They won't eat it

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Well, I've tried three different kinds of commercial foods:
- ZooMed Natural Grassland (ingredients look pretty good),
- Zilla Land Turtle and Tortoise food (didn't realize it has fish meal in it),
- and the ever-popular Mazuri Tortoise Diet, which my redfoot used to love

However, our Russian tortoise will have nothing to do with any of these! I guess this confirms that they are WC subadults, because they would literally rather eat dry, fallen tree leaves than any of these commercial foods, including Mazuri.

So what to do? Should I "trick" them into eating this stuff, and if so, how? I don't want to be too underhanded, or turn them off of natural foods they already love by mixing them with stuff they don't like. Any suggestions?

 

[Fernando123]

Would you be willing to try the new Marion Red Tortoise sticks? My Russian won't eat Mazuri. He'll eat Cactus and Aloe and Rose Petals, but won't touch Mazuri.

He likes the Red stuff because of the coloring I believe. And once you get him introduced to that, maybe you can sneak in the Zooland tortoise stuff. Or play tuff love and don't feed him for a day or more until he gives.

 

[dmarcus]

Wow that's a tough decision. If you don't wanna waste anything then i say find a way to mix it with the things they like, but if thats not an issue, just let them eat there natural foods that they enjoy..

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I'd rather avoid the red stuff because, as has been discussed in a couple other threads, it gets its color from artificial dyes. I figure if Mazuri is good enough for Galaps and Aldabras in zoos, then its good enough for my pets, but if they won't eat it, I'm not sure what to do to get them to eat it.

God forbid that I should starve them of real greens they already love, just to get them to eat a convenient but artificial product. This is why I only bought the sample 1-lb resealable bag: just in case they never want it. But hopefully at some point they will.

I guess I should feel lucky, because they started eating natural, whole foods like champions a few days after I got them, and seem eager to continue doing so. But it would just be a bit easier and cheaper if I could just include Mazuri and ZooMed in their diet every now and then.

 

[Fernando123]

lol okay. Yeah, I'd just leave them the way they are if they're eating great stuff already. Problem solved.

 

[Zouave]

What about natural colouring? Need to check the labels but maybe organic beet juice or something to tint the mazuri a more enticing colour. maybe mixed with a colourful "treat" like flowers?

Good luck

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

What about natural colouring? Need to check the labels but maybe organic beet juice or something to tint the mazuri a more enticing colour. maybe mixed with a colourful "treat" like flowers?

Good luck

Great thought! Sounds like a fun project, too. I'll try something like that if they don't come around, and let you know what happens.

 

[dmmj]

My russians (3) won't touch mazuri, my RF on the other hand is addicted to it.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

My russians (3) won't touch mazuri, my RF on the other hand is addicted to it.

Hmm ... my redfoot loved it, too, which is why I'm kind of surprised these two RTs don't. I thought maybe it's because the redfoot was CB and these guys are WC, but maybe the difference is not due to personal history, but rather species preference. Well, we will see what happens.

 

[Torty Mom]

Have you tried DEANS's tortie lasagne? Here is a link:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-TORTOISE-LASAGNE?highlight=lasagne#axzz1PZAcavvw

Try a few different layers, with their favorite on top and maybe they will be so busy munching they won't even notice the other stuff you put in it!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Have you tried DEANS's tortie lasagne? Here is a link:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-TORTOISE-LASAGNE?highlight=lasagne#axzz1PZAcavvw

Try a few different layers, with their favorite on top and maybe they will be so bust munching they won't even notice the other stuff you put in it!

Another great idea. Thanks, everyone.

 

[Neal]

What works with my daughter is if she sees us eat the food and how happy it makes us to eat it, then she want to try it out.

Something to consider.

 

[Angi]

I wouldn't worry about it and just give him a good veriety of greens, weeds, flowers and cactus.

 

[Laura]

my russian doesnt eat it either.. but why does he have to? he likes his weeds I give him.
if yours like color... then try the beet juice...

 

[ascott]

Hmmmm.....I would say continue to let them eat what is best for them like the natural stuff....I am not bashing the natural food replacement foods....but natural grown (and even better native natural grown) is always best...again, this is strictly my opinion :

 

[dmmj]

What works with my daughter is if she sees us eat the food and how happy it makes us to eat it, then she want to try it out.

Something to consider.

Problem solved, you just fix up a big bowl of mazuri for yourself and you keep grinning through the whole bowl.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Well, I've tried three different kinds of commercial foods:
- ZooMed Natural Grassland (ingredients look pretty good),
- Zilla Land Turtle and Tortoise food (didn't realize it has fish meal in it),
- and the ever-popular Mazuri Tortoise Diet, which my redfoot used to love

However, our Russian tortoise will have nothing to do with any of these! I guess this confirms that they are WC subadults, because they would literally rather eat dry, fallen tree leaves than any of these commercial foods, including Mazuri.

So what to do? Should I "trick" them into eating this stuff, and if so, how? I don't want to be too underhanded, or turn them off of natural foods they already love by mixing them with stuff they don't like. Any suggestions?

Mix the prepared food w/ your Russian's favorite treat...start out w/ 5-10% prepared food and gradually add up to 50%.

BTW, have you reconsidered trying the new Marion Red Tortoise Sticks?...so far, all of the torts/boxies I've offered it to have gone nuts over it. And it doesn't turn their "poop" red, so I doubt that there's much, if any, food dye in it, just beet juice.

 

[Fernando]

Yeah, that was my first post in this thread. He said he doesn't like the red food coloring.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Yeah, that was my first post in this thread. He said he doesn't like the red food coloring.

Yeah, I saw that, but I don't think there's much food dye in it, as there's not enough to turn the "poop" red, and we all know what an appreciable amount of food dye will do to our own...

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Update:
I've been mixing Mazuri Tortoise Diet and ZooMed Natural Grassland in with my Russians' normal greens. At first they picked around these proprietary foods, but now they are ingesting them along with the greens, and even taking a few bites of the Mazuri all by itself. However, they still don't finish off the commercial stuff when that's all that's left. We'll see if they ever totally accept it. For now, though, they are at least eating some of it. I'll keep you posted.