Pellets

[Flynn]

Thanks everybody for these great responses.

caledonia, it's Komodo Complete, so what's that like?

Pussygalore, that's pretty much what I am aiming to do - I currently feed mainly pellets, but I have just ordered a "ProRep Tortoise Feed Growing Kit" so I can start to mix it up a bit for my tortoise and give a more varied, yet nutritious diet.

I am also ordering a UV Bulb as winter is coming!

Thanks everybody, this has helped put my mind at rest...

[Flynn]

Oh and by the way, I give my tortoise a bowl, and he seems to nibble from it when he's hungry (so he doesn't eat that much a day - obviously just what he thinks he needs)...

That's alright I suppose, isn't it?

[Tr@cey]

Originally Posted by pagan queen

You can't even be sure of that. We can't give the same diet as they would get in the wild. There is a huge variety of weeds available to them in the wild while we only feed a fraction of those. There is no "natural" diet in captivity.

Errrrm...I think you can be sure that a natural diet is ok, considering they have existed for thousands of years!

[Bindi]

Originally Posted by Flynn

Oh and by the way, I give my tortoise a bowl, and he seems to nibble from it when he's hungry (so he doesn't eat that much a day - obviously just what he thinks he needs)...

That's alright I suppose, isn't it?

As long as he's active, basks etc and is gaining weight that should be fine. If his temps aren't high enough then he won't eat too much if at all, but if he is gaining weight then that's fine

[fifi and the flowertorts]

I feed mine Komodo pellets once a week and greens when i can grow/find them and also pre-packed salad. I have only just started using pellets as mine are underweight and i find it gives them an extra boost. thats just what i do, others may do things differently. At the end of the day, you have to do whats best for you and your torts

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by Tr@cey

Errrrm...I think you can be sure that a natural diet is ok, considering they have existed for thousands of years!

Errrrmmm.....You providing your tort with weeds is not a natural diet. How do we know if they are getting the correct amount of nutrients? Also supplementing the diet with neutrabol and calcium isn't natural and more likely to cause problems with over dosing than giving a complete pelleted diet.

[Tr@cey]

Originally Posted by pagan queen

Errrrmmm.....You providing your tort with weeds is not a natural diet. How do we know if they are getting the correct amount of nutrients? Also supplementing the diet with neutrabol and calcium isn't natural and more likely to cause problems with over dosing than giving a complete pelleted diet.

Who said anything about what I give my torts? If you read my original post properly, you'll see that I said 'what they get in the wild' in brackets.

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by Tr@cey

We can only be sure, that a natural diet (the same as what they would eat in the wild) is ok in both the short and the long run.

Originally Posted by Tr@cey

Who said anything about what I give my torts? If you read my original post properly, you'll see that I said 'what they get in the wild' in brackets.

I was using the word "you" as a term for the tort owner in general not you personally. You said, "the same as they would eat in the wild" I am saying we can not provide the same, so it can't be called a natural diet.

[TortBabe]

I try to feed as varied a weed/flower/plant diet as possible. So far this year my torts have eaten a variety of about 70 different things I don't feed pellets when there is so much food around, but I will be using them this winter along with whatever weeds plants I have, salad bags and pre-alpin cobs. I do think they need that little nutrional boost in the winter

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by Flynn

caledonia, it's Komodo Complete, so what's that like?

I've nae idea