My little tortoise is 3 yrs old and a fussy eater what else can i try her with?

Question

she has carrot pointed cabbage bit of apple tortoise pellets rocket and watercress

she has only ever had cabbage twice but didnt like it ,i have only had her sice june 06 and shes only just coming round from semi hibernation so im thinking that might be why she isnt eating loads she eats a fair bit though for her size i guess..i got told that peas were bad for tortoises is this a myth then

shes a hermanns tortoise by the way

Answer 1

Healthy tortoises have enormous appetites! Growing grass, weeds, dandelions, alfalfa, nopales (Opuntia cactus), and rose and hibiscus flowers are excellent food sources. Supplement this diet with vegetables such as endive, escarole, broccoli, squashes such as zucchini, chopped carrots, mixed vegetables, small amounts of kale, romaine and other dark-green leafy vegetables. Sprinkling the food with ground-up rabbit or guinea pig pellets is a good way to add extra fiber to the diet. Tortoises have a high calcium requirement: occasionally sprinkle the food with calcium carbonate or offer a calcium-rich source such as boiled chicken eggshells or cuttlefish bone for them to eat. Occasionally sprinkle the food with a suitable vitamin preparation. Provide a shallow dish of water for drinking and soaking.

Answer 2

If I were you I'd introduce new foods in conjunction with an old one he recognises so it's not quite such a challenge and make sure you're eating the same (or at least it looks the same) with him as whether or not you're eating it makes a huge difference to how well your children eat new foods. Make new rules as regards treats and tea time and whatever you do don't adopt the 'well they didn't eat their tea so I'll give them crisps' routine-that's a sure fire way to ensure that you have a fussy eater for the next 18yrs! Encourage him to pick one strange fruit or veg at the supermarket while you're shopping on the basis that you'll cook it for tea/pudding as a snack later. If he won't eat all the new food don't make a huge fuss-he just has to TRY it to qualify for pudding (or whatever) and even if he says he doesn't like it keep re-introducing it as it takes an average of seeing a new food 5 times before a child accepts it as a regular food. If he doesn't try the new food then there's no snacks until the next meal-make it a clear rule and STICK TO IT. The main thing is that you mustn't give up control to him as at 3 he will learn very quickly that Mummy will back off if I make enough fuss/play up long enough. It's hard but it works-and it'll work a lot faster than you expect on a 3yr old-regardless of his stubborn streak! Oh, and don't forget to 'sell' it to them with lots of 'ooh lovely' while you're eating it and 'it's yummy isn't it?' when they try some (you sound like a loony but hey, when it works it works).

Answer 3

Our Hermans tortoise is over 50 years old. My mother had him when she was about 9 years old. All I have ever known him eat is lettuce, tomato, cucumber, dandilion leaves (his favourite) and occasionally some fruit. He likes strawberries sliced thinly , apples and peaches. He has always been healthy, has never had tortoise pellets , or any supplements in his food. He is inexpensive to keep as he only eats for about 6 months of the year.I think he will outlive us all ! !

Answer 4

Hermann's should eat the basic Grassland Tortoise Diet:

About 45% 'forage'- green or dried hays, grasses, yard plants, leaves, flowers, etc. Sweet Timothy hay or alfalfa are common foods here.

About 40% 'Veggies'- mostly dark leafy greens and colorful stuff (carrots, squash, etc.) Keep cabbage and related plants (cauliflower, Brussel sprouts) to a minimum. Some of the best greens are dandelions, turnip greens, and endive and escarole lettuces.

About 10% 'Fruits'- pretty much anything it will eat except citrus. Try to stick with things it would reasonably find locally- in other words, avoid tropical fruits, etc.

Under about 5% 'Meat'- this can be things like hard-boiled egg and shells, sardines with bones, cooked chicken, pinkie mice, etc. but the easiest thing is a small amount of weight-maintenance cat chow that has been soaked in warm water to soften it.

A diet plan I like for Hermanns and related species is:
- Unlimited access to 'forage', especially if kept outdoors
- Monday- small handful of dark leafy greens and about 1/4 cup of thawed frozen veggie mix. Dash of vitamin mix.
- Wednesday- small handful of dark leafy greens and about 1/8 cup of fruit (maybe a little more than that, but not much more!) Usually this will be thawed frozen strawberries and/or chopped apples. Dash of calcium carbonate powder (Reptical).
- Friday- same as Monday.
- Saturday or Sunday- small handful of dark leafy greens and about a tablespoon of well-soaked weight control cat food. Dash of calcium powder.

Variety is important, but logistically difficult. I use frozen foods whenever possible to minimize the work and waste.

Pellets do not show up in my diet plan much. I prefer not to use them with tortoises since most of them contain a lot of grains and most tortoises do not seem to really enjoy them. If you have a good brand you like, you can use them to replace part of the 'forage' portion, or for an emergency food when you are out of everything else.

Answer 5

I think you should stop the cabbage as it tends to give them serious gas. Since their metabolism is slow, the gas can do them harm. try celery, lettuce, apples, carrots, of course the pellets, and anything that's not gassy. Also, once in a while, give her some raisins or grapes.
these are fun creatures to have for pets and they do live for a long time. My dad gave me one when I was 6 and i had him for 35 years. I hope you've made arrangements for your little one.
Did you know they can be trained? Mine knew where to go to be fed, how to get water when his bowl was dry, and to wet on the papers that were put down for him They like repitition and will eventually understand their names. True...

Answer 6

My tortoise goes through phases but his favourite is lettuce, cucumber and tomato but his favourite favourite thing is dandelion leaves oh he loves them! he also likes peppers occasional. He doesn't seem a big fan of fruit but we do give him a bit of whatever fruit we have got in. He likes peas too.

Answer 7

I think allyalex summed it up quite well. Offer a big variety of the foods she listed and your tortoise should start eating soon!
Good luck!

Answer 8

think of what is around them when they are in the wild what they eat in the wild is what they are use to get on your computer find out what the enviroment is like there turtles also do hybernate when it gets cold this could also be the case but for now try roman hearts it is lettuce and some red apples

Answer 9

Please, please read the tortoise diet information at tortoisetrust.org! Your tortoise should be mostly eating grasses and yards weeds like dandelions, etc. Store bought produce should be kept to a minimum and RARELY do these types of tortoises need protein foods. Cat/dog food is a BIG no, no! Please see this link and study eveything you can at this website:

Answer 10

In addition to what you have given her...try lettuce leaves..cucumber and tomatos. I know someone who kept tortoises which did well on it.