Pyramiding

[amcgltdchix]

Does anyone out there follow the guidelines by the tortoise trust on what to feed your tort?

ie) they do not recommend pelleted foods with their greens saying it adds to pyramiding.

Anyone?

[Cloud7659]

Since both of my tortoises are grazers (red-foot and sulcata) and I keep them in an outdoor pen, I don't use any tort diet. If you have a backyard i recommend taking yoru tort out to the grass (make sure its pestcide free) and letting him/her graze on the plants.

Commercial tort diet is usualy too high in protein. Depending on what tort you have, romaine lettuce may not even be heaslthy enough. Grass and hay is definitely the healthiest way to go, it promotes slow-steady growth and prevents pyramiding.

[Cloud7659]

I noticed you have a leopard tort, they are especially susceptible to pyramiding and can turn on you in an instant. one day they may seem healthy, and the next they might be downhill. Just watch him closely, they are very sensitive to humidity, heat and diet mistakes. Also, they love cactus.

[gncz73]

hi i have a redfoot that was rasied on the tort deit from Mazuri and thats what the lady i got it off of was feeding hers and the babys. i have tried a few times to get it to eat greens and dandilion(sp) but it never goes for it. the stuff just goes bad everytime now it does like banana and i do give it some here and there but was told not to give it alot.

[monkeywrench133]

I just got three redfoots, but was considering sucattas first. I did a lot of research on them, especially the pyramiding. From what I read, nobody knows why pyramiding occurs. Some people say too much protien, some say not enough UVB. So I wouldn't put much stock in anyone who says "this is the cause!".

As for my torts, they're too small to have an outside pen yet, they're only a couple months old. But the care sheet the breeder sent doesn't even mention any kind of pellet diet. Mine get nothing but fresh greens and fruit. Collard, mustard, and turnip greens are ridiculously cheap. I paid 75cents per bunch for mustard and collard, and that's enough to last them a week. Papaya was highly recommended as a great source of calcium, because it's also low in phosphorus. And they're only $3 right now, and I have to freeze half of it so it doesn't go bad before they eat it. Basically, considering the cost of produce, I don't see any reason to feed them any kind of pellet diet.

[gncz73]

as i said the ort i have is a year old now give or take and when i got it was already eating a tort diet i have tried to feed it greens and freash fuits but it just doesn't eat then i end up giveing in because i don't want it to go hungry and after a week of not eating i just give it the pellets again and as soon a i place the pellets out it comes running and eats then goes to the water dish and poos. it just turns down the greens