Feeding and Nutrition :: not eating cuttle bone

[pixiedust]

my turtle is around 6 months now. i've tried introducing cuttle bone since i first got her (although i'm still unsure of the gender) but she wouldn't eat it. until now i'd drop little pieces once in a while but it just goes to waste.

what i do now is i crush the cuttle bone until it's powdery, put it in the bottle of pellets and shake i a bit. i was thinking that it might stick to the pellets. and hopefully, my turt could get some of it. but i'm not sure if it's effective.

i still feel that i need to let her eat the cuttle bone itself but i don't know how. anyone experienced this before? or is there an alternative source of calcium i could give her?

[octpusgirl8]

I can't help you out here, my turtle won't touch his cuttle bone either (he's around 7 yrs old). I've tried floating small pieces in the tank, i've tried floating large pieces in the tank, and more recently i've tried clipping it into a veggie clip and leaving it stuck to the side. All have been ignored. I've been thinking about soaking a piece in tuna juice and seeing if i get results that way, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Hopefully somebody else out there can give us both some suggestions!

[DavidY]

In the wild, many animals will lick the salt and minerals off of certain kinds of rocks (that's why they make salt licks for deer and livestock). Chipmunks and other small mammals will eat the antlers the deer shed in the winter, or the skeletal remains of dead animals. They do this in response to their bodies need for calcium and other mineral elements. I assume they will instinctively respond to their own bodies needs, kind of like when we're thirsty for water, we drink. Perhaps your turtles are meeting their calcium requirements already and don't need the supplement? Just a thought.

[octpusgirl8]

That's what i'm hoping. He eats his pellets like a champ, and once a week or so i give him a mealworm and i dust them with calcium, so hopefully he's getting enough. I'll keep offering it just in case though.

[Hoooneylynn]

If you keep trying to give it to him, he will probably eventually eat it. I gave my turt cuttlebone for a month before she started to eat it, now she loves it.

[DavidY]

Yea, maybe it takes them a while before they realize what it is. Once they get a taste of it, they may eat it more regularly as they need it.

[grey goose]

Beaker never ate it until I put a large chunk of it in a vegetable clip attached to the side of the tank. Then she wouldn't leave it alone.....

[SpotsMama]

Spot prefers his cuttlebone in a veggie clip.

[octpusgirl8]

I've got it in a veggie clip (with the backing picked off), it's been in there for a couple of months and he hasn't so much as nipped at it. I'll try tuna juice next time one of my roommates is having tuna.

[pixiedust]

thanks for the tips. i guess, she's not calcium deprived for now like DavidY suggested. but i'll still try to leave in chuncks of it more regularly so she'll get used to it too.

[kornygerm]

i was gonna buy a cuttle bone today, but i changed my mind since i dont think they need it cause of the pellets given, but they are hella cheap, so i will get them one next time.

[ice]

where might you find cuttlebone? places like peto?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

You can find cuttlebone in the bird section in any pet store, It usually costs around 2$..

[SpotsMama]

Even if you think your turt doesn't need cuttlebone go ahead and put it in there. Couldn't hurt, right? And if it turns out he does need it, there it is.

[DavidY]

Oh yea, it definitely is a good idea to always have a cuttle bone or use some other calcium supplementation for when your turtle does need it. I hope no one misunderstood me, I don't mean that anyone's turtle doesn't need a cuttlebone. I was just trying to say not to worry too much if you never see your turtle eating it. But always be on the look out for any signs of MBD.