Poop eating.

[Thalatte]

How do I stop it?
I keep their cage fairly clean-as soon as I see food or poop I grab it out and sift through the substrate for any missed pieces. And so far haven't notice them eating any. However when I let them out side, even though I clean up before hand, they still find pieces of dog and cat poop that they eat. It's gross and I would like to know if I can stop it?

 

[Baoh]

That is what they do.

 

[arotester]

Torts eat it because they are lacking some nutrients and eating poop gives them their nutrients.So you need to look into their diet more than cleaning.Also,eating dog or cat poop can damage the tort in many ways(parasites),so try and avoid that.

 

[Baoh]

Give them any nutrients you want and they will still consume feces.

 

[arotester]

my words come from experience and not from aliens.Torts eat poop as a snack as it contain undigested food and if you feed them well and i mean well, you can stop that.

 

[Baoh]

Sure thing, boss.

 

[Dizisdalife]

I can't keep the entire yard free of poop (or other dangers), but my tortoise's pen is protected from dogs, cats, and most other animals. He still finds some bird poop. He stopped eating his own poop when he started going outside everyday. He was about 6 inches long then. He has grown much bigger. So has the pen. The idea of giving him a safe home that is free of anything that can harm him is the same. Gives me peace of mind.

 

[Tom]

How do I stop it?

You don't. This is a normal part of tortoise behavior. It is good for them in most cases with a helathy tortoise and helps them to further extract nutrients from their food. Rabbits and rats use a similar process.

I would not let mine eat poop from other animals, but that is something that they eat in the wild. Many tortoises have eaten dog or cat poop with no apparent ill effect, but I wouldn't consider it a good practice in captivity in general.

I have seen video of a CDT hatching out of the ground. The first thing it did was walk over and start eating some of its mothers old dried poop. It didn't run for cover. It didn't sit and bask. It didn't look for water. The FIRST thing it did was walk over to the nearest pile of feces and start munching.

I still keep my enclosures "clean", but if they eat some of their own poop, it is not a big deal.

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my words come from experience and not from aliens.Torts eat poop as a snack as it contain undigested food and if you feed them well and i mean well, you can stop that.

Sorry. I don't agree with this either. I can eat a huge dinner with soup, bread, steak, potatoes and all the fixin's, but I still want some ice cream on top of a brownie smothered in chocolate afterward...

Feces is food to them. You can put out a plate of greens as big as you want with whatever supplements you want and some of them will still go eat the turd they just dropped.

 

[Thalatte]

Alright thanks. I know it's not nutrient deficiency as they eat massive piles of: escarole, mustard greens, collard greens, squash, carrots, steamed broccoli (finely minced and only a little), cilantro, cactus (when I have it), bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and various lettuces. They greens are feed daily but I mix up the veggies weekly.
Next questions I have: anyone use metal water troughs or bins to house torts outside? I am wondering if it will get significantly hotter since its in the sun.
At what size can I start them on grass hay?

 

[mainey34]

I agree with tom. There is no way to stop it. . I clean my yard daily of dog feces..torts can smell it a mile away, i swear..however, bird feces and other animal feces carry worms. I have this problem...wich i have to have a fecal done every 6 months...

 

[Thalatte]

I do fecal tests before I bring them in for the summer and do clean the yard daily but still seems to miss pieces that the sulcatas find...haven't noticed any bird droppings in the backyard just dog and the occasional cat. I am working on building sections of predator proof yard for the torts. Have a couple concrete companies coming by to give estimates on building rounded walls. And I have the trough for the babies if it doesn't get too hot.

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I meant to say before I bring them in for the winter...as they are outside in the summer(except on days that get over 115F)

 

[arotester]

Sure thing, boss.

your signature statement really implies to you in lot of ways!!!

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Sorry. I don't agree with this either. I can eat a huge dinner with soup, bread, steak, potatoes and all the fixin's, but I still want some ice cream on top of a brownie smothered in chocolate afterward...

Feces is food to them. You can put out a plate of greens as big as you want with whatever supplements you want and some of them will still go eat the turd they just dropped.

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i know it's no harm in it (unless there is a parasite exchange)but we can make them stop eating their poop.I have done that , believe me or not it's your choice.
no issues there

 

[Baoh]

Sure thing, boss.

your signature statement really implies to you in lot of ways!!!

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

-The Princess Bride

 

[Clementine]

Arotester, how exactly, would you make them stop doing that? It seems like perfectly normal behavior to me (for a tort) but I am interested in how you "make them stop"? Just curious

 

[arotester]

Sure thing, boss.

your signature statement really implies to you in lot of ways!!!

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

-The Princess Bride

well,first thing i want to say is sorry for my words ,this is not how i was taught to behave,i get offended when someone is sarcastic and stubborn.So,i say it again i am so so sorry(hands folded and headed bowed).

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Arotester, how exactly, would you make them stop doing that? It seems like perfectly normal behavior to me (for a tort) but I am interested in how you "make them stop"? Just curious

hi clementite,
well it's normal behavior if all torts in the world did that,but here in our state wildlife sanctuary people believe that it's something to do with hunger(in patches) and inability to digest properly.So here they give them small portions of food at different intervals and more importantly the give a herb locally called as Haritki (i don't know the scientific name )that improves the enzymes required for digestion and according to them it prevents coprophagy making stool less palatable.
It can lead to lot of problems if a tort is having habit of eating poop and if accidentally if it eats poop that is having high load of parasites then rest is lot known to all of us.So it's better to avoid rather than calling it normal.
BTW i will try to post pics of the herb if i get hands on some and that will help you relate it to the name at your place.

 

[Tom]

Alright thanks. I know it's not nutrient deficiency as they eat massive piles of: escarole, mustard greens, collard greens, squash, carrots, steamed broccoli (finely minced and only a little), cilantro, cactus (when I have it), bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and various lettuces. They greens are feed daily but I mix up the veggies weekly.
Next questions I have: anyone use metal water troughs or bins to house torts outside? I am wondering if it will get significantly hotter since its in the sun.
At what size can I start them on grass hay?

You absolutely COULD have a nutrient deficiency with that diet. You almost certainly do have a fiber deficiency. Grocery store foods are not a great diet. Sometimes that is all we can get, depending on the seasons and where we live, and we have to make do. You should be offering a vitamin/mineral supplement with that diet. I like MinerAll and/or Repashy. You should also look into a product called "Salad Style". It is basically blended grass hay that you sprinkle on top of the grocery store foods to add some much needed fiber. Sulcatas are grass eaters. They really benefit from high bulk, high fiber, low nutrition foods. The stuff you are feeding is okay, but not the best diet for them. When possible feed them mostly grasses and weeds. Leaves from grape vines, mulberry trees and hibiscus bushes are good too. Add in the occasional spineless opuntia cactus pad, and you will have a happy, healthy tortoise.

Metal stock tanks are no good in the sun. Click the links in my signature for two different ideas for outdoor housing. Both are cheap and easy. Much cheaper and better than a stock tank.

 

[Baoh]

Sure thing, boss.

your signature statement really implies to you in lot of ways!!!

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

-The Princess Bride

well,first thing i want to say is sorry for my words ,this is not how i was taught to behave,i get offended when someone is sarcastic and stubborn.So,i say it again i am so so sorry(hands folded and headed bowed).

No worries. I certainly am not one to care.

 

[Thalatte]

I was told that babies don't eat hay? But that's wrong and I can feed it now?
They have dandelions growing in their enclosure and I have a multivitamin that is added to the salads. They haven't shown an interest in the Bermuda grass when I give them clippings or take them outside.

The only reason I wanted to use the stock tank is that I already have it but if it won't work I will look into building something.

 

[Thalatte]

When I do feed them the hay is t better to do it dry or rehydrate it first?

 

[Tom]

I was told that babies don't eat hay? But that's wrong and I can feed it now?
They have dandelions growing in their enclosure and I have a multivitamin that is added to the salads. They haven't shown an interest in the Bermuda grass when I give them clippings or take them outside.

The only reason I wanted to use the stock tank is that I already have it but if it won't work I will look into building something.

In most cases, babies are not going to walk up to a pile of dry hay and start munching away. That is true. But if you blend it up super fine and sprinkle some on top of some pre-wetted, chopped greens, they will eat it with the greens. Start with a very small amount at first and gradually add more. Pre-soaking the hay is fine. Some tortoises prefer it that way, some don't care. The above mentioned "Salad Style" is already finely chopped up for you. Very convenient. You can get get orchard grass and timothy hay and blend it yourself too. I just usually recommend the stuff that is "ready to go" for people who like the convenience of grocery store foods, or don't have easy access to horse hay.