02-08-2013, 05:48 PM | #31 |
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I used to keep to the " only gain so many grams per month" rule but when it came to hibernation time my torts were so light they couldnt hibernate. I then forgot that idea & fed them well.
I also think hydration is very important. My smoothest Marginated used to give me a heart attack as a baby she used to enjoy sleeping in her water bowl! She was a real water baby nearly always in it. |
02-08-2013, 05:52 PM | #32 |
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So is it really possible to over feed a med tortoise on weeds and salad leaves, I don't restrict food, but they don't seem to eat none stop, infact their eating habits go in phases, they were really hungry in the hottest weather , now it's cooled down a bit, they are eating less, of their own choice. And as I've I hibernate all of mine ( except for special needs) so they have a break from eating. So I hope as close to natural eating habits as possible. Personally I think don't restrict what you give them but promote natural eating habits.
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02-08-2013, 06:16 PM | #33 | |
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I often wonder if too much calcium can contribute to pyramiding. A wild tort would regulate the amount of calcium intake it has, where as a lot of people add calcium to the food they provide. If the tort doesn't need the calcium it can't not eat it as it's stuck to the food. That calcium has to go somewhere. Is it then deposited in the shell causing deformities like pyramiding or does the tort excrete the excess?
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02-08-2013, 06:55 PM | #34 | |
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My adults are wound down, and go down when they choose, so once they are under the soil, they don't get any checks, other than keeping an eye on temps. I do watch my tortoises closely during the year, looking for changes etc. If when I pick them up they seem heavy, that's fine. They will hibernate in my greenhouse.
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03-08-2013, 12:13 AM | #35 |
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That would be no Wendy as the bones on a tortoise with MBD become more porus and bigger (thicker) but not heavier. Good bone is tight and compact.
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ad.php?t=18782 Danny
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03-08-2013, 12:59 AM | #36 | |
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03-08-2013, 01:18 AM | #37 |
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Same with tortoises
Well if a hatchling tortoise is consistantly getting dehydrated at night than liver (and other organs) functions drop off. The liver is where calcium is taken up from the gut and stored to be used for bones and muscles. If the liver function is lowered, than even with giving what would be considered the right amount of calcium, phosphorus and D3 won't help as the liver won't have enough available for the body. Everything is interconnected and when you throw even one thing off it throws off the entire system. Danny
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03-08-2013, 01:32 AM | #38 | |
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03-08-2013, 08:32 AM | #39 | |
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I had a Herc hatch in January, only 7-8gr 30mm anyway after 100 days she was 12gr. I was a bit worried, but she was always active, drinking and eating. I decided to put her in with my two juveniles who are two yrs. That was in May, today she is 41gr and 56mm. She is in a planted 8ft x 3ft table with access to water and food 24/7. Her shell is very smooth, I did think of the grms per month thing, then thought that her shell is very smooth so carry on with the way I am looking after them. The theory you mentioned totally makes sense. Again with my two year olds they too since coming out of hibernation end of January have grown a fair bit. One has went from 57gr-115gr 68mm-80mm, 49gr-95gr 63mm-74mm, again with very smooth shells. Could the slow growth of my Herc in the beginning be down to the time of year she hatched? Then the sudden growth due to the change in season spring/summer? Andy |
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03-08-2013, 11:30 AM | #40 |
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What should the humidity be as a rough guide? I get between 55 and 70%. Less under the light as it dries so fast.
With the limestone flour, would you sprinkle the food or put in a dish? Darwin doesn't use the cuttle bone at all. Just moves it if it's in his way. i have been sprinkling it on the food. This is a great thread. I've learnt loads!! x
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