weight and eating of horsefields

natty · 21-08-2011, 09:32 PM

hi

i weighed my 2 today , one is 104g and one is 132g . they dont appear to have eaten anything today and havent pooped since i brought them home friday afternoon. how worried should i be ?

i didnt know anything about prymading until after i had already bought them , so was upset to learn that the lumpy shell isnt normal and is bad for them.

i planned to limit how much they ate in order to slow there growing down a bit but that plan is a bit problematic since i dont know how much is too much and how much is not enough.

how much weight should a growing tortoise gain each week ? im told they are 6 months old .

as a side note i clicked the link for the chat room but it took me to a page of smilies .

thanks .

Blueginger1984 · 23-08-2011, 09:09 PM

When I first brought my two home it took them days before they would eat anything. So if you only just got them Friday I would imagine there still settling in, my vet said torts don't like change and she wasn't joking!
As for eating I was told if you imagine there shell as a dish then that's how much they should be eating if that makes sense.

Xero · 23-08-2011, 09:19 PM

Tortoises can take alot of time to settle in, if they dont start eating in a couple of weeks then maybe ring the vet but for now i wouldnt worry as they do take a while, also just check the heat is warm enough :P and yeah as Shelleys said feed them to around the size of there shell daily and they should be fine.

Helen M · 23-08-2011, 09:45 PM

Your first priority should be settling them in and getting them feeding regularly. Make sure your bathing them daily in the meantime and keep tempting them. Bumpy shells can become less noticeable in time when your feeding the right diet and have UV and supplementation sorted. Just don't panic over anything about how they were kept before now

Helen xx

freakinmental · 24-08-2011, 11:37 AM

what is their SCL (straight carpace length)?

natty · 24-08-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakinmental

what is their SCL (straight carpace length)?

3 inches long

freakinmental · 24-08-2011, 02:58 PM

3 inches is 76mm, I doubt very much that they are only 6mths old, Pebble my horsfield will be 3 in sept and he is 76mm and 121g and is average size/weight on the mcintyre graph for young horsfields.

Steph37 · 24-08-2011, 05:56 PM

Yes my juveniles (must be at least 3-4yrs) are between 85-100mm and weigh between 150 and 250gm-when they arrived they were 61-69gm and approx 18 months. Weight/size alone though doesnt indicate age (although I still like to know how old mine are!-think it must be something intrinsic in us) its their SCL to weight ratio that's important. But like others have said they are just settling-try not to worry (its hard I know!) One of mine 'disappeared' for oevr 7 weeks and appeared last week-hadnt lost a gm in all that time dug in!
Guess there is always a possibility they have been 'viv'ed in a pet shop so that they grow quicker (I have an 8 year old who is a ridiculous size-lived in a viv on straw and had his tail bitten off by a leopard tortoise) who is huge, but sounds like you will be able to rectify any possible poor husbandry! I'm sure they will settle. keep us posted

21-08-2011, 09:32 PM	#1
natty Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 81	weight and eating of horsefields hi i weighed my 2 today , one is 104g and one is 132g . they dont appear to have eaten anything today and havent pooped since i brought them home friday afternoon. how worried should i be ? i didnt know anything about prymading until after i had already bought them , so was upset to learn that the lumpy shell isnt normal and is bad for them. i planned to limit how much they ate in order to slow there growing down a bit but that plan is a bit problematic since i dont know how much is too much and how much is not enough. how much weight should a growing tortoise gain each week ? im told they are 6 months old . as a side note i clicked the link for the chat room but it took me to a page of smilies . thanks .

23-08-2011, 09:19 PM	#3
Xero Member Hatchling Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 742	Tortoises can take alot of time to settle in, if they dont start eating in a couple of weeks then maybe ring the vet but for now i wouldnt worry as they do take a while, also just check the heat is warm enough :P and yeah as Shelleys said feed them to around the size of there shell daily and they should be fine. __________________ Peaches > Turbo > Speedy > Dexcie 1.2.0 T.h.Horsfieldii..R.I.P Speedy :(

24-08-2011, 11:37 AM	#5
freakinmental Member Juvenile Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Liverpool Posts: 854	what is their SCL (straight carpace length)? __________________ Nik

24-08-2011, 02:58 PM	#7
freakinmental Member Juvenile Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Liverpool Posts: 854	3 inches is 76mm, I doubt very much that they are only 6mths old, Pebble my horsfield will be 3 in sept and he is 76mm and 121g and is average size/weight on the mcintyre graph for young horsfields. __________________ Nik

23-08-2011, 09:09 PM	#2
Blueginger1984 Member Incubating Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 199	When I first brought my two home it took them days before they would eat anything. So if you only just got them Friday I would imagine there still settling in, my vet said torts don't like change and she wasn't joking! As for eating I was told if you imagine there shell as a dish then that's how much they should be eating if that makes sense.

23-08-2011, 09:45 PM	#4
Helen M Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,362	Your first priority should be settling them in and getting them feeding regularly. Make sure your bathing them daily in the meantime and keep tempting them. Bumpy shells can become less noticeable in time when your feeding the right diet and have UV and supplementation sorted. Just don't panic over anything about how they were kept before now Helen xx

24-08-2011, 05:56 PM	#8
Steph37 Member Hatched Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 361	Yes my juveniles (must be at least 3-4yrs) are between 85-100mm and weigh between 150 and 250gm-when they arrived they were 61-69gm and approx 18 months. Weight/size alone though doesnt indicate age (although I still like to know how old mine are!-think it must be something intrinsic in us) its their SCL to weight ratio that's important. But like others have said they are just settling-try not to worry (its hard I know!) One of mine 'disappeared' for oevr 7 weeks and appeared last week-hadnt lost a gm in all that time dug in! Guess there is always a possibility they have been 'viv'ed in a pet shop so that they grow quicker (I have an 8 year old who is a ridiculous size-lived in a viv on straw and had his tail bitten off by a leopard tortoise) who is huge, but sounds like you will be able to rectify any possible poor husbandry! I'm sure they will settle. keep us posted

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