Feeding Hatchlings

Feeding hatchlings is just the same as feeding an older tortoise except you have to cut it  extremely small. They will eat almost all  green foods and it is a must to give them a varied diet from day one so as not to end up with a fussy eater ! You can feed, greens, cabbage, spring cabbage spinach, a little tomato (No pips) brussel tops, water cress (great ,full of calcium)  cress, pea tops,  a LITTLE  lettuce (good for water content only) and any  weeds like dandelion , thistles  and others.  They will eat mallow flowers, succculants, Buddleia flowers  and Nasturtiums . Strawberries, peaches, bananas   a little grated apple ,  nectarines, melon (No pips), NO GRAPES EVER  !!.  (They are a diuretic).. If you do this, you can chop it all together or cut it with scissors  VERY small so it can eat  some without having to tear it and  then leave a little for it to tear with its beak. If you find it turns its nose up and you are worried it hasn't eaten try seperating little piles to see what it favours most and then slowly over time add other things to it. Doing  it  this way if  for some reason you cannot get to the shops or they haven't got something  that you  wanted you will always be able to find something  that your tortoise  will eat.The same goes for weeds, during the winter they are in short supply so you will need to be able to feed other things. I always try to feed weeds and natural garden foods but  with so many tortoises this is not always possible ............ Please leave a message on the forum if you know of other foods your tortoise eats......