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Too much or too little food?
Posted: 23/07/2013 by Dillymint

Hi all. Got a Horsfield 3 days ago, he's 16 months old and gorgeous! Came from a private home as their little boy 'didn't love him anymore'. Anyway... Have done loads of research over the last few months to make sure I was prepared for him. I read somewhere that I should only feed him what he can eat in 20-30 minutes per day, and that overfeeding is a bad thing as he can grow to quickly. So, George was out in the garden yesterday stuffing his face with dandillion leaves, he went home when it got a little cooler and half an hour later he's sat in his food dish. I wondered if he was still hungry so picked him some favourites - dandillion, rose petals and nasturtiam. He ate the lot. Got up this morning and he's back in his dish, so have given him more of the same. He's been chomping away now for 40 minutes and is still going. Have been taking notice of his poo too (eugh!). I thought he should only go a few times a week but he's been 6 times in 3 days. It all looks perfectly normal though. I also weighed him the day we got him so I can keep track, he's 160g. But I don't have any other weights yet so I can't refer back to judge how he's growing. Help! Don't want to over or under feed him, but I am struggling to know exactly how much he should be eating - particularly with the 20-30 minute 'rule' which seems to have gone out if the window. Any advice gratefully received by me, and gorgeous George!

Re: Too much or too little food?
Posted: 31/07/2013 by Tom

Hello,
Are you providing heat & light overnight ?
Regards
Tom

Re: Too much or too little food?
Posted: 11/08/2013 by Tom

For the avoidance of doubt -
heat & light overnight should be avoided, for a number of reasons, one of which is, that tortoises from temperate regions subjected to 24hr heat - overfeed.
Regards
Tom

 

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