What's on the menu for your tortoise today?

[wildchild6771]

I'm always curious to hear what owners feed their torts on a day to day basis. It helps everyone with new ideas and the realization that variety really is key.

Today my tortoises will be getting their favorite grape leaves, mulberry leaves, some grass, and maybe some rose pedals as a special great.

 

[IBeenEasy]

yesterday i went to my local bait shop and got some trout worms for my tort..i gave her about 5 of the worms and stayed up in the corner all night looking at me for more loll.. ill prob throw in a dandelion greens and romaine mix today

 

[Jabuticaba]

I'm always curious to hear what owners feed their torts on a day to day basis. It helps everyone with new ideas and the realization that variety really is key.

Today my tortoises will be getting their favorite grape leaves, mulberry leaves, some grass, and maybe some rose pedals as a special great.

Hi. I'm new to the whole tortoise thing. I'm still learning, but so far my THBs have had dandelion, clover, arugula, pea shoots, kale, plantain weed, lettuce, endives, and romaine. And they get their calcium and D3, as well.

What species do you have?


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM] & Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE] (Darwin & Wallace)
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

 

[shellibelli72]

Dandelion, clover, grass, plantain, whatever other weeds I plucked from yard!

 

[FLINTUS]

I honestly don't know. They've all been outside today so have probably taken in loads of clover and plantain

 

[Tom]

Mine are getting a variety of things from the tortoisesupply.com "Testudo Mix". I don't even know the names of some of it. Trefoil, clover, turnip greens, chicory, broadleaf plantain, cilantro, etc...

 

[Brewster320]

Usually I walk around my yard and just pick whatever looks like have grown nicely since the last time I picked it. Today, probably some hibiscus flowers, chicory, maybe some host flowers, maybe some weeds if i notice any, and probably mazuri on the side.

 

[Beck]

Is that cilantro I've been smelling when I harvest my testudo mix?! I was wondering what that was!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[wildchild6771]

I'm jealous of everyone being able to have dandelions. I have never seen any on the property! It is actually very hard for me to feed weeds to my torts because they do get sprayed. I have to ask people to bring me weeds, they think it is weird hah.

 

[Beck]

Wild child, I live in an apartment complex and they use weedkiller too. I grow tortoisesupply.com weed mix in planters on my patio.

The maintenance guy came to fix something, and was quite surprised when he asked me what I was growing... "Oh, just a tomato plant and the rest are weeds."

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[pfara]

For today, my little reds got a special treat of tuna. Just like with mazuri, the rock was scraped clean except for the greens. The little stinkers.. but a treat's a treat, right?

 

[Yvonne G]

Most of my tortoises graze, but I do feed the younger ones. So this a.m. I cut off about 12 large leaves from the squash plants, 15 or 20 leaves from the mulberry tree, a branch full of leaves from the grape vine. I took those into the house and washed them all off in the sink, then I chopped it all up and put it in a very large bow. Then I chopped up three handfulls of Santa Barbara Mix (escarole, endive, raddiccio), and a romaine heart and added it to the bowl. I grated a zucchini and a carrot into the mix, and sprinkled about two teaspoons of calcium powder over it all. Then I mixed it all up real good.

This was fed to baby Texas tortoises, baby leopard tortoises, baby desert tortoises, baby manouria tortoises and baby yellowfoot tortoises. If there is any left over, I put it in the Russian pen.

 

[alysciaingram]

I'm jealous of everyone being able to have dandelions. I have never seen any on the property! It is actually very hard for me to feed weeds to my torts because they do get sprayed. I have to ask people to bring me weeds, they think it is weird hah.

I went to whole foods yesterday and bought two huge bushels of dandelion for $4! Try looking there if you have one near you. My local produce market also ordered me some since I asked. Maybe you could try that too!

 

[ra94131]

Mine's been outside all day, so a bunch of grass and weeds. Last I looked he was doing his best to get the bottom edges of a low hanging hibiscus flower... I'd go pull it off for him, but it's just too amusing.

 

[wildchild6771]

Strange my babies won't eat anything I chop up for them. They like to munch on the whole leaf.

I'm going to try it again because once they focus on one leaf they get full and ignore the other goodies.

---

Thanks for dandelions info, by the way. I really need to start growing these in a secluded area.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

All my tortoises get to graze in their outdoor pens. Some days I toss them prepared foods or Mazuri.

Today, I pinched off 4 squash plant flowers and a row of it's leaves and tossed them into the Russian pen.

I also grow plants from seeds in pots then transplant them into the pens. Today, I planted some gazania and portulaca in the Leopard pen. I'm sure they will find that and devour it before the day is over.

Then I sowed some green lettuce seeds directly in each pen so that the sprouts can be eaten next week.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[Jacqui]

Of course some of them are out in their pens, so it's hard to even guess what all they are nibbling on today. Those who either aren't out grazing or perhaps get additional meals these are some of the things used today:

Grape leaves, rose of sharon (althea), hardy hibiscus, tropical hibiscus, dandelion, petunia, rose moss, plantain, sow thistle, lots of mulberry leaves, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, escarole, yellow peppers, blue berries, strawberries, melon, mulberry fruit, crabgrass, roses, hosta, daylily blooms, there were a couple of bags of different type mixtures of greens, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, squash, worms, raw fish, and I know I am missing a few items.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Is that cilantro I've been smelling when I harvest my testudo mix?! I was wondering what that was!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

Sounds interesting. How fast can it be harvested?


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM] & Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE] (Darwin & Wallace)
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

 

[Beck]

I think tom has a thread on here documenting growth, but I saw sprouts 2-3 days in, and I harvested some about a week and a half in.

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[Jabuticaba]

I think tom has a thread on here documenting growth, but I saw sprouts 2-3 days in, and I harvested some about a week and a half in.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

Cool, tks!


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM] & Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE] (Darwin & Wallace)
Winnipeg, MB, Canada