Veggies or just weeds?

[Moozillion]

I have been feeding Elsa (4.5 inch long Herman's) a variety of leaves (spring mix, frisée, collards, dandelions). Should I be giving her veggies too? Like zucchini, carrots, etc?

 

[ascott]

Yes, sparingly though....it will be a welcomed treat I am sure

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

About once a week, or just a little mixed in with her regular meals...mostly they need greens (turnip, collard, kale, beet, and/or mustard greens, Swiss chard, etc.) and weeds.

And, I've probably already suggested Marion Red Sticks, soaked and mixed with chopped weeds/green/cactus pads. Cactus pads have a lot of fiber and calcium, so make sure Elsa gets some at least 2X a week.

Stay away from spinach and cabbage, as these deplete the calcium that's needed for strong bones and shells.

And fruit only once in a great while, and even then, only a little...mine each get one (1) strawberry a month (which they love) or, during the summer, I'll give them a pretty well cleaned off water melon rind, occasionally. Sweet things like fruit can upset the "bugs" in their intestines, giving them "the runs" or worse!

 

[GBtortoises]

I feed mine a diet of about 80% greens, 20% vegetables. This exposes them to a variety of vitamins and minerals.

I disagree with Terry on the Marion Red Sticks. By comparison they are the worst of the pellets foods. Tortoises will devour them because they are red. But they are much higher in protein, fat; very low in fiber and with an unknown calcium to phosphorus ratio compared to Mazuri or ZooMed Grassland or Forest pellets. The best of them all in terms of nutrional value and correct balances are the ZooMed products.

I believe that spinach or cabbage shouldn't be overlooked. Both are full of beneficial vitamins. While they may not want to be fed daily, as long as your tortoise remains well hydrated (as it should be anyway) spinach and cabbage are beneficial as a semi-regular part of their diet.

I do agree that fruit should not be part of their regular diet. Occasionally to a healthy tortoise is fine. As a regular diet many fruits can cause digestive problems. With a good varied diet of quality greens and some occasional vegetables there is really no need whatsoever to feed Testudo species any fruit though.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I feed mine a diet of about 80% greens, 20% vegetables. This exposes them to a variety of vitamins and minerals.

I disagree with Terry on the Marion Red Sticks. By comparison they are the worst of the pellets foods. Tortoises will devour them because they are red. But they are much higher in protein, fat; very low in fiber and with an unknown calcium to phosphorus ratio compared to Mazuri or ZooMed Grassland or Forest pellets. The best of them all in terms of nutrional value and correct balances are the ZooMed products.

I believe that spinach or cabbage shouldn't be overlooked. Both are full of beneficial vitamins. While they may not want to be fed daily, as long as your tortoise remains well hydrated (as it should be anyway) spinach and cabbage are beneficial as a semi-regular part of their diet.

I do agree that fruit should not be part of their regular diet. Occasionally to a healthy tortoise is fine. As a regular diet many fruits can cause digestive problems. With a good varied diet of quality greens and some occasional vegetables there is really no need whatsoever to feed Testudo species any fruit though.

Respectfully would like to post this, GB:

Mazuri:
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein not less than 15.0%
Crude fat not less than 3.0%
Crude fiber not more than 18.0%
Calcium (Ca) not less than 0.95%
Calcium (Ca) not more than 1.45%
Phosphorus (P) not less than 0.60%
Sodium (Na) not less than 0.10%
Sodium (Na) not more than 0.60%
Moisture not more than 13.0%

Marion:
Crude Protein, min. 23.0 %;
Crude Fat, min. 6.5 %;
Crude Fiber, max.10.0 %;
Avail. Iron, max, 120 ppm; Moisture, max. 10.0 %;
Acid Detergent Fiber, min. 13.0 % ;
Acid Detergent Fiber, max. 16.0 %;
Ash, max. 7.0 %.

Which is not say that either is an optimum "feed only" source, but used in small quantities, either is about equally nutricious, to augment a tortoise's winter feeding. Weeds and greens are better, obviously.

But Marion is hardly the worst, unless it's all you feed your tortoises, something I would never recommend...and they're much more "up front" about their ingredients, something that can't be said about Mazuri/Purina, which are in the news much too often about recalls of their assorted chows...this is the most recent one (as far as I know), from last July:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm312988.htm