How often should you dust calcium on food

Marz ??&?shelly

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I get mixed reviews on feeding my baby Shelly pellets everyday, as a treat or not at all - but she loves them - I gave her 4 pellets when I first got her and she demolished them - but when I continued reading everyone would say different things - what would you recommend?
 

Marz ??&?shelly

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I have a Greek spur thighed tortoise and she weighs 23.5 grams and is now 5 months old - although I’ve only had her since Christmas Eve- but she loves pellets - I have only fed her 5 as after reading more about them - some people say never to feed them them
 

Tom

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I get mixed reviews on feeding my baby Shelly pellets everyday, as a treat or not at all - but she loves them - I gave her 4 pellets when I first got her and she demolished them - but when I continued reading everyone would say different things - what would you recommend?
There are many types of "pellets". Some are great and some aren't so great. Which type are you offering to your tortoise?

Pellets are fine as a supplement an otherwise varied weedy, leafy, high fiber diet. I don't like pellets as a tortoise's main food source.
 

Maggie3fan

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I have kept tortoises for almost 20 years. Frankly, I have NEVER dusted any food with calcium. I feed a wide variety of foods, mostly growing in the Sulcata pens and my yards. I know all the care sheets here on TFO recommend dusting with calcium, and I will be castigated for posting this against what every TFO expert recommends. Most of my tort food is grown right here in my yards. Grapes, Rose of Sharon, dandelions, weeds, grass, hay. The grass in my pens is planted pasture grass bought online.
My thinking is that if I plant what is good for them, they don't need calcium powder. Now before you go hollering "this broad on TFO says I don't have to use calcium powder". I am talking about older tortoises not babies. Mine eat good growing food that I have researched and worked hard at growing it daily, and it ain't easy.
I do not use pellets even for a supplement. I agree it makes feeding easier, but I personally have never seen tortoises opening a jar of pellets and for babies they seem to get addicted to the molasses covering the pellets. Mazuri original. My opinion.
This was a very pyramided and sick tortoise the local wildlife rescue wanted me to take. You can see she is eating with gusto now. That's Mary Knobbins and grape leafs
100_4173.JPG
 
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Marz ??&?shelly

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Reading
I have kept tortoises for almost 20 years. Frankly, I have NEVER dusted any food with calcium. I feed a wide variety of foods, mostly growing in the Sulcata pens and my yards. I know all the care sheets here on TFO recommend dusting with calcium, and I will be castigated for posting this against what every TFO expert recommends. Most of my tort food is grown right here in my yards. Grapes, Rose of Sharon, dandelions, weeds, grass, hay. The grass in my pens is planted pasture grass bought online.
My thinking is that if I plant what is good for them, they don't need calcium powder. Now before you go hollering "this broad on TFO says I don't have to use calcium powder". I am talking about older tortoises not babies. Mine eat good growing food that I have researched and worked hard at growing it daily, and it ain't easy.
I do not use pellets even for a supplement. I agree it makes feeding easier, but I personally have never seen tortoises opening a jar of pellets and for babies they seem to get addicted to the molasses covering the pellets. Mazuri original. My opinion.
This was a very pyramided and sick tortoise the local wildlife rescue wanted me to take. You can see she is eating with gusto now. That's Mary Knobbins and grape leafs
View attachment 314905
Mine is a baby and I just want her to grown strong and big ??? thanks for you help - I too have started growing my own flowers to help with her diet - I don’t to gardening so only have indoor windowsill ones and have a variety of 6 to help feed her ☺️? but here’s shelly0CB4EDC2-1831-4C2F-9CAE-ECA3BB873F89.jpeg
 

Marz ??&?shelly

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L
There are many types of "pellets". Some are great and some aren't so great. Which type are you offering to your tortoise?

Pellets are fine as a supplement an otherwise varied weedy, leafy, high fiber diet. I don't like pellets as a tortoise's main food source.

Hey Tom

thanks again for replying attached is a pic of the pallet food I bought her( but have not been feeding her Also both the thermometer hun and bulbs arrived today so I will set both up ready for the morning

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
There are many types of "pellets". Some are great and some aren't so great. Which type are you offering to your tortoise?

Pellets are fine as a supplement an otherwise varied weedy, leafy, high fiber diet. I don't like pellets as a tortoise's main food source.
 

JoesMum

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I use Komodo. They’re fine as long as they’re soaked in water (not juice) before feeding. Few of us in the UK manage through the winter minths without supplementing with pellets, but they shouldn’t be the staple diet.

Tearing at leaves helps keeps a tortoise’s beak in shape. If they only eat mushy pellets you will be faced with regular vet bills to get the beak trimmed when it overgrows.

Your tort should be eating weedy and leafy greens and getting daily soaks of at least 20 minutes in warm water.

It will benefit from a tiny sprinkle of calcium powder on food three times a week - no more as you can overdo it.

It can’t digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, carrot and bell pepper should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.

Cucumber and lettuce contain little fibre and and few nutrients so should also be fed sparingly.

Write a list of things that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. If you can’t identify a plant, post a photo in our Plant ID section and someone will help.

 

Marz ??&?shelly

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Joined
Jan 6, 2021
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Reading
I use Komodo. They’re fine as long as they’re soaked in water (not juice) before feeding. Few of us in the UK manage through the winter minths without supplementing with pellets, but they shouldn’t be the staple diet.

Tearing at leaves helps keeps a tortoise’s beak in shape. If they only eat mushy pellets you will be faced with regular vet bills to get the beak trimmed when it overgrows.

Your tort should be eating weedy and leafy greens and getting daily soaks of at least 20 minutes in warm water.

It will benefit from a tiny sprinkle of calcium powder on food three times a week - no more as you can overdo it.

It can’t digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, carrot and bell pepper should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.

Cucumber and lettuce contain little fibre and and few nutrients so should also be fed sparingly.

Write a list of things that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. If you can’t identify a plant, post a photo in our Plant ID section and someone will help.

Thank you and yea I’ve been using the plant page like a bible - constantly checking it to see if I can my tortoise certain flowers and veg and in what moderation - today I looked up pak Choi - ??
 
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