Feeding torts weeds v shop bought greens.

[MiShelley]

I'm pretty sure they can eat rose petals in moderation, no doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong x

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by MiShelley

I'm pretty sure they can eat rose petals in moderation, no doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong x

Thanks for your help ... My neighbour has a rose bush I'm sure they won't mind if I snip some leaves off for my tortoises.

[16 shells]

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Thanks for your help ... My neighbour has a rose bush I'm sure they won't mind if I snip some leaves off for my tortoises.

You should find it is just the flower petal's fed. My opinion if you can still grow some weed's add some of the edible plant's listed and even bulk the feed out with little amount's of your shop bought food's, altering foods to balance out the diet and continue with the twice a week pellet's. All together through the week is not a bad diet. Try and identify a few more weed's/plant's as you go and you are sorted, a day without food is not also a bad thing if feeding a complete diet like Komodo.

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by 16 shells

You should find it is just the flower petal's fed. .

Oh yeah, silly me.

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Thanks for your help ... My neighbour has a rose bush I'm sure they won't mind if I snip some leaves off for my tortoises.

the leaves of roses are not okay. as paul says, a mix of all things is best.

you have to watch that there is no fertiliser or insecticide on other people's plants

[michelle g]

Have you looked at the pre-alpin testudo tortoise food... There is lots of info about it on the Urban Tortoise website. You can add it to your weeds daily to help bulk out the variety and its all natural.
I've been adding a small amount each day to my babies weeds and she seems to love it, I'm hoping in winter this will be a great help.

I am also still learning with the weeds...at the min I'm successfully finding and identifying dandelion, hawkbit, bittercress, jack by the hedge, speedwell, plaintain and shepherds purse (hope I got the names right) which I walk past when walking my dog and grab a handful...I rinse everything thoroughly as you never who if something has been peed on unfort and then put in a sealable bag in the fridge.... I'm hoping as the weather gets better I will identify more but I always have florette crispy salad for my bearded dragon so use that to with the weeds. I've tried growing my own weeds and it started well but they seem to be dying off x

[yuna1971]

Don't forget that if you buy the plants and flowers from any shop or garden centre, then you will need to weather them first before feeding. You won't be able to let them tuck straight in. To weather, take off the old leaves and flowers, brush off the fertilised soil from the roots then replant either in normal unfertilised soil in your garden or in sterilised soil pots outside. You then will need to wait 2/3 weeks before feeding them to your torts.
As regards the weeds IDing - as Al says we all started like that. What I normally suggest is taking pics of any weed like plants in your garden or when your going for a walk. Then upload the pics onto this site. We can then try and help identify and say if they are edible or not.
You will be surprised how you will end up remembering the pic and what it was, and where you saw the weed first. Then... you will find that you see it on other places and from this the confidence grows to then see what else you have growing.
It's a very good time now BTW to start identifying weeds, with this warm weather, there are many good edible ones growing. It's not easy at first but in time as your confidence grows you will be snapping everything in sight and learning as you go.
Hope this helps and good luck xx

[EJ]

It stems back to a single source of information that has been engrained into every new tortoise keepers head... natural is always best. The problem is the folks spouting this information never really seem to fully explain what is natural. Many (myself included) get around the full explaination by saying to feed as much variety as possible... this still does not work unless you have a well planted yard that you can allow your tortoise to graze so it can decide what it needs.

Well... 'natural' is not always best which is why you have joined the ranks of so many new keepers. The greens you can provide might be close to what the tortoise might find in the wild but it is not a the natural diet a tortoise normally would find in the wild. As you have also found out you would need to become a botanist and a nutritinist... or trust... the word of those who might think they are.

Another option is to trust one of the many formulated diets such as Komodo tortoise diet and the like. It's taken me 15 years to fully trust such products and that was only through actual usage.

Now those that preace the 'natural' diet are panicing because they are seeing how beneficial these diets really are so they are trying... once again... to use scare tactics without ever actually using the products.

What you need to do is talk to keepers who do not have an agenda. These products are there to benefit your pet and make your life less worrysome.

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Hello, I try to feed my tortoises as many edible weeds as I can by growing them in pots in the window. The problem for me is I can't seem to maintain as much as they need (And apart from Dandilion leaves I really can't identify plants so I can't go out and find them. Anyway they would all be peed on by dogs etc) so I very often use shop bought leaves; which my little guys seem to love and very occaisionally I use Komodo pellets. I dust all the leaves with nutrobal or calcium dust pretty much every day. My Question is why are edible weeds so much more recommended than shop bought greens if they are dusted with vitamins? Also I feel a little bit of a failure feeding them the shop bought greens but as I said I do sprinkle a little pinch of Nutrobal so isnt this OK?

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by EJ

Another option is to trust one of the many formulated diets such as Komodo tortoise diet and the like. It's taken me 15 years to fully trust such products and that was only through actual usage.

Now those that preace the 'natural' diet are panicing because they are seeing how beneficial these diets really are so they are trying... once again... to use scare tactics without ever actually using the products.

Do you think Komodo pellets are ok to use regularly? I am going to grow weeds in my garden very soon (I bought a varied amount of tortoise weed seeds off ebay)... But until they grow and in the winter when it's harder to grow them, then surely Komodo pellets must be better than shop bought salad?

I wonder if there really is a correct way to feed a tortoise in captivity and if there is does anyone really know the correct way? I will just try my very best for my babies but will I get it right? I hope I can.

[EJ]

Totally... but as you can see... I'm a minority... in this group.

Feeding a tortoise in captivity... 'correct' is a highly subjective opinion.

I believe a 'correct' diet is providing all the required nutrients a tortoise needs for good development is the correct diet. I've learned that current formulated diets are the best solution for most situations.

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Do you think Komodo pellets are ok to use regularly? I am going to grow weeds in my garden very soon (I bought a varied amount of tortoise weed seeds off ebay)... But until they grow and in the winter when it's harder to grow them, then surely Komodo pellets must be better than shop bought salad?

I wonder if there really is a correct way to feed a tortoise in captivity and if there is does anyone really know the correct way? I will just try my very best for my babies but will I get it right? I hope I can.