Prickly Pear Cactus pads and fruit safe?

[holliewould]

I have a large field of Prickly Pear. I read they eat cactus pads. Is this a safe variety of cactus to feed my giants? They have very tiny hair like thorns on the pads and the fruit. Do I burn them off or are they equipped to eat them? Thanks for the input.

 

[Itort]

Excellant food. My torts (redfoots, forstens, homes hingebacks, and black mountain torts) have no problem with the spines.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

Yes they love it! Some leave the tiny hairs and some burn/rub them off but it really is your decision with what to do.

 

[Tom]

I use heavy rubber gloves and rub the tiny little spines off under running water. Burning them off works too. Both the pads and the fruits are excellent tortoise food. High in fiber, calcium and moisture.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Excellant food.