April's Custom Tortoise Cubes
These cubes are a good staple for use with many species of tortoises, because it provides so much variety, and aroma to the diet. It is typically served on a bed of store bought mixed green salads, especially during the winter.
Ingredients:
ATC's Tortoise Foliage Mix, a mixed of 25 or so tortoise safe herbs flowers and grasses.
Orchard & Bermuda Grass hay. Typically sold dried, and can be found at petco.
Safe chopped weeds: dandelion, plaintain, chickweed, etc. These grow naturally in my yard, are harvested in mass and frozen for winter use. Be sure to source your weeds safely.
Storage/mold: I use these black silicone ice cube trays because they are bigger than the standard ice cube, and they are perfectly square which makes them very easy to stack.
Many ingredients can be added to these cubes depending on species you are feeding. This is a good base for additions. For more information be sure to check out tortoisetable.com for food indentification, sourcing, and safety information.
Orchard & Bermuda Grass hay. Typically sold dried, and can be found at petco.
Safe chopped weeds: dandelion, plaintain, chickweed, etc. These grow naturally in my yard, are harvested in mass and frozen for winter use. Be sure to source your weeds safely.
Storage/mold: I use these black silicone ice cube trays because they are bigger than the standard ice cube, and they are perfectly square which makes them very easy to stack.
Many ingredients can be added to these cubes depending on species you are feeding. This is a good base for additions. For more information be sure to check out tortoisetable.com for food indentification, sourcing, and safety information.
Preparation:
Step one: Chop ingredients to fine.
Step 2: reconstitute the dried foods by soaking them in water
Step 3: Densely pack the cubes a third of the way high for all three ingredients:
I prefer to fill with the stored weeds first then the hays and top with the atc mix, this makes them have to eat through the atc and grasses before they get to the soft weeds.
I prefer to fill with the stored weeds first then the hays and top with the atc mix, this makes them have to eat through the atc and grasses before they get to the soft weeds.
Step 3: Add a little water so that the mixture doesnt crumble once frozen. Not a lot, just enough to cover the mixture. As the picture below shows.
Step 4: Freeze
Step Five: thaw and serve.