Sulcata feeding tips.

[Poseidon]

I am having trouble getting my year old sulcata Zeus to eat anything but lettuce. I tried a dessert grass mix in with the lettuce but he pics it all out. I ordered some grass an ants to grow but don't know if he will eat it. Any suggestions will help.

 

[Tom]

They are creatures of habit. If your breeder didn't introduce a wide variety of foods right after hatching, you will have that burden.

Start by cutting up the lettuce super fine. Then cut up the new good stuff super fine and mix in a tiny amount. Stir it up good so there is no way to eat around the new stuff. Your tortoise may decide not to eat the mixture for a day or two. Don't worry about it. Make a fresh batch and keep offering the same thing until the tortoise starts to eat it well. Start with a very small amount of the new stuff and gradually add more over time. The process will take months, but the end result is a tortoise that eats just about anything you offer. Hunger will be your friend during this process. Don't let your tortoise learn that he's more stubborn than you.

Here are some good food ideas.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[rearlpettway]

Training a Sulcata to eat hay:

Here is how we got Kendall to eat hay when she was a hatchling.
1. We cut up Timothy hay and orchard hay with scissors into very small pieces.
2. Placed the chopped hay in a blender and blended until it is a powder.
3. Soaked the blended hay in water for 10 minutes.
4. Drained off the excess water.
5. Chopped up "Spring Mix" greens or any greens that you have available with scissors into very small pieces. Chop the greens as small as possible so that the Sulcata can't pick the greens out of the hay.
6. Mixed the chopped hay with the chopped "Spring Mix" greens or any greens that you have available. Mix very well.
7. Give it to your tortoise.
One day I put the soaked hay in the enclosure before I added the greens and Kendall ate the entire pile of hay. With that said, it works very well at getting a Sulcata to eat hay.


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[Abdulla6169]

Training a Sulcata to eat hay:

Here is how we got Kendall to eat hay when she was a hatchling.
1. We cut up Timothy hay and orchard hay with scissors into very small pieces.
2. Placed the chopped hay in a blender and blended until it is a powder.
3. Soaked the blended hay in water for 10 minutes.
4. Drained off the excess water.
5. Chopped up "Spring Mix" greens or any greens that you have available with scissors into very small pieces. Chop the greens as small as possible so that the Sulcata can't pick the greens out of the hay.
6. Mixed the chopped hay with the chopped "Spring Mix" greens or any greens that you have available. Mix very well.
7. Give it to your tortoise.
One day I put the soaked hay in the enclosure before I added the greens and Kendall ate the entire pile of hay. With that said, it works very well at getting a Sulcata to eat hay.


Sent from Rodney Earl Pettway's iPad using TortForum

That seems helpful!

 

[krh11b23]

They are creatures of habit. If your breeder didn't introduce a wide variety of foods right after hatching, you will have that burden.

Start by cutting up the lettuce super fine. Then cut up the new good stuff super fine and mix in a tiny amount. Stir it up good so there is no way to eat around the new stuff. Your tortoise may decide not to eat the mixture for a day or two. Don't worry about it. Make a fresh batch and keep offering the same thing until the tortoise starts to eat it well. Start with a very small amount of the new stuff and gradually add more over time. The process will take months, but the end result is a tortoise that eats just about anything you offer. Hunger will be your friend during this process. Don't let your tortoise learn that he's more stubborn than you.

Here are some good food ideas.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Yep just as Tom said works very well. I had the same problem with my tort just remember to start off slow adding the good stuff to the lettuce a little at a time gradually adding more and more good luck

 

[Poseidon]

Thanks for all the advice! Has anyone used the zoo med grassland tortoise pellets?

 

[kball]

Thanks for all the advice! Has anyone used the zoo med grassland tortoise pellets?

I do I use the two to three times a week every other day

 

[Poseidon]

How does your tort take to it?

 

[rearlpettway]

Thanks for all the advice! Has anyone used the zoo med grassland tortoise pellets?

We use a few times a month and Kendall loves it.


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