Warning: New person! :)

[Filip]

Hello everybody!

I'm an owner of a one year old lovely Hermann's tortoise. I was wondering if you could give me any tips on feeding at this stage?

This could include the most important foods from personal experience, calcium/vitamin supplements etc and dried food/pellet opinions.

I would also love to know about freezing foods, what are some veg/fruits which can be frozen for those times where you can't get to the shops or grow some foods?

Hehe I know this is a lot' but I'd really like to know about what YOU do!

Thanks

 

[johnandjade]

hello and welcome to the forum. have you read the care sheet in species specific section? there is lots of great advice in there


happy tortin'

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome:
Here are some good items to feed:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

 

[Filip]

Thank you both of you!
I haven't read that, however I will now!
and @Tom - Are those foods (particularly the dry feeds) listed with Hermann's being the tortoise in mind?

Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Filip, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum .
The following should also be useful to you.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm

 

[Filip]

Thank you to the both of you!

I've been around various communities targeting specific reptiles, and tortoises (and cresties) have the nicest communities!

 

[johnandjade]

Thank you to the both of you!

I've been around various communities targeting specific reptiles, and tortoises (and cresties) have the nicest communities!

this forum is fantastic, lots of frendly and very knowledgeable people who are more that happy to help

...welcome to tortoise mecca

 

[Tom]

Thank you both of you!
I haven't read that, however I will now!
and @Tom - Are those foods (particularly the dry feeds) listed with Hermann's being the tortoise in mind?

Thanks!

All of those foods are good foods for every tortoise species. If we were talking about sulcatas or South African leopards, I would include grasses and hay in that list, but for hermanni, broadleaf weeds and certain leaves are the order of the day.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thank you to the both of you!

I've been around various communities targeting specific reptiles, and tortoises (and cresties) have the nicest communities!

We do.
It's true.
Hi to you.
And tortoise too.

 

[Filip]

I did so much research, but now I've got one it feels oh so overwhelming with all these food choices, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right; if I'm including everything required! Maybe I should make a food rota/diary for the lil tort? What are some staples which should make up the bulk of the food? I don't want to buy millions of things as it's only a baby - 95% will get wasted if it's not freezable.

Currently it's loving dandelion leaves, I'll get some romaine lettuce tomorrow to try that. Any other recommendations?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I did so much research, but now I've got one it feels oh so overwhelming with all these food choices, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right; if I'm including everything required! Maybe I should make a food rota/diary for the lil tort? What are some staples which should make up the bulk of the food? I don't want to buy millions of things as it's only a baby - 95% will get wasted if it's not freezable.

Currently it's loving dandelion leaves, I'll get some romaine lettuce tomorrow to try that. Any other recommendations?

Have a look at the thread I posted you.
Dandelions are great, one of the best tortoise foods, romaine lettuce, not so good as it's mostly water, so a tort can fill up on it and not get enough vitamins and minerals,, fine if your torts dehydrated or not eating anything though.
The ones in bold type are the best.

 

[Filip]

Okay cool thank you can I just clarify - the link has a section called vegetables under food, are they not to be fed, or fed sparingly? I only ask as I read spinach as to be a bad food item.

Thanks

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

These are said to be bad by some tort keepers, as are some of the others in the table but are not harmful if a sufficient amount of calcium is also consumed and they are fed sparingly as part of a balanced diet.
The Tortoise Table http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp
Is also very useful, though they are overly cautious, in my opinion.

 

[Filip]

Thank you very much: I shall do some further research.

And do you think I should get some of the Mazuri chow?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yes, it's always good as a supplement.