Please help redfoot tortoise

[boxman]

Originally Posted by EJ

On the food... Dark leafy greens should be the main mix with as much variety as possible being provided. If you are feeding pellets... which I highly suggest you do... I would recommend a complete pellet such as Mazuri, NutraZu, Pretty Pets, Komodo or T-Rex tortoise diets.

Just quoting you man!

[cherylahutch]

I feed my red foots the same weeds etc as my horsfields and stars but give them fruit about 3 times a week and a mushroom each once a week they do get a little chicken as a treat which they love but only about one a month

[EJ]

I know. I don't know why I was inclined to say that. Thanks. That's hitting the send key too quickly.

Originally Posted by boxman

Just quoting you man!

[EJ]

Honestly... the other tortoises would benefit from the same diet provided the fruit is not to high in water content... berries, low ripened Pomes...

Originally Posted by cherylahutch

I feed my red foots the same weeds etc as my horsfields and stars but give them fruit about 3 times a week and a mushroom each once a week they do get a little chicken as a treat which they love but only about one a month

[Mick.Ire]

Originally Posted by EJ

What was the origin of the animals you first got?

I don't recommend any animal protein on a regular basis. Redfoots need the same amount and kind of protein as all tortoises.

In your opinion.

Bit vague too, so do Hermanns require the same amount of protein as Hingebacks? There "all tortoises".

[EJ]

By me saying 'I don't recommend...' I hope that it is understood that it is my opinion... considering there are no studies that too much or too little protein is detremental to the health of a tortoise. It is ALL opinion.

You need to let common sense kick in here. A Hermanns... Hingeback... and the rest... are all made up of the same basic building blocks in the same ratio. Why would any tortoise need more or less protein than the next?

My comments are as specific as anyone can get... not vague at all... unless it is not understood.

Originally Posted by Mick.Ire

In your opinion.

Bit vague too, so do Hermanns require the same amount of protein as Hingebacks? There "all tortoises".

[FLINTUS]

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Flintus, why are you so abrupt? Your post sound like you are giving orders. I don't know anything about redfoots but please give this person a break. I'm not having a go, it's nice of you to offer help but you sound so scary in your posts, I worry the person my be put off and miss out on valuable help.

Ha ha! Sorry, I didn't have much time as we were going out so I kind of wrote it in note form! LOL! I never realised I sounded scary, it was completely an accident.

[FLINTUS]

Originally Posted by boxman

Do not give low fat dog food- low fat as opposed to high fat will just take longer to cause harm. As Ed suggests, Mazuri or similar will give the protein needed.
You can also pm me or e mail (paul@ukchelonia.info) as I have kept a WC breeding herd for 22 years, and have bred countless hatchlings for UK owners over the years..

I don't feed it to him normally, but I meant the dried stuff and if there is no other protein suitable for him at the time. Ed, why do you favour pellets so much? Surely it's just a shortcut. It's interesting, generally US keepers prefer pellet/part pellet diet and UK ones tend to avoid from the keepers on here.

[FLINTUS]

Originally Posted by EJ

What was the origin of the animals you first got?

I don't recommend any animal protein on a regular basis. Redfoots need the same amount and kind of protein as all tortoises.

Ed, in the wild they consume carrion relatively regularly, where as Horsfields would never take on protein on purpose. Where as torts in the testudo genus need very little protein, tortoises in the tropical regions will often have protein, for instance my tort loves mushrooms(although people have managed smooth growth with no animal protein but that's not natural). For example, in the wild, Hingebacks are insectivores and in captivity will readily accept insects. To say all torts need the same type and amount of protein is either obtuse or absurd. Interestingly, I was reading something the other day that in the wild Red Foots consume 70% of their diet in fruit in rainy season and 40% normally-much more than most torts in captivity.

[Mick.Ire]

Originally Posted by EJ

You need to let common sense kick in here. A Hermanns... Hingeback... and the rest... are all made up of the same basic building blocks in the same ratio. Why would any tortoise need more or less protein than the next?

The same reason a red foot shouldn't be kept in the same enviorment as a sulcata. Biodiversity and evolution.

Yellow foots, Red foots and Hingebacks along with Box turtles will actively hunt for meat so of course they should be offered protein in captivity.

For example, Sulcatas won't hunt for live food but have been known to eat carcassas in the wild........... they are more opportunists. Given the choice they would rather greens.

Hingebacks given the choice between bananna or worms will always choose worms because their natural hunting instinct kicks in.

So to say they are all made up of the same basic building blocks, therefore feed them the same amount of protein is incorrect. While different species all share the same elements of life this should in no way dictate their diets or housing as evolution has changed various requirements in all species of tortoise, size, colour, shape, diet, enviormental requirments etc.