Re: Hay / alfalfa

Posted by Tommy Owens on September 24, 2000 at 12:58:52:

In Reply to: Hay / alfalfa posted by Saus on September 12, 2000 at 02:51:52:

The purpose is to get them off of a perfectly flat substrate because locomotion problems will begin to show themselves in some individuals. I don't know if you have ever witnessed it, but it is o.k. for torts to eat their own feces, they are coprophagic; it is what they do! Depending on the number of tortoises in the enclosure and the sizes of the animals, you will need to change alfalfa pellets pretty often. That is why hay works better for older animals. It works well to choose a substrate that your animals can graze from, this is a natural behavior and most will do it whether or not the substrate you have chosen is good for them.

: I still don't quite understand the purpose of hay or alfalfa.
: Is it for bedding or for them to chomp on? If the latter, won't it
: be contaminated with their waste and all the muck that builds up?

: I have one that was kept on paper towels for the past year, and he hasn't seen
: hay or alfalfa at all. Still seems happy.

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: The purpose is to get them off of a perfectly flat substrate because locomotion problems will begin to show themselves in some individuals. I don't know if you have ever witnessed it, but it is o.k. for torts to eat their own feces, they are coprophagic; it is what they do! Depending on the number of tortoises in the enclosure and the sizes of the animals, you will need to change alfalfa pellets pretty often. That is why hay works better for older animals. It works well to choose a substrate that your animals can graze from, this is a natural behavior and most will do it whether or not the substrate you have chosen is good for them. : : I still don't quite understand the purpose of hay or alfalfa. : : Is it for bedding or for them to chomp on? If the latter, won't it : : be contaminated with their waste and all the muck that builds up? : : I have one that was kept on paper towels for the past year, and he hasn't seen : : hay or alfalfa at all. Still seems happy.

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