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Old 30-12-2011, 12:49 AM   #11
wigwamman
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at the moment i dont have to collect weeds as my torts are in the loft,but i still get off my ar*e and have a walk every day,guess what? there's still plenty FREE weeds about,can't stop looking!!!!

its look for weeds but mind the dog sh*t
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Old 30-12-2011, 01:18 AM   #12
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He he, it does become a real habbit doesn't it. I drive friends mad when we are walking along and I suddenly announce, caw look at that lovely clump of sow thistle!!
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Old 30-12-2011, 01:21 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Essexbrummie View Post
My tortoises have been fed pellets only for about a fortnight now.I have been feeding 1-2% of their weight daily.they have gained quite alot of weight and some of them are borderline overweight according to the Jackson ratio.Should I be feeding them pellets daily or every other day?(the weeds I planted haven't grown enough to feed) I don't want to stare them but am getting worried about their weights any advice appreciated thanks guys
I can understand your concern about your tortoises suddenly putting on too much weight. Do you realise that most pellets are literally carbohydrate. Mostly consisting of cereal products. These are not really tortoise food. I would most certainly get back to a more natural diet. For tortoises in tables that are not getting much exercise, this could in the long run be a big problem. Too much weight can mean that it is harder for those little legs to carry that shell around!
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Old 30-12-2011, 01:29 AM   #14
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Ok thanks do I still need to use nutrabol with pellets?I read that you're not supposed to somewhere
Problem here is that you are not feeding a balanced diet. Pellets in themselves are supposed to be a balanced diet, are they not? If you are feeding pellets and greens, how do you know if the tortoise is getting the correct amount of vit.and min. from the pellets. If you are just feeding greens do you add suppliments? It can become very complicated
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Old 30-12-2011, 09:51 AM   #15
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Ok thanks do I still need to use nutrabol with pellets?I read that you're not supposed to somewhere
No, not on pellet days.

I feed pellets twice a week OR the amount that I would feed on those two days spread over more days by mixing with other stuff. For example if the 2% of bodyweight amounted to five pellets then for two days that would be ten pellets so for 5 days I could crush 2 pellets and mix it with Pre Alpin or bagged salad. I am still getting weeds from my garden but not enough for every day. If doing it that way then you may need to add Nutrobal on maybe 3 days
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Old 30-12-2011, 10:10 AM   #16
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Problem here is that you are not feeding a balanced diet. Pellets in themselves are supposed to be a balanced diet, are they not? If you are feeding pellets and greens, how do you know if the tortoise is getting the correct amount of vit.and min. from the pellets. If you are just feeding greens do you add suppliments? It can become very complicated
This is true. I doubt anyone knows. Torts in the wild eat greens without Nutrobal on them yet in captivity people lash it on to the greens they feed them 'just in case'... but only usually indoors.

When my torts are outdoors and are wandering about eating weeds there's no Nutrobal on them either. So, it can become complicated if we make it so. Maybe Nutrobal on pellets would be harmless - who knows. The amount of vits that's in pellets is miniscule compared to what I've seen people put on their weeds or salads, way over the top of the recommended dose
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Old 30-12-2011, 10:55 AM   #17
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I feed pellets in the winter months only and even then 3 times a week, the trouble is the days they get mixed lettuce with other bits n pieces they sulk and eat it very begrudgingly.
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Old 30-12-2011, 04:14 PM   #18
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How many pellets are you giving them? I think youre only supposed to feed 2% of their bodyweight in pellets at a given time. That is what someone on here has said anyway before.

It says on the packaging that you can use them as a complete diet but I dont know many people who do that. Usually just 1 - 2 times a week during winter/ when weeds are scarce/ other reasons.

I have fed mine them before, once/twice a week when I havent found enough weeds and didnt want to buy bagged salad and yes mine put on weight... but they needed to put on the weight!

If you cant find weeds and dont want to feed them salad (florettes crunchy salad people usually feed) then how about feeding them every other day? Might be a silly idea... wait and see what other people think... I'm no expert lol.

Good luck x
Why do some owners feel so ashamed to admit feeding there tort pellets? My tort Horace who is 4 now would not be here if I did not feed pellets for him 3 times a week.
I bought all the weeds going, spent a long time caring for "them" But Horace would hardly eat them. Even outside in his hide he would hardly eat the weeds. Then I learnt about Pellets. Horace eats them 3 times a week. I bath him every day. This time of the year Horace will not eat anything other then the pellets.
Horace is well, eyes, nose lovely. He wakes up in the morning around 7am and does what a tortoise does until around 6.pm.
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Old 30-12-2011, 04:38 PM   #19
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Erm just to be clear are you insinuating that I am one of those ashamed?
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Old 30-12-2011, 05:43 PM   #20
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My intention isn't to make any body feel ashamed for feeding pellets, it's just I personally have not had a good experiences of them and do not see the need for them for my tortoises, even in the winter months. Obviously I do use Pre Alpin mixed in with fresh food, but I havn't met anyone yet who can convince me that pellets are helpful or contribute to the health of a tortoise in any way. I know this is a personal view and I am not going to jump on any high horses about it and generally when people do, I want to knock them off my self.
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