Hunger strike

[James9811]

Hi all
My baby horsefield seems to be on a hunger strike. All he wants to eat is lambs lettuce and Pak Choi, which are amber foods on the tortoise table. Obviously at this time of year where I live weeds are few and far between so I’m trying to feed him on a healthy mix of supermarket stuff until the weeds start growing in. Any advice? Whatever we put down he just walks away from unless it’s the two items listed above. We’ve fed him as we usually would but we’ve taken away the Pak Choi and lambs lettuce. It’s been two days now and he’s eaten very little.
Thanks guys. Sorry to pester you all (again)

 

[Lyn W]

Hi again,
Carry on with the food he likes but chop up some of the new food into smaller pieces and if you wet the leaves they'll stick and be hard to avoid.
Have you tried the Aldi mix yet? It has radicchio in it which torts usually love.
Lambs lettuce is fine and safe to feed (green), just cut back on the pak choi

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Otherwise try the tough love approach and give the food you want him to eat, but if he leaves it, remove at the end of the day and repeat a few days. As long as they have water they can go a while without food and when he's hungry he'll eventually eat - sounds harsh and I'm glad I've not had to do that.

 

[James9811]

Hi again,
Carry on with the food he likes but chop up some of the new food into smaller pieces and if you wet the leaves they'll stick and be hard to avoid.
Have you tried the Aldi mix yet? It has radicchio in it which torts usually love.
Lambs lettuce is fine and safe to feed (green), just cut back on the pak choi

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Otherwise try the tough love approach and give the food you want him to eat, but if he leaves it, remove at the end of the day and repeat a few days. As long as they have water they can go a while without food and when he's hungry he'll eventually eat - sounds harsh and I'm glad I've not had to do that.

Hey Lyn!

I sure did! He absolutely loves the radicchio but he just won’t touch anything else! I’ll try your steps of advice and then move on to the tough love if all else fails! Thanks so much

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Actual hunger will end the hunger strike.
All tortoises develop a favorite food. Young tortoises often DEMAND their favorite food.

 

[Ruffinions]

Hi again,
Carry on with the food he likes but chop up some of the new food into smaller pieces and if you wet the leaves they'll stick and be hard to avoid.
Have you tried the Aldi mix yet? It has radicchio in it which torts usually love.
Lambs lettuce is fine and safe to feed (green), just cut back on the pak choi

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

Browse and Search the Tortoise Table Plant Database

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Otherwise try the tough love approach and give the food you want him to eat, but if he leaves it, remove at the end of the day and repeat a few days. As long as they have water they can go a while without food and when he's hungry he'll eventually eat - sounds harsh and I'm glad I've not had to do that.

Hi Lyn
What is the aldi mix that you refer to?
Thanks

 

[Mikee1977]

Haha, glad it's not just our Tort that has a Pak Choi addiction. We call it Crack Choi. He'll leave everything else and go straight for it so we have had to strictly ration it.

Thankfully he'll pretty much eat anything we put in front of him (as long as it's fresh - He won't touch dried food/flowers/supplements)