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i just read in one of my turtle care texts that tender vittles can make up a part of a varied diet for baby turtles. would you recommend this, or warn against it? if yay, then how often? if nay, then what type of meat would you recommend in its place?

thank you.

I don't think tender vittles would be a good option. They're fatty, and really more of a cat thing...
Protien wise-(and remember, any of these should be given only as an occasional treat), many people give their turts feeder fish (guppies or minnows, NOT goldfish), blood worms, freeze dried shrimp, or gut-loaded crickets.
I've also heard of people giving boiled white chicken meat or egg whites.

Also don't be afraid to start offering them veggies (if you're not already). The younger they get introduced to veggies, the better the chance you'll have getting them to eat them. They may not be interested in start, but leave a piece of some leafy green in there all the time, and they're likely to catch on

oh they get their veggies, and they love them! i just wanted to integrate a little more protein in the diet, and the text said tender vittles was okay. i'm glad i asked! they'll be getting live feeder fish about once every six weeks. i've only had them for one month now... but if i should feed it more or less please let me know!

i was going to pick up some meal worms on payday, is that okay? or should i just stick with the crickets?

There are some that use cat food but I think it's totally unnecessary. Meal worms are also not the best either, earthworms are a better choice. There's not much in crickets unless they have been gut-loaded.

I wouldn't use catfood unless a turtle had stopped eating and I was trying to get it eating again.

oki i got gut loaded crickets. wow, they smell! what's the best frequency to feed them? i was thinking two weeks but again if that's too little or too much please tell me! thanx.

pumpkinsherbet wrote:oki i got gut loaded crickets. wow, they smell! what's the best frequency to feed them? i was thinking two weeks but again if that's too little or too much please tell me! thanx.

I have never used the gut-loaded crickets, but I had to laugh at your comment about how they smell!!! I don't know what it is, but it seems like the worse something smells, the more the turtle LOVES it! It would explain why Sheba came up to my bare feet one day and just randomly BIT my big toe!!!! &%$#@!!!!!! I was like, "OK, I GET THE HINT. I WILL WASH MY FEET!!!!!"

oh goodness~! one of my cats did that to me some years back, but it was my nipple she bit! ouch ouch.
i put in two crickets. one of them is gone, i assume aeryn ate it (the little hog). john was heading for the second one, but bolted when he saw me coming.

industrial_girl_2000 wrote:

pumpkinsherbet wrote:oki i got gut loaded crickets. wow, they smell! what's the best frequency to feed them? i was thinking two weeks but again if that's too little or too much please tell me! thanx.

I have never used the gut-loaded crickets, but I had to laugh at your comment about how they smell!!! I don't know what it is, but it seems like the worse something smells, the more the turtle LOVES it! It would explain why Sheba came up to my bare feet one day and just randomly BIT my big toe!!!! &%$#@!!!!!! I was like, "OK, I GET THE HINT. I WILL WASH MY FEET!!!!!"

Heh, sounds like turtles are more useful than they are already