Mazuri tortoise diet- do you agree with ed

[sarah]

Well i don't, i have read his posts and i just dont agree with it at all. It has only been tested for 15 years! A tortoise can live 100 years plus and that is no time frame to research this.
Natural plants are the only way to go for me.

PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENTS

[egyptiandan64]

Not going to vote because there aren't enough choices. I do already feed mazuri to my redfoots as part of a varied diet. I don't feed it to any other tortoises that I have. I would though feed any other forest dwelling tortoises mazuri as part of their varied diet, like redfoots, yellowfoots, all hingebacks, asian brown tortoises and impressed tortoises. I personally wouldn't feed it to any other tortoise, but the ones mentioned. Then only as part of their diet.

Danny

[Laraine]

I actually think this area is more grey than black and white, if you are lucky enough to live where you can get a plentiful supply of weeds and your tortoises are able to graze in as natural environment as possible then you have no need to supplement in this way. However, if you have tortoises, but the area you live in does not provide you with the natural food then you will be necessity have to source food by other means.
The argument would be "well don't have a tortoise if you can't feed it properly"
This is where I may upset some people by saying this, but, where in the South American rainforest or grasslands would you get cat biscuits to soak for your redfoots?
Ed's tortoises do have access to grazing, except during a drought and they grazed the grass into extinction!

I am very lucky in having a large garden, and live in an area that still has hedgerows where weeds can flourish, but some people are not as fortunate. I think a great deal more research does need to be done, Ed and Dan both use it with various tortoises, and as such it could be said they are part of a trial / experimental group, I am sure that they are both keeping a close eye on how their tortoises behave, develop and thrive or not on these supplements. I am also sure, they would admit if they were having problems, and warn others of this.

I would say I would not feed pellets to my guys, but if I was in different circumstances, and lived where the climate was more extreme, say snow for 5 months of the year, I have to admit, I would do whatever was best for the survival of my tortoises, and that may possibly include supplementing their diet.

Laraine

[wildlifewarrior]

personally i think u shud feed the natural food for them as we know that un natural ensolours are bad and i beleive the same is for the food. feed it the real stuff....u know it's better so why use anything else, and forget this crap about some areas have no weeds or climate is too bad, if that is the case then don't get a tortoise. u buy a animal for company and to watch it grow and live in the best and most realistic, u got go and customize it to suit u. u don't buy a dog with a garden or a walking aread and then him them a tredmill to exercise on.

[EJ]

It is manufactured and distributed for zoos. There are some shops in the UK that buy it in bulk and repackage it but they aren't actual distributers. You can contact the company for specific information.
http://www.nutrazu.com/

Ed

Originally Posted by stells

is there even an outlet for this stuff in the UK anway?

[JustAnja]

I do feed it now twice per week, hay is always available and Im feeding organic Spring Mix mixed with hay that I cut up into small pieces 1-2 times per week for now. This is a winter feeding schedule that Ive worked out. My Russians wont touch the Mazuri though and the Sulcata only nibbles at it. The Hermanns go nuts for it.

[Laraine]

I've been up to my local stables today to pick up my weekly order of sow thistle, their prices are still competitive at £0 for a large bunch! I get the other weeds on the hedgerows, but the sow thistles at the stable are HUGE!

Laraine

[sandy]

I grow enough weeds/plants for all my tortoises. Only rarely do I have to go look for them.

[EJ]

because at the time of development and formulation it was specificaly manufactured for galaps and not other tortoises.

Originally Posted by stells

The more i read on it the more it baffles me just read the feeding directions and it just sounds like they don't even know whether it is beneficial to others or not
quoted from the link Ed put up

Nutrazu® Tortoise Diet has been designed for Galapagos tortoises, but may be useful for other species of dry land tortoises. Feed approximately 2-4% of body weight. It is not necessary to add water. Feed consumption will vary with temperature. Feed with good quality grass hay. Fresh fruits and vegetables (less than 20% by weight of total diet) may also be provided if desired

its the may be useful for other species line that gets me.

[egyptiandan64]

I have already experimented with diet for my tortoises quite a while back. This was before mazuri, I used rabbit pellets as a base diet mixed with greens for all my tortoises. I tried to find the lowest protein pellets, 12%, that I could find. I did this to add fiber, nutriton and bulk to their diet as winters are very tough to get weeds and produce is in just as short of a supply. The Redfoots, Yellowfoots, Leopard and hingebacks did just fine on this diet. Elongateds, Greeks, Russians and Marginateds did okay, but not great. Hermanns were the worst of all. They grew flat and some just grew between their costal and marginal scutes, making a round Hermanns, as well as being flat.
I gave this diet up as not being acceptable for the Testudo, but did still do it for the Redfoots, Yellowfoots and Hingebacks. So I've already done all the experimenting I think I need to do with prepared foods when it comes to Testudo. I can say I won't do it again.
I will definately say something if I have any trouble giving mazuri to my Redfoots. They only get it usually once or twice every 2 weeks.

Danny