will soon have to separate them. Tortoises should never be housed in pairs
When the lights come on in the a.m., give it a half hour or so and then give a warm soak for 30 minutes keeping them and water warm and then put them in front of a pile of food. Should be enough food to last them the day so they can graze off and on when they want.

 

[Sarah2020]

I remember the days of having a handful of hatchlings. They soon grow and bully so separate and solo life is perfectly fine. They are grazers, provide fresh food AM and cleared away around 17.00 .
Please read this to check setup and care tips. Ask questions.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

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[sbkturtle]

Thank you! We will separate them once they are bigger (was always the plan 🤗). Appreciate the link to be article. This was one I read before purchasing/bringing home. However none of the articles prepped me for the feeding/sleep schedule. I know tortoises do not run on "human" time, so it was making me anxious that one was up and browsing and the other burrowed in/sleeping so much of the day. Definitely feeling a little better for soaking and feeding. Just so anxious to ensure we give them everything to thrive. One definitely seems to be an "early bird" and the other more of a "night owl"

 

[Tom]

Thank you! We will separate them once they are bigger (was always the plan 🤗).

They need to be separated now. Not later. That is why you are seeing this already:

...so it was making me anxious that one was up and browsing and the other burrowed in/sleeping so much of the day.

Groups of juveniles can sometimes work, but never pairs. They each need their own enclosures right now. Today. The chronic stress is enough to cause babies to fail to thrive, and that is clearly what is already happening.

There is a lot of incorrect information out there, even from "well respected" breeders. Here is all the correct care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

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