My Young Sulcatas Winter Diet, Worked.

Len B

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Grape and maple leaves that fell into their pen last fall, Dried lawn clippings re-hydrated, Dry Mazuri LS diet available at all times, Small amount of Mazuri original mixed with the moistened lawn clippings.Cuttle bones.This is what I offered the 3 younger ones.I weighed Toad in early January she was 25 pounds yesterday she weighed in at a little over 35 pound she will turn 3 in May.The lawn is made up of dozens of different types of weeds and grasses.video 031 toad.jpg Toad is the smaller one, the other is Enoch, she will turn 5 in September. I haven't weighed her since the new year, She was at 48 pounds then
 

Yvonne G

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Looks like you've made your own fodder for them. They ate it readily?
 

Len B

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Looks like you've made your own fodder for them. They ate it readily?
Yes, all of the sulcatas but Walker. If I pile it up for Sylvia so she can reach it, she eats it also, --she seems to be able to reach smaller items off the ground than she could when she came to live here-- I have one leopard that eats it also.
 

Prairie Mom

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Excellent post!!

I didn't realize you re-hydrate your dried lawn clippings. Do they re-hydrate well?

I have a couple other questions...
-You simply dry out your lawn clippings on the patio, right?
-Have you had any issues with mold on the grass as it is drying out and as it is being stored? (I assume you're just storing in bags??)
 

Len B

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Excellent post!!

I didn't realize you re-hydrate your dried lawn clippings. Do they re-hydrate well?

I have a couple other questions...
-You simply dry out your lawn clippings on the patio, right?
-Have you had any issues with mold on the grass as it is drying out and as it is being stored? (I assume you're just storing in bags??)
i soak it in warm to hot water a few minutes before feeding, it doesn't take long for it to absorb enough water. The weather determines how I dry it more than anything. If we are not supposed to get rain I just leave it setting on the driveway and mix it up several times a day, I then put some in the laundry baskets or the smaller paper bags that you get at the grocery stores if you ask for paper.Picture 009.jpg It still has to be mixed around some until it gets completely dry or it may get moldy. To store it after it is dry I use those large heavy duty paper bags that people fill with leaves in the fall. I just leave the filled bags in a shed that stays dry inside until I use them.
 

Prairie Mom

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This was incredibly helpful. Thank you! I'll be trying it out this winter.
 

Prairie Mom

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Hey Len:) @Turtulas-Len I'm going to keep coming back with questions:)

So, I haven't even had my last frost date yet, but I'm already considering food for next winter, especially considering how big my little sulcata's appetite has increased! I'm attempting to dry out grass and weeds right now like you've suggested so I can test it out before I really need it.
I was just curious...
-How early do you start saving grass for the winter?
-And what is the longest you've been able to store dried grass without any issues?

Thanks!
 
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DawnH

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Hey Len:) I'm going to keep coming back with questions:)

So, I haven't even had my last frost date yet, but I'm already considering food for next winter, especially considering how big my little sulcata's appetite has increased! I'm attempting to dry out grass and weeds right now like you've suggested so I can test it out before I really need it.
I was just curious...
-How early do you start saving grass for the winter?
-And what is the longest you've been able to store dried grass without any issues?

Thanks!

Yes! My questions exactly. Do tell!
 

Len B

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I believe I started drying the lawn clippings sometime in September, At least once a week I still give them some of last years moistened clippings with a small amount of mazuri. They still eat it and I cant see anything wrong with the clippings, I have them stored in large paper bags so it can breath and not build up moisture, away from light in a shed that has a floor so it stays completely dry, I wish I had cut and saved some of the early spring weeds when they were available, maybe next year. I don't have a guess on how long the nutritional value stays good with it being stored this way. But it still looks and smells like it did when it was first dried last year.
 

Prairie Mom

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I believe I started drying the lawn clippings sometime in September, At least once a week I still give them some of last years moistened clippings with a small amount of mazuri. They still eat it and I cant see anything wrong with the clippings, I have them stored in large paper bags so it can breath and not build up moisture, away from light in a shed that has a floor so it stays completely dry, I wish I had cut and saved some of the early spring weeds when they were available, maybe next year. I don't have a guess on how long the nutritional value stays good with it being stored this way. But it still looks and smells like it did when it was first dried last year.
Good to know! Thanks!
 

Lyn W

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This may be a silly question but I'm going to ask it anyway - if you were to put grass in a zipped pillow case or something like would you be able you dry it in tumble dryer or would that process be too quick?
 

Prairie Mom

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This may be a silly question but I'm going to ask it anyway - if you were to put grass in a zipped pillow case or something like would you be able you dry it in tumble dryer or would that process be too quick?
Try it, Lyn! Try it! :D People dry herbs in the oven with the door open. I think your dryer idea sounds awesome as long as the grass all stays in the pillow case. If you try this, please let me know!
 

waretrop

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This topic is why I joined this forum. I like the idea of drying grass and weeds. I have about 4 dehydrators. My big one will do the trick. I will be dehydrating grass, my own grape leaves, and weeds on our property that my Alice eats. I plan on dehydrating things for her and slightly vacuum packing what I dehydrate. I would like to know who much Turtulas-Len is putting up for the Winter. I know how much grass and weeds along with some veggies I give her and turtle pellets per day. I can't imaging how much I have to dry for the Winter. I will begin tomorrow measuring. So Alice just loves prickly pair cactus pads. I can dehydrate them also if I find them on sale. I am afraid I can't find them in Pa. in the Winter so I will save allot from now on.
 

Lyn W

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Try it, Lyn! Try it! :D People dry herbs in the oven with the door open. I think your dryer idea sounds awesome as long as the grass all stays in the pillow case. If you try this, please let me know!
Do you know what I'd completely forgotten at this thread while my paperwork had taken over my life - so I apologise but I will experiment next weekend and let you know!
 

Prairie Mom

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This topic is why I joined this forum. I like the idea of drying grass and weeds. I have about 4 dehydrators. My big one will do the trick. I will be dehydrating grass, my own grape leaves, and weeds on our property that my Alice eats. I plan on dehydrating things for her and slightly vacuum packing what I dehydrate. I would like to know who much Turtulas-Len is putting up for the Winter. I know how much grass and weeds along with some veggies I give her and turtle pellets per day. I can't imaging how much I have to dry for the Winter. I will begin tomorrow measuring. So Alice just loves prickly pair cactus pads. I can dehydrate them also if I find them on sale. I am afraid I can't find them in Pa. in the Winter so I will save allot from now on.
Welcome to the forum waretrop! I love your tortoise's name... I have a daughter named Alice:) Keep us posted in how everything works for you!
 

waretrop

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Thanks for I will keep everyone posted, Prairie Mom about my dehydrating all Alice's food for the Winter. Actually, Alice was named after the original owners, mother. LOL They couldn't keep her anymore because she is go large. I am honored to have been chosen to be her keeper for this stage of her and my life.....
 

Len B

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This topic is why I joined this forum. I like the idea of drying grass and weeds. I have about 4 dehydrators. My big one will do the trick. I will be dehydrating grass, my own grape leaves, and weeds on our property that my Alice eats. I plan on dehydrating things for her and slightly vacuum packing what I dehydrate. I would like to know who much Turtulas-Len is putting up for the Winter. I know how much grass and weeds along with some veggies I give her and turtle pellets per day. I can't imaging how much I have to dry for the Winter. I will begin tomorrow measuring. So Alice just loves prickly pair cactus pads. I can dehydrate them also if I find them on sale. I am afraid I can't find them in Pa. in the Winter so I will save allot from now on.
Sorry I didn't keep track of what I dried and how much of what I did dry was eaten.I feed the re-hydrated dried lawn to 6 tortoises. As for the leaves mine prefer to eat them dried naturally whole after they fall from the trees.I don't rake leaves anymore in their area, in fact neighbors bring me leaves to help feed the torts. I am guessing I think I put up between 11 and 15 of those very large heavy duty paper lawn debris bags. they go a long way.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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August September October, hmm that's some big heep of paper work. I am just finding this thread at all thanks to Prairie Mom. Now I'm curious about the pillow cover idea too.
Do you know what I'd completely forgotten at this thread while my paperwork had taken over my life - so I apologise but I will experiment next weekend and let you know!
 

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