Is this a balanced diet?

[Lark_Tortoise]

Hey everyone! I've had my Russian tortoise for a little over a year now, and I just want to check if her diet is still balanced and healthy enough.

She gets: Bok choy (and baby Bok Choy), mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion (when the store has it), Endive, radicchio, and spring mix.

Is this a good diet? Should I add or take anything away?

Thanks =)

 

[Tom]

Grocery store foods are not a good diet. They tend to lack fiber, be low in calcium, have the wrong calcium to phosphorous ratio, and some of them have other compounds like goiterogens that you don't want.

None of those foods you mentioned are bad or toxic, its just that they shouldn't make up the majority of the diet. If you must use grocery store foods because nothing else is available, then you should favor endive and escarole as the main staples and use small amounts of those other ones once in a while. You'll also need to "amend" the grocery store stuff with fresh grass, soaked ZooMed Grassland pellets, some herbal hay from tortoise supply, or some blended up and rehydrated grass hay. Russians aren't grass eaters, but these are the best ways I know of to add fiber to food that are lacking in it. Start with small amounts of anything new and mix it in thoroughly. In time you can begin to add more as they get used to the new stuff.

The best way to fix this problem is to feed a more "natural" diet of high fiber broadleaf weeds and leaves. Scroll past the sulcata text and skip to the list of good foods here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/. I'll bet you have a while bunch of these around you in the warmer months.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's pretty heavy on the brassicas. Any chance you can add some edible weeds? See if the produce manager will order endive and escarole for you.

 

[RosemaryDW]

It's pretty heavy on the brassicas.

Agreed. The brassicas are all good, but they should be fed less than the chicories.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Once again @RosemaryDW has brought calm rational comments.

All those things are okay, and 80% of the chicories (escarole, radicchio, endive) and 15% brassicas (mustard, collards, turnips) would be okay. You might try some kales once in awhile, but in the mix of the 15%, not the 80%. And leaf lettuces are okay too (damnit).

To gain fiber you can used mulberry leaves, grape leaves, plantain leaves, fresh or dry. You can find these in some grocery stores, or online.

Check out my diet blog, https://kapidolofarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/With-notes-KapidoloFarmsTTPG.pdf

BTW, goiterogens are not an issue. The concern regarding these compounds had been associated with edema in giant tortoises, but that has been debunked.

As for the C: P ratio in the greens you list, none have a bad ratio, but better is better.

 

[Lark_Tortoise]

Today I will go and get some escarole and more endive at the store. They also usually sell dandelions, which I'll get if they have. (in the summer I pick my own)

As for weeds, there's definitely none outside here now. But I will pick some over the summer.
Out of mulberry leaves, grape leaves, and plantain leaves do you know which, if any, she would prefer?

Should I try to eliminate or reduce the amount of baby Bok Choy and normal Bok Choy? Tabitha seems to enjoy it.

I'm pretty sure that my local reptile store has ZooMed Grassland pellets that I'll pick up later today, but should I also add some kind of hay?

Finally, I read that chicory is good. Should I get that if they have it?
Thanks =)

 

[Lark_Tortoise]

Update:
I got endive, escarole, dandelion, and radicchio. (Tabbi's eating that stuff right now.)
The pet store didn't have ZooMed Grassland pellets, those I have to order online.
This is what I found when I looked it up: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TUIVY6/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 Is that the right kind?
--Thanks

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Escarole is chicory. I can ship re-packaged zoomed at a better price. https://kapidolofarms.com/161-2/ . I buy 50 pound bags a repacked it. I have found that of the leaves, Mulberry is liked best.

Update:
I got endive, escarole, dandelion, and radicchio. (Tabbi's eating that stuff right now.)
The pet store didn't have ZooMed Grassland pellets, those I have to order online.
This is what I found when I looked it up: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TUIVY6/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 Is that the right kind?
--Thanks

 

[Lark_Tortoise]

Thanks, as for the zoomed, I unfortunately already purchased some. Do you sell mulberry leaves?
Thanks.
EDIT: (I actually ordered some mulberry leaves from your website =)