Worming Tortoises(naturally?)-Need Advice Please

[Tortoise]

I am wondering what you are feeding your Hermann? Possibly you are not feeding the right thing? Maybe you need to research their diet again. I was feeding my Hermanns the diet I read on a care sheet and she didn't eat much and certainly didn't grow much. Then I started feeding her the same diet I feed my Sulcata and she grew like a weed. She immediately started eating better. She loves dandelions and grape leafs, mulberry leafs, Hollyhock blooms, Rose of Sharon blooms and leafs...anyhow just a thought, my Queenie is a gorgeous healthy specimen now...

Maggie
I am feeding the recommended things that are suggested these days which is different to what I fed my old Hermanns who grew much better.

I will list the foods fed so far in any case , so if you have suggestions-its appreciated.

dandelion
clover red and white flowers and leaves(not many at a time)
plantain
Sow thistle
rose petals
Honeysuckle flowers and leaves(they love the blooms)
geranium leaves and blooms(don't touch leaves yet)
Squash flowers
parsley
little swiss chard
cacti slivers(shaved off fresh growing pads)
a few days back a little tomato-they went crazy for it
romaine lettuce-(not much given as I was hoping to give more weeds before we freeze up here.)

This is a very different diet to what we gave in the UK
That consisted of more choice-small amounts fruits of various types, veggies, leaves etc

Having read lots on this forum, I decided to be open minded and try this more so- called natural diet but the weight gain is worrying-I feel they need a bit extra and some folks recommend the Mazuri-never used commercial foods before so wary but may try a little once a week.
They eat most things but tiny amounts-they are offered a lot more than they consume.

Soon we will be white over for 6 mths and the weeds are not available.
I need more options here.
I have some oxbow hay and ground up flowers and herb mix for torts(powder) to add to leaves for more nutrition.

Thanks for your time-I know there are others out there who have a lot of experience with hermanns , hoping they will add their suggestions too to help my babies.
Thanks!!

 

[Pokeymeg]

I am wondering what you are feeding your Hermann? Possibly you are not feeding the right thing? Maybe you need to research their diet again. I was feeding my Hermanns the diet I read on a care sheet and she didn't eat much and certainly didn't grow much. Then I started feeding her the same diet I feed my Sulcata and she grew like a weed. She immediately started eating better. She loves dandelions and grape leafs, mulberry leafs, Hollyhock blooms, Rose of Sharon blooms and leafs...anyhow just a thought, my Queenie is a gorgeous healthy specimen now...

Is everything a Sulcatta east safe for a Hermann? Do you have a link to a good list you use?

 

[Tortoise]

I am wondering what you are feeding your Hermann? Possibly you are not feeding the right thing? Maybe you need to research their diet again. I was feeding my Hermanns the diet I read on a care sheet and she didn't eat much and certainly didn't grow much. Then I started feeding her the same diet I feed my Sulcata and she grew like a weed. She immediately started eating better. She loves dandelions and grape leafs, mulberry leafs, Hollyhock blooms, Rose of Sharon blooms and leafs...anyhow just a thought, my Queenie is a gorgeous healthy specimen now...

Is everything a Sulcatta east safe for a Hermann? Do you have a link to a good list you use?

I think the Sulcata diet is similar but Hermanns don't usually eat many grasses and not usually hay although I did buy some oxbow and hope I can grind it enough so they take some in-I have yet to try this.

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I am wondering what you are feeding your Hermann? Possibly you are not feeding the right thing? Maybe you need to research their diet again. I was feeding my Hermanns the diet I read on a care sheet and she didn't eat much and certainly didn't grow much. Then I started feeding her the same diet I feed my Sulcata and she grew like a weed. She immediately started eating better. She loves dandelions and grape leafs, mulberry leafs, Hollyhock blooms, Rose of Sharon blooms and leafs...anyhow just a thought, my Queenie is a gorgeous healthy specimen now...

Is everything a Sulcatta east safe for a Hermann? Do you have a link to a good list you use?

I think the Sulcata diet is similar but Hermanns don't usually eat many grasses and not usually hay although I did buy some oxbow and hope I can grind it enough so they take some in-I have yet to try this.

Hermannichris has a care sheet on here which is great but I don't see specifics on diet and he doesn't usually return my messages.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

[I was feeding exclusively weeds this summer, but I do not think that was enough. I've switched over to a winter diet (meaning store bought organic stuff) and my tort seems to be putting on a couple more grams with that. I alternate between kales, escarole, endive, raddiccio (he's LOVES it), dandelion greens, occasionally hibiscus flowers from my plant, and now I'm mixing in squash.

You should try to feed some Mazuri or Red Sticks to help beef up your torts a bit. Mine does not like Mazuri, so I tried the red sticks, but those have fallen out of favor too, so I sneak them into his food.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hermann-s-Diet#axzz1cBEan4KI

Odd that your tort doesn't care for the red sticks...my 4 go nuts over it.

 

[Pokeymeg]

[I was feeding exclusively weeds this summer, but I do not think that was enough. I've switched over to a winter diet (meaning store bought organic stuff) and my tort seems to be putting on a couple more grams with that. I alternate between kales, escarole, endive, raddiccio (he's LOVES it), dandelion greens, occasionally hibiscus flowers from my plant, and now I'm mixing in squash.

You should try to feed some Mazuri or Red Sticks to help beef up your torts a bit. Mine does not like Mazuri, so I tried the red sticks, but those have fallen out of favor too, so I sneak them into his food.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hermann-s-Diet#axzz1cBEan4KI

Odd that your tort doesn't care for the red sticks...my 4 go nuts over it.

I know! That's the forum post that got me to buy them. My tort ate them with gusto the first time and then decided he didn't like them...I mixed them in with squash and the first day he didn't mind. The second day he had caught on but ate some anyway, and by the third day he refused to eat the mix. Weird tortoise...

 

[Tortoise]

What are red sticks?

 

[Jacqui]

"FRED'S PETS CENTER"

He is still around? That is where years and years ago, I got some of my first shipped turtles. Not sure if I ever bought any tortoises from him or not.

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What are red sticks?

Sorta like Mazuri that has been dyed red with beet juice and made into sticks rather then pellets.