New concentrated weed powder

[shellonia]

As there now seems to be a bit of interest in this can I invite people to look at the Website: tortoiseworld.co.uk.

There is a range of natural, organic products, researched and produced by nutritionalist/breeder at considerable cost with the longterm wellbeing of tortoises as its only aim.This has been 5 years in the production and extensively tested on a study group of his own animals over that period.It seems to be resulting in healthier,smooth-shelled specimens over that time period,which is I know fairly short as research goes.

The exact description and origins are shown on thew website.In particular the weed powder relieves a lot of the worry about overwinter feeding.

[Smeg]

Link to product?

[Shelled Lady]

This is just the sort of thing I have been waiting to see provide by people who really know about the diet of tortoises, different to manufactures providing cereal based products full of carbohydrate, which make a tortoise put on too much weight. Who has tried this product out?

[Watermelon]

Link to product?

okay go to www.google.com

then type in tortoiseworld.co.uk

:razz: :razz:

[shellonia]

This is just the sort of thing I have been waiting to see provide by people who really know about the diet of tortoises, different to manufactures providing cereal based products full of carbohydrate, which make a tortoise put on too much weight. Who has tried this product out?

It's only been on the market about 6 months.I've been using it ever since as has my daughter Steph37.
I've mentioned it several times so don't know what the uptake has been, but it's good stuff.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Web bsite looks interesting. The food would appear to a grass-based pellet product with the suggestion to use additional products for supplementation. I haven't tried it though.

[Alan1]

www.tortoiseworld.co.uk I can't see any info on the powder :?

I see it now http://www.tortoiseworld.co.uk/shop/item.asp?itemid=45

[SeeShell]

Haven't seen this before either. Anyone else been uisng it?

[16 shells]

As there now seems to be a bit of interest in this can I invite people to look at the Website: tortoiseworld.co.uk.

There is a range of natural, organic products, researched and produced by nutritionalist/breeder at considerable cost with the longterm wellbeing of tortoises as its only aim.This has been 5 years in the production and extensively tested on a study group of his own animals over that period.It seems to be resulting in healthier,smooth-shelled specimens over that time period,which is I know fairly short as research goes.

The exact description and origins are shown on thew website.In particular the weed powder relieves a lot of the worry about overwinter feeding.
As with all feeding product's i like to look into deep :-), is it not similar to the old Tortoise Dust by likes of T-Rex but without many more plant's.
It would also be very benificial if the break down/make up/chemical list of the 12 plant's could be passed on to the Tortoise keeper's. If the research has gone this far.
The other thing that is confusing in the list if the product if used freely is, the plant's of Chickweed, Clover, Bindweed, Dandelion, Opuntia are on other Tort list's/sites to be fed sparingly for the chemical contents. High Oxalates as one. Russian Vine, Fallopia Baldschuan, is unknown in the chemical makeup of the plant, toxic or not. Some at Kew must know :p.

[Alan1]

can it be sniffed up a rolled up tenner?

[Shelled Lady]

As with all feeding product's i like to look into deep :-), is it not similar to the old Tortoise Dust by likes of T-Rex but without many more plant's.
It would also be very benificial if the break down/make up/chemical list of the 12 plant's could be passed on to the Tortoise keeper's. If the research has gone this far.
The other thing that is confusing in the list if the product if used freely is, the plant's of Chickweed, Clover, Bindweed, Dandelion, Opuntia are on other Tort list's/sites to be fed sparingly for the chemical contents. High Oxalates as one. Russian Vine, Fallopia Baldschuan, is unknown in the chemical makeup of the plant, toxic or not. Some at Kew must know :p.

What would you be feeding your tortoises then if not quite a few on this list? I have been feeding four of these quite regularly for decades! Dandelions become almost a staple at certain times of year!

[shellonia]

can it be sniffed up a rolled up tenner?

Now there's a thought and what a surprise that it came from you my friend!That certainly would be evolving husbandry!:lol:

[Pussygalore]

are we talking about the 'dusting powder' surely if that is the case the actual amount eaten would be minimal, only a taste, so wouldn't be much use as a food?. If it was available in a pellet form which could be used as part of the diet/food that would be different but then that wouldn't be much different from the Alpine products, they already do a 'baby' which is ground up but still intended to be fed as food, I mix it with the exotic leaf eater pellets. Sorry but I think its another way for someone to make some money and as I've said the amount used is simply a taste a bit like sprinkles on a cupcake. If you really want to use a ground up mixed weed food then consider the 'baby' Alpine its seems to be much the same but is a proper food here's the link http://www.tortoiselady.co.uk/page8.htm can I also add that with the baby you get enough to fill a Kelly's Ice cream tub which is quite a bit, the bigger cobs are basically the same for older tortoises but you can break them up easily just have larger lengths of the ingrediants.

[Shelled Lady]

Thanks Ann, I really though we were on to a good thing, nevermind, Ill have to get some "baby" for my babies!:cool:

[Alan1]

That's where folk have different ideas, dandelion is a diuretic and can cause a tort to become dehydrated quite quickly if it's a young one but might be fine or less of a problem in older ones. Dehydration can lead to pyramiding according to some, as well as bladder stones obviously.

Everyone has their own way, none of which is neccessarily the right or wrong way except in extreme cases that we see crop up now and again. This forum may be slightly different to others because it doesn't dictate to people what they must do but instead offers a variety of opinions which means the user has to take the information in then decide what's best for them.

There are websites which say do it this way and people who follow blindly just do it.

I knew a guy who had 45 years experience of being a joiner, you'd think he'd be good at it after all that time but no, he was crap and he'd trained countless apprentices to be crap too. Hopefully when they realised in later years that was the case they started to do things differently

[Pussygalore]

well I'm not saying it isn't any good but have a look at the Alpine products first, I'm useless at links but the Alpine does have its own website which tells you more about the products you'll need to put in the name though to find it. All I'm saying is that's there's already a good feed which doesn't contain anything but natural products and is intended to be properly 'fed' rather than just a taster. I've used both 'baby' and the cobs, redfootmarg uses the cobs and I beleive also occassionally sells them, they are just a lot coarser than the baby and I found some of the bits, after soaking, were a bit big for tinies but that's just me being fussy.

[Alan1]

I said in another thread about the Pre Alpin being a bit of a disappointment and that it appeared to be mostly grass - Paul says that's because it is mostly grass, and I wondered if I'd be just as well sprinkling chopped hay on the food as fibre because that's all it is anyway, a filler as Ed calls it. The fact that it's from Alpine meadows (where there are no torts) is a bit of a selling point I think to make people think of good clean healthy air etc. I'm still using it but not overly impressed.

I'm not sure about this new powder either, would you sprinkle it on bagged salad? I don't see the point, it would be better not powdered but left in a form maybe like the size of tea leaves or larger

[Pussygalore]

have you looked at the baby Alan, but I mix either with exotic leaf eater and they'll eat it like that, it puts the roughage/fibre content up

[shellonia]

Thanks Ann, I really though we were on to a good thing, nevermind, Ill have to get some "baby" for my babies!:cool:

How come it's suddenly not a 'good thing'?It's the fact that it's concentrated and you can be as liberal as you like with it that's important.I have no reason to promote it except that I've known the researcher for years and know how much time and money has been spent on it.In actual fact he told me at the end of the day he profits by only 50p per pot

[Pussygalore]

no one said it wasn't a good thing but many might be under the impression that its a food and not just a sprinkled on taster, to be honest I can't see the point. In the winter when people find it hard to find enough choice in greenery and do choose to add either a complete pellet such as exotic leaf eater or a cob or similar the product doesn't fit the need, unless you don't sprinkle it and feed it by the teaspoon as a food in which case you'd need far more than a tub. It doesn't contain any calcium or vit/minerals so can't really be called a supplement, like I said before its a treat or taste of something, not enough to be called food. If it was being sold by the bag in bigger quantities it might then be more usefull, I can buy a bag of 'baby' pre alpine which CAN be fed as a food and isn't a lot different in that its a natural product which nothing else added, it will fill a decent size tub and last for several weeks being fed a couple of teaspoons with something else or in the amounts suggested on the linked website. I'm not saying its better but it might be more suitable for those who are looking for a proper food not just a treat. I doubt that sprinkling a small amount of the product would make up a diet that is often poor in the winter months and many new or novice owners might think just that, and as it still has to be used with nutrobal or similar I'm sorry but I can't see where it fits into a diet, as a sprinkle, apart from as a treat, I'd like to know how much you'd need to feed to make a poor diet a good one, I'll bet its a lot more than a shake.

[Alan1]

it is in fact a supplement..

Name:
ULTIMA Mediterranean Organic Flower & Weed Mix
Item#:
TOC0009
Price/ea:
£6.50


ULTIMA
Mediterranean Organic Flower & Weed Dietary Supplement
A blend of mature organic weeds grown in calcium rich soils. This supplement has been sun dried and then finely ground to preserve the high concentration of natural trace elements. This is extremely valuable in correcting deficient diets, bone growth, and reproductive functions.

Instructions for use:-
Dusted on food to help balance diets, soak desired green leaf foods in water and shake dry. Sprinkle desired amount on food and serve.


Edible flowers & weeds high in dietary fibre,
low in protein & excellent calcium to phosphorous ratio's.
Helping to maintain healthy digestion.
All Ingrediants measured at 10g per item = 120g
1- Plantain
2- Chickweed
3- Blessed Thistle
4- Milk Thistle
5- Vetch
6- Mallow
7- Red Clover
8- Bind Weed
9- Russian Vine
10- Dandelion
11- Opuntia Ficus - Indica
12- Sedum

[Pussygalore]

so its used instead of Nutrobal or similar? or as well as

[Zen]

I've been using it for about 2-3 months now, maybe 2 -3 times a week, i literally just sprinkle over the top of the weeds, Zen likes it and eats more when it's on. I Don't add nutrobal or lime flour when i use it. Sometimes i struggle to find a variety of weeds to give and i think this 'livens' up the taste if you like. No runny poo's or constpation when using either.

[Pussygalore]

please don't take this the wrong way but if you and lots of others struggle to provide the variety needed to provide and adequate balanced diet by weeds along and resort to salads or similar then wouldn't you be better to consider adding a decent pellet, even if only a couple of times a week. Supplement or not a sprinkle of this will only do the same as using nutrobol or similar it can't provide the lacking in the diet or make it right. A bit like living on bread and taking a vitamin pill, there is now much better complete or just natural pellets available and for those adamant against their use at least read the latest threads etc on the success thats now being found using them if only in the winter.

[Ozric Jonathan]

I think most of us neutrobal for the Vit D supplement mainly and this product doesn't contain one. Calcium can be added in numerous ways and most of us use limestone flour or some other version of it and/or cuttlefish.

I'm not sure what deficiencies the concentrated weed powder would be making up for. If the supplement was added to weeds that are high in oxalic acid I don't think the presence of the powder in the meal would counteract it.

[16 shells]

Like most stuff additives, supplement's, pellet's, cob's to feed, when a keeper has had a Tortoise for a couple of years start to look and ask question's, feeding changing diet's/or supplement's has to be researched or should be, and make there mind up. The powder may be ok with the 2:1 ratio. Is Russian Vine ok to feed as i can get my picky hand's on this. Add it to the 30 odd edible plant's and flower's the Tort's get.

[16 shells]

What would you be feeding your tortoises then if not quite a few on this list? I have been feeding four of these quite regularly for decades! Dandelions become almost a staple at certain times of year!
Nearly every British edible wild plant comes under the moderation rule, which basicly means mix em up a bit, as not much printed research is about on what they actualy contain. Dandilion is one of the exceptions as it is consumed by humans again. It is a strong diuretic, mid oxalate's on some list's, good calcium. Not picked out a lot by my Tort's if left to graze/forage. Plantains, Vetch, Thistles, Mallow, Sedum would go down well with them. The other's very occasionly. The Opuntia i let the Med's and African's have a full plant each, about 4 pad's on each, as an experiment outside in the summer, over a period of a month both species only nibbled very small bit's off. Mainly ignored, they do get a pellet meal as a weekly supplement, so maybe what they may lack without it is not needed.

[Zen]

please don't take this the wrong way but if you and lots of others struggle to provide the variety needed to provide and adequate balanced diet by weeds along and resort to salads or similar then wouldn't you be better to consider adding a decent pellet, even if only a couple of times a week. Supplement or not a sprinkle of this will only do the same as using nutrobol or similar it can't provide the lacking in the diet or make it right. A bit like living on bread and taking a vitamin pill, there is now much better complete or just natural pellets available and for those adamant against their use at least read the latest threads etc on the success thats now being found using them if only in the winter.

I do use pellets too, forgot to add that in my previous post.

I feel i provide a balanced diet for my own tortoise, it's not like i'm sprinkling it on iceberg and hoping for the best. I agree with what your saying, but sometimes like this week when my weeds froze, i only had 3 varieties to offer, and feel it's nice to add extra taste on to it. Because it says it has excellent ratios of calcium and phosphorus that's why i don't add any other suppliments.:smile:

I suppose it's like having ketchup with your chips?

[Pussygalore]

Zen, my way of thinking is that if you are feeding a good pellet even if just a few times a week you are hopefully making up any shortfall in the green diet, its partly why I feed them. I'm not a 'plantologist' and I think you need to be if you try to make a balanced diet by plants alone, we grow weeds/plants through the summer but even in the greenhouse they have now stopped growing so I like many resort to bagged food from the shop. I don't feel so guilty by using the Exotic leaf eater and pre alpine baby or cobs plus when I can get them I use the Nutrazu which I alternate with the leaf eater. Its fine to add the sprinkle as a taste but my concern is that some might think by adding it it will make a poor weed diet into a good one, its an extra supplement and one that isn't needed if you use nutrobol, its not instead of nutrobol and therefore to be considered a tasty treat even though it adds goodness its not enough by itself.

[Ozric Jonathan]

The biggest ingredient of it is plantain which where I live anyway is one of the hardiest plants and can grow in the coldest months of the year.