so how much do you really feed...

[cvalda]

your RT's?

One of mine, Carmine, is an oinker and EATS EATS EATS. I want to be sure he's not over-eating, 'cause I'm sure he'd love to! Even when we go outside for playtime, he just goes from dandelion to dandelion growing in the yard, chowing down!

Mostly he is fed weeds and greens.

Thanks!

;~) Kelly

 

[Bansh88]

As long as he is just eating weeds and greens, I can't see an overeating problem.
If it were fruit and cucumber and lots of filling type food, I could see it being a problem with constant eating.
Let him go nuts. Especially with winter coming up

 

[Kim]

Make sure he gets good exercise if he eats alot. My little guy eats alot too, but he also gets in a good workout. Just make sure he dosen't get too much protein.

 

[T-P]

You should limit there food.
Overfeeding will be bad.

Just feed this and you'd be fine (eXAMPLE):
2 dandelion leaves
2 dandelion flowers
handful of clovers
1 sowthistle leaf
and something else.

Do this once a day.

If you have more than 1 tortoise, then double that list. if you have 3 or 4 maybe 5 you should 5x it.

 

[cvalda]

that's all? my three big girl can easily down 30 dandelions, and still be hungry!

 

[T-P]

It doesnt sound alot, but overfeeding is easily done.
hence you limit their diet down to a small amount daily.

 

[JustAnja]

There is no reason to underfeed any of your Torts, feed them what they will eat in an average amount of time, say half an hour or so. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed several times daily, and about what they will eat in 20 mins or so each feeding.

 

[T-P]

no, tortoises should only be fed once a day...this again over-feeding can be caused.

 

[JustAnja]

No, hatchlings should be fed several times daily. They have tiny stomachs, thus the need for multiple feedings. Tortoises forage and graze all day in the wild, they dont just run up and eat once per day.

 

[c_pierce705]

I heard some great advice on this. I read once that you should feed them as much as they can eat in 20 minutes or a half hour. I noticed my tort usually just chows for several minutes and then is done. I do tend to spoil though and leave some in there for a while just in case hes hungry but he usually doesnt eat anything else after the initial "chow down"

 

[T-P]

Exactly hatchlings have small stomachs, feeding them several times a day will cause over feeding.

Despite what anyone says, im sticking to my opinion
mostly because over-feeding causes problems, and thats just somethign noone wants to do.

I leave a small plant pottery saucer full of food in my tortoises cage for nearly 1 hour, and that normally goes within that hour.
and thats their feed.

My looi was a hatchling when i first got him, now hes a yearling. I only feed him once a day, when i first got him he was being fed up to 4 times a day then i noticed some engravements in his shell that looked like pyramiding symptoms. So i stopped feeding that much and fed once a day.

Tortoises in the wild are different to tortoises in captivity.

 

[Jacqui]

I tend to take this on an animal by animal bases. I do weight checks, so am watching how much they gain, not how much they eat. Some eat more, some less. Some eat fast and some are all day long munchers. Also it depends on the weather..cool and hot days they get less on average then on rainy days or nice warm days. It's part of experimenting and knowing your animals.

I currently have a very elderly Russian who needs the all day long buffet to get his weight up. He eats slowly and frequently.

I also tend to break up the meals for some of my animals. Ones who get things like worms usually also get a second feeding...sometimes more worms and sometimes it's plant matter. Also I tend to feed my youngsters twice a day.

Just as my Homes hinges get more evening feeding, while most of the other torts are feed in the am.

I also will treat the rest (such as one of the Russian groups) anytime during the day that I go out into the yard past something they like (such as mulberry leaves, dandies, or a hibiscus bloom). So for them it's one main meal and then a munchy or two later.

 

[clark]

i have an african spur thigh due to my job i feed him sometimes one large meal on wed being that im gone from 430am to 7pm.he usual on eats about 3 quaters of the meal thus being what i normaly feed him on the regular days i am home so i agree with the one meal chow down theory from the observations ive made it seems to work

 

[wayne.bob]

i feed my russians and when i do only 1 comes to eat and eats very well but the other never wants to eat and so i leave the food in all day just incase he changes his mind. is there something i can do to make him want to eat because i dont think he eats.

 

[Josh]

wayne.bob what kind of food are you feeding your tortoise?

 

[wayne.bob]

wayne.bob what kind of food are you feeding your tortoise?

right now i am feeding them clover and T-REX Tortoise dry formula sprinkled with tortoise dust

 

[Josh]

clover is good. try to stay away from the tortoise formula stuff. your best bet is grass and weeds most everything else should only be a treat

 

[wayne.bob]

clover is good. try to stay away from the tortoise formula stuff. your best bet is grass and weeds most everything else should only be a treat

OK i will try to stay away from the formula thanks!
should i still sprinkle it with the tortoise dust?

 

[Crazy1]

I give my torts Calcium and Vits 2 times a week. Per my Vet.
It seems to working out fine. I also feed the yearlings 2x daily and the others I have been feeding once daily and I leave it in their pen, usually there is some left when I get home from work, but I too do weights weekly. So I agree with Jacqui and I too occasionally give them a treat in the pm if they are out and about.