How much Grassland Pellets should I feed per day?

[Sarah13]

How much Grassland Pellets should I feed per day? (Sulcata)

Want to make sure she is getting enough to eat, she is about 3-4 years old about the size of a round dinner tray, she has an outdoor habitat but very little grass grows there, she has Timothy Hay and Grassland Tortoise Pellets on hand then either mixed greens, Kale, Collards, or Romaine lettuce a few times a week. The fresh greens get expensive so I was wondering how much ratio of fresh to pellets I should give her. Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I would fed the fresh greens daily, with a handful of moistened pellets on the greens four or five times a week.

 

[Sarah13]

She also like Alfalfa and Timothy pellets, the same as I feed my horses, is it ok also?

 

[Tom]

She also like Alfalfa and Timothy pellets, the same as I feed my horses, is it ok also?

I don't like Timothy hay for tortoises. Too stemmy. I prefer orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay.

I don't care for grocery store greens either. Tow low in fiber, low in calcium and some have goiterogens. Best to feed weeds, leaves, flowers and grass. Opuntia pads are a great food too. Those can be found in some grocery stores. They are often called "nopales". If you can't them at a store near you, you can order them online from several sources. Here is one source: http://thecactusguy.com/#

Refer to this thread for more feeding ideas: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

In response to your original question, I like Yvonne's suggestion.

 

[Jodie]

In winter I have no choice but to feed grocery greens & stuff I can buy. I use a mix of at least 5 different kinds of greens, usually endive and escarole, and then other stuff, radicchio, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, spring mix.... I mix in grassland pellets and hay pellets, both soaked in water to a mush, so it is only about 20% of the days food. I add orchard grass hay, also soaked, and chopped, about 40% of the days food. I feed this 6 days per week. For my 80+ pound sulcata, he gets a heaping handful of this, and all the orchard grass hay he can eat. On the 7th day they get mazuri, and cactus or pumpkin, or whatever. I often add pellets to that as well. I use timothy hay pellets, not alfalfa, less protein. I find that adding the extra fiber, and extra water really helps my groups, and saves me a ton. Feeding straight greens, it is astounding how much they will eat. In the summer all of my tortoises are able to graze outside, and eat what they want.