Sulactas not eating grass!

[Jonah25]

So my baby sulcatas don’t like grass. They eat everything else I feed them except grass. It’s getting close to winter where I live and I won’t be able to let them outside anymore to get use to it. I figure it’s a kid thing like when I was young I used to only eat candy and pizza, but now I eat a mostly strict healthy diet of vegetables and certain meats. Do they grow out of it or should I keep pushing it?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

So my baby sulcatas don’t like grass. They eat everything else I feed them except grass. It’s getting close to winter where I live and I won’t be able to let them outside anymore to get use to it. I figure it’s a kid thing like when I was young I used to only eat candy and pizza, but now I eat a mostly strict healthy diet of vegetables and certain meats. Do they grow out of it or should I keep pushing it?

Here is an older thread on this topic - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-do-i-get-my-sulcatas-to-eat-grass.184165/
There are advice on how to introduce grass, which one to get, is it necessary and so on. Please check it out. And if you have any questions left - don't hesitate and ask then here

 

[TammyJ]

When they are babies "in the wild", they eat tender young shoots of grass and clover, etc., that they can reach.

 

[wellington]

I have found with my adult leopards, if the weeds and grass is over grown, it's not as appetizing to them. Every so often I have to cut it down so they will eat more of it.
Could this be what is going on with your sullies?
Years ago, Yvonne G mentioned it too, that over grown weeds and grass is likely more bitter and not as enticing as shorter newer fresher growth.

 

[Tom]

So my baby sulcatas don’t like grass. They eat everything else I feed them except grass. It’s getting close to winter where I live and I won’t be able to let them outside anymore to get use to it. I figure it’s a kid thing like when I was young I used to only eat candy and pizza, but now I eat a mostly strict healthy diet of vegetables and certain meats. Do they grow out of it or should I keep pushing it?

What kind of grass and from what source?

Babies need freshly sprouted tender young grass, and it needs to be cut up and mixed with their cut up greens. They can't eat mature yard grass. Its too tough for them.

 

[Jonah25]

I have found with my adult leopards, if the weeds and grass is over grown, it's not as appetizing to them. Every so often I have to cut it down so they will eat more of it.
Could this be what is going on with your sullies?
Years ago, Yvonne G mentioned it too, that over grown weeds and grass is likely more bitter and not as enticing as shorter newer fresher growth.

Well I don’t know if it’s “overgrown”. I just trim it from my yard. I guess it might be a problem. I might have to try to find some new fresh clovers and grass and see if they take to it better. Regardless I’m going to keep introducing it to get them to hopefully take to it.

 

[Jonah25]

What kind of grass and from what source?

Babies need freshly sprouted tender young grass, and it needs to be cut up and mixed with their cut up greens. They can't eat mature yard grass. Its too tough for them.

Gotcha. Yeah it’s yard grass. How do I find the right grass though? How do you tell if it’s freshly sprouted?

 

[Tom]

Gotcha. Yeah it’s yard grass. How do I find the right grass though? How do you tell if it’s freshly sprouted?

Buy sprouted wheat grass at some stores. Cut some off with scissors and mix it in with the greens. Keep the little plots in a sunny window sill and water them and you can get 8 or 9 cuttings per plot.

Or buy pasture grass seed and sprout it yourself. Don't buy lawn seed from a hardware store for this purpose. Get seed intended for grazing animals.

 

[ryan57]

When they are babies "in the wild", they eat tender young shoots of grass and clover, etc., that they can reach.

Absolutely. If you cut your lawn short you can witness this. I also chop up whatever I feed them to the size of the clovers, etc. that I have seen them eat in the yard. If you cut the food to the right size and mix anything together, they WILL eat it. My under 2YO 18lb sulcata didn't "discover" grass until about 8lbs and over 1 year. Now it's on.