Preferred Protein Source?

[Nixxy]

I've heard a lot say slugs, and a lot say Cat Food...I can't help but feel skeptical on cat food, is their a specific brand that is good?


I know Red Foots are advised to have some animal protein. (Around every two weeks, correct?)

Is there a good way to get a tort who has never had cat food to enjoy it or eat it? Or do they like it right off? Depends, I'm guessing, on the tort.

 

[Mgridgaway]

Personally, I stay away from processed foods for torts with the one exception of Mazuri. Like crack, for turtles. And iguanas, I've come to find out.

Of course, Mazuri is not animal protein, so I usually offer my torts either nice big earthworms (get 'em at Walmart for a few bucks) or boiled chicken (nothing says home cooking like boiling meat ;p)

I know people suggest cat food and have had plenty of success, but I feel like there are much better options out there that are just as cheap and more in line with what a redfoot would actually eat in the wild.

On a side note, Harper wasn't even interested in the slug I gave her tonight... but the EBT juveniles destroyed them.

 

[Nixxy]

Hm, sounds like some chicken around the house will make Toby quite happy. I'm sure my Stinkpot, Speedy, would like it as well.

 

[Madkins007]

Preferred? Mine LOVE pinkies, but that is pretty messy. They will gladly eat a lot of stuff, even things that are questionable for them.

I have used cat food in the past, and even though I have a cat I can 'borrow' food from, I rarely use it any more. Now, I use a very occasional meal worm, pinkies, chicken strips from the salad bar, an occasional chunk of oily fish, lightly cooked egg... kind of whatever I have sitting around.

 

[Redstrike]

I'm with Mark, mine go nuts for pinkies, but they get them infrequently as they are quite a mess!

I use black soldier fly larvae to compost with (Hermetia illucens) and they double nicely as a protein source for my redfoots. It was no coincidence that I chose these as composting insects... Usually they are marketed as "soldier grubs", "phoenix worms", or "reptiworms". Like Mark said, whatever is sitting around can serve as a good animal protein.

 

[Nixxy]

Neat, so it's not terribly specific.

I've seen Reptiworms advertised at one of the locally run pet stores around here, along with a few other types of feeder insects.

I'll have to pick some up.

 

[Madkins007]

You want to be smart- nothing too fatty or salty, or with too much chemical stuff in it. Other than that... heck, there are people feeding their red-foots with stuff left over from slaughtering game animals or fresh, uncooked bones with some tissue left on it.

I DID forget to add organ meats- most are great for the torts, but I rarely use them (yuck) so never remember to mention them.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I like to give mine chicken, but I found one eating a dead lizard the other day. Obviously, mine are not picky!

 

[Mgridgaway]

I like to give mine chicken, but I found one eating a dead lizard the other day. Obviously, mine are not picky!

I know! We love to pamper our torts, but I'm sure they'd be just as happy eating carrion because that's probably a major source of animal protein in the wild.

Personally, I'm still waiting for that Youtube video where a pack of Redfoots takes down a Jaguar

 

[Nixxy]

Most likely. You can only imagine the things they would eat in the wild for animal protein.

Though I can't help but only feed my animals things I deem.......sanitary? And not..disgusting..

Okay, pinkies are pretty gross, but compared to...organs..or live rabbits..(Obviously not for torts, I mean larger snakes.)

 

[Hustler]

Anyone use the crockodile mazuri as a protine supplement?

 

[Jeansie1988]

I just got my red foot and i had no idea that they ate pinkies! hmm, i shall give mine one soon and see how that works!
If you do feed them pinkies, how often?

 

[Nixxy]

Well, you generally give them an animal protein source around every 10 days.

I'm not sure it's the same for that, but I'd imagine so.

 

[wheezysmomma]

(Yuck pinkies) thanks for posting this question as I was just wondering the same thing Wheezy is coming home soon and we want to make sure we have Everything she needs before she gets here

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

I've heard a lot say slugs, and a lot say Cat Food...I can't help but feel skeptical on cat food, is their a specific brand that is good?

I know Red Foots are advised to have some animal protein. (Around every two weeks, correct?)

Is there a good way to get a tort who has never had cat food to enjoy it or eat it? Or do they like it right off? Depends, I'm guessing, on the tort.

I use dried grass/hay.

 

[MistyChee']

I don't feed mine pinkys. I give her boiled or baked chicken breast. When I cook chicken for the family to eat I take a pice off (raw with no seasonings) and cook it for her. I honestly don't think I could watch her eat a pinky mouse and she's mostly hand fed.

 

[wheezysmomma]

I could not feed a pinky I used to work at a petstore and we had to feed frozen thawed pinkies and I just Hated doing that!!

 

[Nixxy]

Yeah, personally, I'd prefer not too..

Worms and chicken breast it is.

 

[Madkins007]

Just FYI- even though worms get mentioned a lot, for some odd reason many red-footeds don't seem to like them.

 

[Nixxy]

I'll have to test the waters a bit.

I haven't actually seen him do it, but it seems Toby eats the occasional bug outside. Maybe it's just grass, but it looks like he sneaks his head down and picks out a bug here and there.

I give my stinkpot earthworms..

That anything he might like?

Are they any bugs he shouldn't be fed or should avoid? I've read a lot on plants that are harmful, not any bugs..