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Old 03-01-2015, 03:34 PM   #1
GemmaR
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Default Looking after hatchlings

Hello,

We have three 5-month old spur-thighed hatchlings. We've put them in a tortoise table with the proper UVA and UVB lamp, daily cuttlefish sprinkled on their food and weekly nutrobal sprinkling. We give them a bath every day and feed them only on weeds (or lambs leaf lettuce if we can't find any). Because they were so young we haven't hibernated them as we have the others but are overwintering them this year instead. They have a heat mat in their bedroom to keep them warm.

We've been really worried about them though because their shells are still a bit soft with a bit of give in it. What else can we do for them?! We're trying really hard to do everything perfectly!! Should we be limiting the amount of food they have access to each day? People seem to disagree about this!

Thanks,

Gemma
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Old 03-01-2015, 03:55 PM   #2
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Hello,

We have three 5-month old spur-thighed hatchlings. We've put them in a tortoise table with the proper UVA and UVB lamp, daily cuttlefish sprinkled on their food and weekly nutrobal sprinkling. We give them a bath every day and feed them only on weeds (or lambs leaf lettuce if we can't find any). Because they were so young we haven't hibernated them as we have the others but are overwintering them this year instead. They have a heat mat in their bedroom to keep them warm.

We've been really worried about them though because their shells are still a bit soft with a bit of give in it. What else can we do for them?! We're trying really hard to do everything perfectly!! Should we be limiting the amount of food they have access to each day? People seem to disagree about this!

Thanks,

Gemma
Hatchlings should have some give in the plastron, this is normal. But they shouldn't have give in the carapace.
Just because they are young has nothing to do with hibernation:0) They hibernate in the first year in the wild with no problems. Its humans that have the problem:0)
Ditch the heat matt, as they don't need it at all. The heat from a normal house is enough at nightime. Unless your temps drop below 5c.
The food thing, well most new keepers have a problem with it. If you weigh your tortoises once a month, and keep a record of their weight gains. They should gain around 2-3grms a month. This is only a guide, but it helps with how much food they intake. You can get months when they put on nothing and some more than 3grms. You just have to use common sense, if they put on high amounts each month then its too much.
Also if you can see white lines around their scutes, then you are probable feeding too much. As slow growth and you cant see the scutes grow in size.
It is very hard to get things correct straight away, its took me a few years to get things right.
But asking questions and using your common sense does help.
Also thinking what would they do in the wild.
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Old 03-01-2015, 05:48 PM   #3
GemmaR
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Thanks Sandy, that's great. It sounds like they're probably ok then - we just weren't sure how firm the plastron was supposed to be at this age! We'll keep weighing them and try to make sure they're not eating too much, they always seem to be very hungry!
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Old 03-01-2015, 06:10 PM   #4
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Thanks Sandy, that's great. It sounds like they're probably ok then - we just weren't sure how firm the plastron was supposed to be at this age! We'll keep weighing them and try to make sure they're not eating too much, they always seem to be very hungry!
Gemma
They are eating machines:0)
That why keeping a record helps when you are new to hatchlings. I made mistakes with my first one, but got much better with ones after. This was when there was no net info available like there is now:0)
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Old 10-01-2015, 09:42 PM   #5
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Sandy,

My little one has small white lines on her scutes. I never knew what they were! I have been feeding her as much as she could eat. As when I got her last March she didn't eat properly for about 2-3months and was majorly underweight.
Should I reduce the amount I feed her on a daily basis, or miss a day out here and there?

Sorry to hijack your thread!

Thanks,
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Old 10-01-2015, 10:07 PM   #6
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I offer food to my tortoises everyday, and let them choose when they want to eat, sometimes they eat all the food, sometimes don't eat anything, or just some of it x
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Old 11-01-2015, 09:45 AM   #7
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I never used to restrict mine and found like most animals they would only eat what they needed/wanted and leave the rest, I think its only if they are restricted in what they can have that they learn that once its gone thats it. They have to eat it all as there's nothing else, in the wild they would wander around and eat bits of this and that, hatchings wouldn't go very far from safety but big torts do have a big roaming area, so give your torts plenty of space so they can use their calories and you shouldn't have any problems. Don't forget the regular spraying and mine used to have a piece of cork bark over an area that was well watered and warm, the bark doesn't absorb water so the area stayed humid for much longer, the babies would often be found buried in the warm damp soil underneath. I used to try to make the table as interesting as poss, put plants in there such as winter pansies and had a spider plant the babies liked to hide under the leaves, I even put pieces of turf which had a few weeds such as clover etc in the table if watered these would survive a few days but gave the babies something new to explore. When I first put the bark in there they circled it like indians around a wagon train before all climbing on top and promptly leaping off then going round for another go, there were a dozen or so of them at the time they are like children and love new things and become very bold and freindly if given the chance.

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Old 11-01-2015, 01:04 PM   #8
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I don't restrict my hatchlings food, and they decide for themselves how much they want to eat. Sometimes they eat it all and sometimes they leave some. I don't have a problem with growth.
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Old 11-01-2015, 01:06 PM   #9
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Good advice from PG
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Old 11-01-2015, 06:56 PM   #10
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The being hungry all the time is positive sign of good health in my experience. I believe in feeding one really generous meal per day normally. If the tortoise has been unwell or is underweight, I would feed more if they want it.

Also I agree that you don't need a heat mat, even apart from the possibility that it might be bad idea. As the tortoises are not at ground level you probably don't have cold drafts. Even if your house is a very very cold one, I don't think the heat mat is the right way to stop them getting too cold at night.

You probably have a water dish in the table, but just in case, I always say that we should provide one. Even very small tortoises learn where the water is and will go to drink, mostly when there are no nosey humans around!
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