Only will eat outside

kkenny · 08-04-2011, 07:40 PM

George - Eastern Hermann aged 2yrs will not eat when in his inside table top enclosure. 3tf x 2ft.

I take him out as much as the weather allows and he (dont know he is a he yet though) will munch away on grass and weeds.

Inside, he will take a bite or two of Romiane lettuce but thats about it for days and days and I worry about when we have weeks of cold spells.

I have only had him a month so I know it is early days but my main worry is his intake of calcium and Reptevite. How can I get this down him ? Cant sprinkle the whole garden!

His enclosure isnt quite finished so he is supervised outisde by one of us but similarly when he is out in his new enclosure (nearly finished), I bet he wont eat the sprinkled food I give, just the weeds I am growing (in calcium enriched soil)

What is the answer? Is he very unhappy inside? Spot is 33-34c, cool end 20c. He has readi grass, tortoise life soil, water bowl, UV light and a comfy bed area. Reasonable active but not as much as when he get outside. Proper little climber.

Thanks for any ideas.

**Alan1** · 09-04-2011, 08:09 AM

They are always more at home outside, it's like they morph into something else completely. They do take a long time to settle in (indoors) when you first get them though, one of mine really didn't eat for 7 weeks when I got it, it would only eat a little bit every 5 days or so then one day it ate a bit of tomato and then took off from there.

Outside they will get D3 from the sun, you could put some cuttlefish bone outdoors broken into small pieces, for some reason they will eat anything small and white outdoors.

You could pick the weeds outdoors and put some calcium on them and put them in a pile in front of them outside. They tend to have a bite here and there when outdoors and seem altogether more relaxed. Quite often or even usually, people don't put anything on the tort's food outdoors but supply cuttlebone or limstone chips

**16 shells** · 09-04-2011, 08:37 AM

Alan's said the biz on first enclosures, i think once out there best leave them to it without too much interference from day to day, as they seem to have to trust there environment as in predator's, places to hide pot's/hut's and bushes to feel safe in younger one's.

**Bindi** · 10-04-2011, 07:52 AM

Now the spring is here, mine won't eat indoors either, they wont settle at all. When they first awoke from hibernation they did but as soon as I started putting them outside after they'd warmed up under lights they were having none of it.

kkenny · 10-04-2011, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindi

Now the spring is here, mine won't eat indoors either, they wont settle at all. When they first awoke from hibernation they did but as soon as I started putting them outside after they'd warmed up under lights they were having none of it.

Well I am glad it's not just George but how do you solve the problem of getting calcuim and powdered vit down them then?

I have got cuttle fish bone (soaked) on offer but he's not keen

**Bindi** · 11-04-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkenny

Well I am glad it's not just George but how do you solve the problem of getting calcuim and powdered vit down them then?

I have got cuttle fish bone (soaked) on offer but he's not keen

I still sprinkle Nutrobal over the weeds that I have picked for them, they have lots of cuttlefish in their enclousre so and I occaisionally sprinkle limestone flower over growing weeds in their enclosures. If I offer them any romaine or the like then that is always dusted iin Nutrobal so if they want that ,they have to have the Nutrobal as well
The choice is their's then really, I try not to get too paranoid about it when they're outside

kkenny · 11-04-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindi

I still sprinkle Nutrobal over the weeds that I have picked for them, they have lots of cuttlefish in their enclousre so and I occaisionally sprinkle limestone flower over growing weeds in their enclosures. If I offer them any romaine or the like then that is always dusted iin Nutrobal so if they want that ,they have to have the Nutrobal as well
The choice is their's then really, I try not to get too paranoid about it when they're outside

Ok thanks, I do too have cuttle but no chance of him nibbling that i am afraid.

I have planted the weeds in limestone powdered soil.

Thank you.

**Alan1** · 11-04-2011, 10:25 PM

keep wetting the cuttlefish every 2 or 3 days, just run it under the tap for 10 seconds or so

08-04-2011, 07:40 PM	#1
kkenny Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Warwick Posts: 1,303	Only will eat outside George - Eastern Hermann aged 2yrs will not eat when in his inside table top enclosure. 3tf x 2ft. I take him out as much as the weather allows and he (dont know he is a he yet though) will munch away on grass and weeds. Inside, he will take a bite or two of Romiane lettuce but thats about it for days and days and I worry about when we have weeks of cold spells. I have only had him a month so I know it is early days but my main worry is his intake of calcium and Reptevite. How can I get this down him ? Cant sprinkle the whole garden! His enclosure isnt quite finished so he is supervised outisde by one of us but similarly when he is out in his new enclosure (nearly finished), I bet he wont eat the sprinkled food I give, just the weeds I am growing (in calcium enriched soil) What is the answer? Is he very unhappy inside? Spot is 33-34c, cool end 20c. He has readi grass, tortoise life soil, water bowl, UV light and a comfy bed area. Reasonable active but not as much as when he get outside. Proper little climber. Thanks for any ideas. __________________ Karin Spartacus, THB, March 2013 Henry, THB, July 2008 Last edited by kkenny; 08-04-2011 at 07:42 PM.

09-04-2011, 08:09 AM	#2
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	They are always more at home outside, it's like they morph into something else completely. They do take a long time to settle in (indoors) when you first get them though, one of mine really didn't eat for 7 weeks when I got it, it would only eat a little bit every 5 days or so then one day it ate a bit of tomato and then took off from there. Outside they will get D3 from the sun, you could put some cuttlefish bone outdoors broken into small pieces, for some reason they will eat anything small and white outdoors. You could pick the weeds outdoors and put some calcium on them and put them in a pile in front of them outside. They tend to have a bite here and there when outdoors and seem altogether more relaxed. Quite often or even usually, people don't put anything on the tort's food outdoors but supply cuttlebone or limstone chips Last edited by Alan1; 09-04-2011 at 08:53 AM.

09-04-2011, 08:37 AM	#3
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	Alan's said the biz on first enclosures, i think once out there best leave them to it without too much interference from day to day, as they seem to have to trust there environment as in predator's, places to hide pot's/hut's and bushes to feel safe in younger one's. __________________ Paul.

10-04-2011, 07:52 AM	#4
Bindi Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hampshire Posts: 11,157	Now the spring is here, mine won't eat indoors either, they wont settle at all. When they first awoke from hibernation they did but as soon as I started putting them outside after they'd warmed up under lights they were having none of it. __________________

11-04-2011, 10:25 PM	#8
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	keep wetting the cuttlefish every 2 or 3 days, just run it under the tap for 10 seconds or so

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