too many different opinions to feed...whats healthy and whats not

[Nonameredfoot]

I have been reading up on red footed torts quite a bit, Im new to them and just got mine yesterday...Ive read several places to feed kale raddishes and romain lettuce...are these any good? some places say yes and others say no. What other veggies and fruits are good for them?

 

[dmarcus]

Check out the thread below and it will give you a great start.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Raising-REDFOOT-Hatchling-to-Adults-Do-s-Don-t-s#axzz1TEQ0wHwC

 

[Nonameredfoot]

Thanks!

 

[DixieParadise]

www.tortoiselibrary.com has a great page of info on Redfoots.

 

[Madkins007]

Let's start with a couple basics- there are not many fruits, vegetables, or fresh meats a human can eat that are really bad for a Red-foot.

However... root vegetables are not something they would run into often and are generally pretty tough. Potatoes, carrots, radishes, etc.- not easy to eat for a tortoise. We often shred carrots or offer some sweet potatoes to help provide a more balanced mix of vitamins but most of the vitamins in question can also come from squash or pumpkin.

In general, they don't like hot things like the hotter peppers, or acidic things like citrus (although an occasional naval orange seems to be appreciated and is full of good nutrients.)

They cannot digest dairy, so we stay away from milk, cheese, etc. They also cannot digest unprocessed grains and seeds, so we avoid them as well.

Next- obviously some things are healthier than others, but more annoyingly, some 'unhealthy' items are loaded with useful nutrients. What we generally recommend is to offer a 'varied, balanced diet', like Kristina posted here- http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ises-The-Balanced-Diet-Revealed#axzz1TFwiIrVg

We try to offer a lot of different foods, although not necessarily all at once. Spring Mix this week, and collard greens next. Apple slices today, strawberries next week- like that.

The 'balance' is sort of a food pyramid-
- Lots of green leaves, flowers, stems, stalks, garden plants, tree leaves (not oak!), yard plants, etc.
- Smaller amount of vegetables, especially those with seeds (which are technically fruits!)- shredded carrot, bell peppers, squash, etc.
- Some fruit once in a while- mostly veggies with seeds, but some of the sweeter, wetter stuff we usually call fruit.
- Occasionally some meat or animal protein- I prefer live bugs and worms but things like eggs, chicken, oily fish, and more are fine.

You can supplement all of this with a good tortoise chow. The two most widely viewed as being good are Zoo Med Natural Tortoise Food, and Mazuri Tortoise Diet. We often make fun of the multi-colored offerings, calling them 'Fruity Pebbles' or 'Froot Loopz'.

The Library has some more, and some links you can try.