What is your RT's favorite

[RockyMountainMan]

Thought this might be an interesting topic but searched on the forum, no such topic posted - BTW, the search capability on this forum does not seemed to work well and allow you to find what you want.

Anyway, I learned a lot on this forum and from other online resources and have been giving my tortoises various options (all eatable vegi, weeds, bush and canned food etc.) but when comes to the favorites, I would give the following list in the order:
Dandelion Flower
Romaine Lettuce
Endive
Hibiscus Flower

The followings are so so that they will take some bites:
Hens and Chicks
Mustard Greens
Hosta
Kale
Collard Green

They do not touch at all the followings:
Agave
Mulberry Leaves
Prickly Pears
Grape Leaves
Aloe
Rose Flower and Leaves
and ZoomMed's Grassland Tortoise Food or Mazuri Chow :-(

I am guessing everyone's tortoise is different and there may be ways to "force" or "lure" them into one that they may not seem to like at first. What's your tortoises' favorites and dislikes?

 

[Creedence]

Mine is a little piggy. He'll eat everything in the spring mix I use, kale, mustard greens, Grassland pellets, rose leaves and petals, geranium flowers, and plantain when he feels like it ;P He completely refuses to even sniff collard greens though, haha.

 

[dmmj]

Mine eat everything I give them, hibiscus flower being their absolute favorite (RT crack) another favorite is grape leaves.

 

[Tyrtle]

Ours like
Spring mix
Baby Kales (got a huge bag at Costco)
dandelion leaves
chard
curly endive
radicchio
bindweed
strawberry tops
radish greens
beet greens

they don't much care for:
mustard greens
dandelion flowers
tropical hibiscus flowers

They love love:
hibiscus moscheutos flowers (the huge hardy hibiscus flowers)
spineless cactus pads

We've never tried mazuri, so I don't know if they would eat it

 

[Laurie]

Brains eats anything! I think mustard greens are his least favorite.

Tank loves dandelions, clover, opuntia and mazuri. He will not eat rose of Sharon.

Tootsie roll is like Brains, she eats EVERYTHING, especially opuntia, mazuri, Rose of Sharon, spring mix, and sedum.

 

[mctlong]

Thought this might be an interesting topic but searched on the forum, no such topic posted - BTW, the search capability on this forum does not seemed to work well and allow you to find what you want.

Anyway, I learned a lot on this forum and from other online resources and have been giving my tortoises various options (all eatable vegi, weeds, bush and canned food etc.) but when comes to the favorites, I would give the following list in the order:
Dandelion Flower
Romaine Lettuce
Endive
Hibiscus Flower

The followings are so so that they will take some bites:
Hens and Chicks
Mustard Greens
Hosta
Kale
Collard Green

They do not touch at all the followings:
Agave
Mulberry Leaves
Prickly Pears
Grape Leaves
Aloe
Rose Flower and Leaves
and ZoomMed's Grassland Tortoise Food or Mazuri Chow :-(

I am guessing everyone's tortoise is different and there may be ways to "force" or "lure" them into one that they may not seem to like at first. What's your tortoises' favorites and dislikes?

Likes: All of the above.
Dislikes: Nothing

My RT will eat ANYTHING I toss in the enclosure. Nothing can grow around him because his gobbles everything up as soon as it buds. He seems to inhale hibiscus flowers a bit quicker than other things, so I'll say thats his favorite, but he'll eat anything and everything that will fit in his mouth.

 

[RockyMountainMan]

I forgot to add that sedum, wild strawberry and clover were planted in their outdoor enclosure but only clover is left and thriving. I know two of them love clover - it is really fun watching them crawl into the clover and eat the way through. CoCo prefers sedum, hens and chicks.

 

[mzprfct7400]

Brains eats anything! I think mustard greens are his least favorite.

Tank loves dandelions, clover, opuntia and mazuri. He will not eat rose of Sharon.

Tootsie roll is like Brains, she eats EVERYTHING, especially opuntia, mazuri, Rose of Sharon, spring mix, and sedum.

So I see rose, hibiscus, and I don't even know what mazuri is. How do you feed these things in winter?? Can you grow them indoors??

 

[Quiche]

I've only had my RT about two weeks, and we've tried feeding him a lot of things. So far, the only things he's eaten are mustard greens and some spring mix. His favorite, by far, is the radicchio lettuce from the spring mix. It's the only thing he has really gobbled down and seemed to want more of.
We've tried dandelion leaves and flowers, clover, endive, romaine, marigold, and ZoomMed's Grassland Tortoise Food - he didn't touch any of those, BUT he's also in a new home, so I think part of it is that he's been adjusting.

 

[smarch]

Franklin LOVES tomato like absolutely loves it, unfortunately it's not good for him, so now it's a monthly treat (or twice sometimes, only a grape tomato tho, or chopped up equivalent) he eats his spring mix when he can't get out to graze, I try to let him graze as much as I can because he knows what he likes he likes dandilions and clovers mostly he doesn't bother with grass it has to be broad leafed. He doesn't like the grassland pellets (you put them in water to make mush, I didn't read the instructions at first and didn't know) but I have a little dish I got from petco probably meant for small lizards (3 in diameter I'd say) I fill it up with the mush just so if he gets hungry it will be available, some goes away but then he mostly just used it as a toilet, discussing to clean but easy since its not everywhere, and I know at least some gets eaten

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Mine just loves Romain lettuce

 

[taytay3391]

Mine just loves Romain lettuce

I read somewhere romaine was supposed to be fed off and on. Is that true?

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

I read somewhere romaine was supposed to be fed off and on. Is that true?

Yes. that is not his normal diet

 

[abigailandemily]

Emily and Abigail love kale and endive. They will eat mulberry leaves but only as a last resort. I read that mustard and collard should be given sparingly? What about raddish? I planted a coreopsis because I read that they loved the flowers but neither touched them. They climbed through the plant and killed it. I also give them red cabbage.

 

[lynnedit]

Pretty much all greens and weeds should be varied, not a lot of one thing.

I've only had my RT about two weeks, and we've tried feeding him a lot of things. So far, the only things he's eaten are mustard greens and some spring mix. His favorite, by far, is the radicchio lettuce from the spring mix. It's the only thing he has really gobbled down and seemed to want more of.
We've tried dandelion leaves and flowers, clover, endive, romaine, marigold, and ZoomMed's Grassland Tortoise Food - he didn't touch any of those, BUT he's also in a new home, so I think part of it is that he's been adjusting.

That's right, continue to offer him variety and he will gradually eat different foods.

My torts refused store bought mustard greens in the past, but now it is sprouting in their outside enclosure, they graze at bit on it every day. Makes sense.

Hibiscus is definitely tortoise crack. Oh well, they get a flower every day right now, who can say no?

 

[zoogrl]

My russian loves mazuri but I don't give it to her everyday, just once or twice a week. She loves hibiscus flowers too. Those are her top 2 favs. She likes red & green leaf lettuce, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens & spring mix. Those are the usual rotations, I pick 2 & feed them for a week. Then get fresh and switch it up. I've got radishes growing in my garden so she'll get the greens off those in a few weeks! I also have a russian tortoise seed mix that I plant in her enclosure, it takes off & she grazes on that too. She doesn't like the tall grasses but eats everything else before it can grow to something recognizeable Once it's all trampled, usually after 2 weeks, then I start all over with the planting. I keep saying her, but I'm really thinking she's growing into a definate he . . .

 

[RockyMountainMan]

Another source of food as told by the vet, is sweet potato. I am not sure about it but my vet said that romaine lettuce (my tortoises' favorites) does not have enough nutrition as compared with sweet potato.

I also want to mix green fresh leaves with those canned food, mazuri, grassland tortoise pellets and etc. as they tend to contain more nutrition, minerals my tortoises need. However I am yet to find a way to break through so my tortoises will actually enjoy eating various food as I have always fed them fresh green leaves.

 

[pandiculator]

Another source of food as told by the vet, is sweet potato. I am not sure about it but my vet said that romaine lettuce (my tortoises' favorites) does not have enough nutrition as compared with sweet potato.

The leaves, or the actual root veggie?

 

[ColorfulTortoise]

My Russian tort, Shorty, is not a picky eater! His favorite foods are kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, and rose flowers. He hasn't touched the hens and chicks or clover I put in for him.

 

[RockyMountainMan]

Another source of food as told by the vet, is sweet potato. I am not sure about it but my vet said that romaine lettuce (my tortoises' favorites) does not have enough nutrition as compared with sweet potato.

The leaves, or the actual root veggie?

The vet told me the root part. He said it is more nutritious. Either the skin or the root part - the funny part is that he told me my tortoise is a bit fat so i am guessing this diet is better for their shell growth not to gain more fat in body? Has anyone tried this? I plan to give some to them and see how they react. My tortoises do not seem to be very hungry these days - in about a week or two I will start to move them indoor, where I can closely watch and try different food to see how they do.