My son, Chris, raises sulcatta tortoises and has researched their optimal diet in amazing detail. The nutritional difference between varieties of lettuces and other greens is quite amazing. The same goes for different varieties of grasses. Tortoises, like iguanas, are herbivores, and can be positively or adversely effected by the amount of protein, calcium, iron, and other nutrients in the foods he feeds them. A diet high in greens like iceburg lettuce can literally kill them. He has to balance leafy greens like lettuces, cabbages, spinach, kale, collard, mustard greens and such with a variety of grasses. Plus, no more than 10% of their intake should be fruits and flowers, no matter how much they like them. Fruits and flowers are 'treats'.
Chris has developed a special 'tortoise garden' in his backyard to supplement the balanced diet he gives them, and nothing goes in that part of the yard that they cannot eat - including the dog, whom they don't like and who doesn't like them. (The dog and the two tortoises each weigh about 75 pounds each - and each could injure the other in some fashion.)
Even in my own salads I like a variety of lettuces, and color is important to me, too. I believe (not based specifically on any fact that I've read) that different colors in lettuces and other vegetables and differing amount of specific nutrients. A mix seems to be the wisest and most interesting was to get as much nutrition as possible.
Di
Central Florida Zone 9a/b
It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Epictetus
Central Florida Zone 9a/b
It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Epictetus
__._,_.___
| Reply via web post | Reply to sender | Reply to group | Start a New Topic | Messages in this topic (12) |
To post a message to the list go to
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
.
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment