How Do I Get My Sullies To Eat More Grass?

[sibi]

I have tried to introduce grass or hay to their diet, but my babies only want to eat spring mix, collards, kale, veggies, cactus fruit, and mazuri. Grass or hay should make up about 70% of their diet; so, how can I get them to eat more grass?

 

[DeanS]

I let them eat what they want for the first few months (or longer) until their growth is established. However, mine like grass...especially my Sudans. One way to feed grass is to offer them fresh chop, i.e. when you mow your lawn offer them a handful of the clippings...you can store the remainder in a Ziploc in the refrigerator. If you leave it out at room temperature, it'll mold in less than 24 hours!

 

[Laura]

lots of babies wont eat Dry hay/grass. You can get them used to it but chopping it up and mixing it with Spring mix.. and gradually reduce the produce..

 

[sibi]

When do sullies establish growth? My two are one year old already, and Baby Runt is three years old although he's only 4 oz. All three prefer spring mix. I have mixed Orchard grass in their masuri for monthsi, but the boogers learned to separate it and only eat the masuri. Baby Runt won't even touch it let alone eat grass. Even when they are out grazing, they don't eat grass. Should I color the grass with red coloring?

 

[shellysmom]

The only grass I've been able to get my redfoot to eat is freshly sprouted rye grass. It's a cool weather grass, so it does well in Florida in the winter. They sell small and large bags of the seed at home depot. Just throw some down in your lawn or in a big pot, and keep the seeds moist for a couple days. It sprouts and grows fast, and is really fine and soft. If I were a tiny tort, that's definitely the kind of grass I'd want to try.

And, no, I wouldn't color the grass. If you put red on green, it would probably just end up looking brown, and I don't know what you could use that's red that would be safe... ???

 

[sibi]

food coloring. If it's safe for human consumption, it'll be safe for my torts. Maybe red isn't the best color; maybe yellow or blue. But, I'll try that ray grass seeds; maybe it'll actually grow for me (my torts).

The only grass I've been able to get my redfoot to eat is freshly sprouted rye grass. It's a cool weather grass, so it does well in Florida in the winter. They sell small and large bags of the seed at home depot. Just throw some down in your lawn or in a big pot, and keep the seeds moist for a couple days. It sprouts and grows fast, and is really fine and soft. If I were a tiny tort, that's definitely the kind of grass I'd want to try.

And, no, I wouldn't color the grass. If you put red on green, it would probably just end up looking brown, and I don't know what you could use that's red that would be safe... ???

 

[Yellow Turtle]

All my torts seem to prefer grazing freely, but not really like to eat chopped grass or hay even mixed with greens, they will selectively eat only the greens... So far, only mazuri works best for the mix, as they will directly eat it. Now they starting to eat chopped ones, but only a bit portion of them and I just let whatever they want to eat. Starving is good medicine for them to eat more.

You might also want to plant the grass on tray and just put it in enclosure for them to eat any time they want.

 

[Tom]

Start by chopping some fresh grass super fine with scissors. Then chop up the favorite greens super fine with scissors. Wet the greens and mix in around 10% or less of the finely chopped grass. Use a bowl and mix and mash it all up very thoroughly. Keep doing this for several days until they start eating the whole thing. Use smaller than normal portions so they will build some hunger over a period of a few days. Once they stating eating everything on their plate and seem eager to do so, then start upping the percentage of grass to greens. Take your time. It won't happen overnight. Your tortoises will live more than 100 years on a good diet, so you have some time to get this done right. Don't give in and just give them plain greens or you will set your self back. They won't starve themselves, but they will be picky about it.

Skip the dry hay until they are a little bigger, but you can introduce it the same way.