Star Homegrown Food -

[Torterra]

I am feeding only weeds for my 4 and 5 month old, they grow nicely. I share this point, It is better to use weeds and a formulated diet, a good one when they will be a bit older, and winter weedless months will come.
I dont see why you will be growing dandelions, that weed readily available all round.

[littlestar]

Originally Posted by EJ

The main point of looking up that kit is that it gives you a really good list of weeds that hopfully somebody researched (so they could continue to sell the product) so the keeper has a known workable list.

As for the rest... the complexity of this demonstration demonstrates the point. Hopefully the keeper is able to figure out what a nutritious plant diet is before they kill or injure the tortoise.

As to the 'whatever'... I don't think I've ever had to fall back on that one for lack of a useful response.

you do not need to look at the kit for lists there are plenty of lists on the rep forums, just because the product has a list of weeds does not mean its formulated and the end of the day its a weed box. as you say "hopfully not "definately" researched.

[littlestar]

Originally Posted by Torterra

I am feeding only weeds for my 4 and 5 month old, they grow nicely. I share this point, It is better to use weeds and a formulated diet, a good one when they will be a bit older, and winter weedless months will come.
I dont see why you will be growing dandelions, that weed readily available all round.

yep totally agree with you that dandys are all over the place right now and i know its sounds daft but in the winter theres none to be had thats why growing them in pots makes them easy to find when the white stuff falls. you can cover the pots over to protect from the snow, then at least your able to give them some weeds dandys plantains etc.

[EJ]

I think there are some people more qualified than others in formulating information.

I know many of the people who put out these products. I also know many tortoise keepers who put together web based stores. I have a very good idea about the research that goes into the production of both these avenues.

Some products get researched better than others.

Originally Posted by littlestar

you do not need to look at the kit for lists there are plenty of lists on the rep forums, just because the product has a list of weeds does not mean its formulated and the end of the day its a weed box. as you say "hopfully not "definately" researched.

[littlestar]

Originally Posted by EJ

I think there are some people more qualified than others in formulating information.

I know many of the people who put out these products. I also know many tortoise keepers who put together web based stores. I have a very good idea about the research that goes into the production of both these avenues.

Some products get researched better than others.

okay whats your opinion of a good formulated/researched weed list?

[EJ]

That's exactly the point. You would have to be a nutritionist to even come up with a good general guess. The product I mentioned had about 25 plants listed and they looked like a good general variety... I guess that would be it.

To put together a plant list that would formulate the nutritional requirement for an animal would be impossible.

Originally Posted by littlestar

okay whats your opinion of a good formulated/researched weed list?

[Easter Bunny]

Is the kit you was talking about?


http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/rept...it-237569.html

[littlestar]

Originally Posted by EJ

That's exactly the point. You would have to be a nutritionist to even come up with a good general guess. The product I mentioned had about 25 plants listed and they looked like a good general variety... I guess that would be it.

To put together a plant list that would formulate the nutritional requirement for an animal would be impossible.

exactly! its impossible! but you keep mentioning a good "formulated diet" there is no formula, we feed what we feed and hope its for the best for them. we are ALL entitled to our individual opinions.

[Gemstone-Dragons]

This is what I meant, the lists I've read give probably around 50 plants that are good feeders but varied.
There must be many aspects needed to make up a torts diet and the lists dont help with which of them make a balanced diet just mix as many as possible and you 'should' be ok.

That is what I was now looking into, if I could cut their varied lust down using your experience to maybe 10-20 plants that fit that nutritional balance as much as possible to use as a basic diet with extras added ontop.

IMO if you choose to feed your dog a raw food diet over processed petfood it is only beneficial to the animal if you get the nutritional balance right otherwise lacking in allsorts.

I wanted to go down the fresh homegrown weeds route at least as my basic diet I could top up but am trying to learn and benefit from your experience as to the best way to do this for my little man.

Originally Posted by stells

Totally agree... i used to feed only weeds... was totally anti pellet... but have to say i use both in my diet all year round now... i thought i had the weed thing down... was feeding a... what i think... good variety... around 25 different weeds... but still felt i was missing something... then i tried the pellets... there is to much with a pure weed diet to take into account when trying to get it right... Oxalate content being one...

Even with this variety... one of mine produced a stone... Ed advised me to look into the diet... and it was quite shockable at just what concentration there was of this in the diet i was feeding... that was my one reason for introducing them into the diet... and one i have never looked back on...

My tortoises... are growing just fine...

[littlestar]

Originally Posted by stells

but formulated diets have been formulated by nutritionists!!!

which brings us in a full circle to pellets not weeds.