Eating hemp when winding down for hibernation

[JennyJ]

I previously posted a message on this topic - I dont know where it is tho. So, I will summarise....
How come tortoises need to be starved before hibernation - no - I am not stupid, I know the theory about food free guts etc., it sounds logical and sensible...but please....who star?ves the torties in the wild then?
Why dont we all ignore the date and the calender and see what little tortie wants to do? If he isnt ready to stop eating, then surely he knows best? And if he stops and starts again cos the weather warms up for a day or so, then he`ll soon stop eating again when it gets cold. Mine have.
This is global warming for you! Adaptation is all.

All this starvation rubbish goes against all that`s natural - to starve an abviously hungry tortoise. What does the most up to date research say? Does it incorporate global warming and temperature fluctuations? I bet not. To a tortoises mind, if it`s still fairly warm out there - then there must be vegetation growing - yum yum!!

There was a time when it was the right thing to feed babies four hourly - on the hour - not a minute before and not a minute later...what did you get?? Starving babies who kept crying..

Best wishes to all - and the hungry torties out there!
Jenny.

[EJ]

If you read through this topic in other posts you will see that most experienced keepers don't really restrict food because the tortoises are usually maintained outdoors. With the onset of the Fall the tortoises do what comes naturally in their unnatural environment and slow down when the temperatures are allowed to drop. They stop eating on their own. If temperatures are high enough they continue to digest food and pass it as some keepers have mentioned. I'll even be willing to bet that they will get fecal pellets on the spring post hibernation soakings.

The problem comes in when this process is attempted to be simplified and pidgeon holed into neat little steps. It really can't be broken down into steps because all the steps overlap and there is no cut and dry line between them. The new keeper does not seem to understand the natural sequence and relies on the observation of the experienced keeper which is sometimes... usually biased and important notes are not conveyed.

This is why I suggest that the new keeper now be concerned about hibernating and focus on the everyday processes of the reptile so the keeper will actually understand why a tortoise goes into a winter or summer rest period which has been labeled hibernation (which it is not) and aestevation for the o0ther unfavorable conditions.

If the keeper then wants to force this rest period for whatever reason they will know why it is happening and understand the mechanisms. With this the whole process is so much more safer.

Originally Posted by jennyhoward12

I previously posted a message on this topic - I dont know where it is tho. So, I will summarise....
How come tortoises need to be starved before hibernation - no - I am not stupid, I know the theory about food free guts etc., it sounds logical and sensible...but please....who star?ves the torties in the wild then?
Why dont we all ignore the date and the calender and see what little tortie wants to do? If he isnt ready to stop eating, then surely he knows best? And if he stops and starts again cos the weather warms up for a day or so, then he`ll soon stop eating again when it gets cold. Mine have.
This is global warming for you! Adaptation is all.

All this starvation rubbish goes against all that`s natural - to starve an abviously hungry tortoise. What does the most up to date research say? Does it incorporate global warming and temperature fluctuations? I bet not. To a tortoises mind, if it`s still fairly warm out there - then there must be vegetation growing - yum yum!!

There was a time when it was the right thing to feed babies four hourly - on the hour - not a minute before and not a minute later...what did you get?? Starving babies who kept crying..

Best wishes to all - and the hungry torties out there!
Jenny.

[Bride2b]

Thank you for all of your views.

[JennyJ]

Phew, I was expecting to get really blasted, for my last posting...you know, daring to question the `conventional wisdom`!! I have been blasted in the past - oh yes!!
So thank you for your replies.
You see - I have experience of tortoises winding down of their own accord, and going into hibernation, when kept indoors and under artificial heating and lighting conditions. I was amazed I admit.
So I reduced the heating and lighting etc, and eventually put them down for hibernation.

Best wishes to all -Jenny.

[Bride2b]

Hi

Everyone is entitled to their own views, I most certainly wouldnt blast you for having your views, its always good to hear another persons point of view.

[wildlifewarrior]

i often eat hemp before i hibernate.
then try to breed in the warmer months

my view