Repcal Tortoise food

[Tnewton]

I personally wouldnt feed hay at 2 months old. I know some do but you need to have it super moist for them to eat. Grass, flowers, weeds, store greens is all I feed. I actually plant grass right in the enclosure, works out great

 

[byerssusan]

Well day one with starting the switching process. I added mostly green pellets of the repcal, a little red..and a pinch of very fine hay..I moistened it very well before putting it in the enclosure. Well she finally wakes up gives a yawn and starts her daily routine.. She walks over to her food..Gives it a look because she knows something is diff. She takes a small bite.. And it almost look like she shook her head haha.. She tasted a little..then started pacing around her enclosure..coming back to the food every time taking a small bite here and there. She has been doing this now for awhile. SHe is actually upset I believe..She is trying to move rocks in her enclosure where she has not ever even tried to go before. She is still pacing.. She has eaten some of it. And I won't give in until she eats all she will eat. Funny though it was only a pinch full I mixed with it.. Smart little critters!!

First pic is of course her food
2nd pic her yawning before her day begins
3rd is of her just checking it out
4th her first bite

 

[byerssusan]

Its now 1:22 pm and she is still pacing around the enclosure. Even going ito her humid hide every once in awhile which she did not do before. She wanted nothing to do with it. I moistened the soil earlier to get the humidity up it was getting way to dry..I don't know she hasen't finished eating what I had put in there this morning. She has probably eaten only half of it. So what is going on here? Anyone else have their torts act in this manner? I did forget to mention I removed the uvb light immediatley after reading it could make her go blind. I cannot afford another at this moment so am working on a enclosure for her outside a couple of hours a day.

 

[Madkins007]

If the mixing does not work, go cold turkey. Go ahead and give her a big meal of Repcal, then let her skip a day with no food at all, then only offer a relatively small amount of greens and maybe a strawberry, mushroom or other treat. A good treat should entice the tort to take a bite, even if only out of curiosity.

She'll probably ignore it and try to wait you out. Leave the stuff there overnight, then don't offer anything the next day (or just offer greens). The day after that, reoffer greens and a treat. Keep it up for at least a week, preferably two, before trying another method.

Tortoises have incredibly slow metabolisms compared to us hungry, fast-burning mammals. Going a week without food is not much worse for him than skipping a meal or two is for us.

 

[byerssusan]

How long do you think I should keep trying the switch before just going cold turkey with her?

 

[Madkins007]

I would give any changes a couple weeks to see what happens.

 

[byerssusan]

Okay thank you very much. Your help is very much appreciated. I will keep doing like I am for 2 weeks and then go from there.

 

[128woo]

I think Repcal has too high protein ratio, so I'd rather supply it with grass or other stuff.