Feeding baby tortoises.. How often?

[mrscross78]

Hi all, I have 2 little Western Hermann's that are around 7 months old now (bless!).
I feed them in the morning after they have been basking under the UVB light for about an hour.... I then give them some leafy greens or weeds (I also I give them a small sprinkle of nutrabol most days). All is fine there...
Where I am confused is how often I should feed them. At the moment I feed them in the morning let them eat what they want then throw any excess away. I don't feed them in the afternoon as I don't want to overfeed them.
Am I doing it right or am I completely wrong? Also when they grow older do I need to feed them any differently?
Thanks for any help on this subject.

[Kirkie]

Your routine sounds good to me. If you have any leftover weeds you could spread a few round their home. Gives them something to do during the day. Dont worry if the weeds dry out, they'll still eat them. As they get older, increase the amounts but eating their fill in a sitting is good as far as I'm concerned.

Its tricky to apply some of the rules of thumb to Westerns as they're much smaller. If you keep a regular note of their weight and length there are varios tools in the caresheets section for a rough idea of how they are doing.

[mrscross78]

Thank you for putting my mind to rest.

[Dazza]

thats the million dollar question

We all feed baby tortoises different, personally i feed mine as and when no set routine, some days they get more than others, and now and again they miss out completely. As long as they are well filled and maintaining steady weight gain you have it spot on.

Darren

[Ozric Jonathan]

I also feed little hermanni once a day, and let them eat more or less what they want. Perhaps after 20-30 minutes I take away most of what is left.

The apetite seems to have a lot to do with how warm it is for them. So if you are providing lots of heat and light they will be hungry little things. Especially when they are small I don't feel right about having them charge about looking for food and not finding any too much. If you are feeding leafy greens and weeds there is not much protein in there anyway so in my opinion there is very little risk of over feeding on the one good meal a day routine.

I take a different tack when mine are outside in the summer, and I let them have free access to lots of suitable food plants in the enclosure. Mine do not over-eat in these conditions. Their approach to eating is completely different. I haven't understood this fully.

[Petrus]

I think you've had some good advice. I like the idea of spreading leftovers around. I have two 16 month Eastern Hermanns and I feed them in the morning before I go to work. By the time I get home it's usually all gone. Mine eat some and go back to it later.

Your regime sounds good. I also use grass pellets and komodo pellets. It's all a bit random, but usually they get komodo 2-3 times a week.

[Anita Sayles]

My Marley is 8 months old (med spur thighed). I feed once daily more or less enough to cover his shell.
Slow growth is what you want - I was advised to aim for 2-3g a month.
Difficult though, they can't eat as much as they'd like to!

[shellonia]

If you have several hatchlings,some will always eat more than others and growth rate can be remarkably different.Just make sure its good healthy fibrous food and you can't go far wrong.With the 'enough food to cover the shell'wisdom-I've never understood if that means a pile the size of the shell or a single leaf.Don't think mine would settle and bask on just a leaf!When you are feeding a number it's quite difficult to judge,but I tend to give what gets eaten in 20minutes.Even then some bask longer than others before eating.It's a difficult question to answer but you will get to know your own animals

[mrscross78]

Thanks for all your help...