Sulcata food questions

Hello everyone, I have a baby sulcata tortoise and I was just wondering what kind of food to feed it. I have heard many different things, but I have heard more of feeding them grasses. Please tell me if this is correct, that I am supposed to feed them more grasses than greens, or what to and not to feed. Also, if they do eat grasses readily then what kind of grasses would be easy for me to plant in it's enclosure (open topped big tub). Someone told me finch seed, but I don't know if I really trust that because I also heard fruits were not great for them either, and finch seed has fruits in it. I don't know if the grass that finch seed produces is any good either. Also could someone tell me places where I can buy seeds to plant the grasses I need? I would appreciate any and all help that is given, thank you in advance. -Art-

Try http://www.turtlecafe.com for grasses.

No on finch seed, no no no. good lord. YOu want hay, such as orchard grass, timothy, bermuda,etc (alfalfa is too high in protein). Hay should be a staple diet. Supplement it with calcium powder.

YOu should also offer a variety of weeds and grasses, flowers,etc. Look at http://sulcata-station.org/ for some info and tortoisetrust.org

Finch seed, really?

Yeah, there is this reptile shop in a town by where I live called Chicago Reptile House, and they were feeding their torts (sulcatas, leopards, hermans, red foots, etc. and they were also feeding them to beardies and uros) Finch seed... I don't really trust them anymore because once I started researching reptiles by myself, I realized they did not know what they were talking about at all, whereas they were wrong on many different things. They have given me false info on tegus, monitors, iguanas, torts, beardeds, geckos, frogs, ball pythons, retics, and the list goes on... I don't trust them anymore at all, and the only reason I still buy stuff from them is because I know a kid who works there who gives me discounts if the owners aren't around. I also only buy feeders from them, and nothing else, because they treat their animals like shit, barely feeding them, not properly heating them, dirty enclosures, and they put animals that are sick or not good looking (animals they can't really sell) into their freezer to kill them off. They say that it's humane because since the animals are cold blooded they don't feel the freezing and they just go into a sleep to never return. I have found information on that and it said from multiple sources that it is inhumane and has been proven. Sorry for the long post. I now feed my tort correctly (thank god it wasn't very long, just like a week or two, where I was feeding romaine, finch seed, and some fruits) Now my tort eats a diet of almost all grasses. I also grow my own grasses now.

them, you are supporting them. You may want to explore other avenues. You also may want to contact members of the Chicago Herp Society and let them know about the situation.

Well, I guess you put up a good point, I alternate purchases between them and another store that's a little farther away, because I get coupons in my email from the other store. So I can just buy from the other store and not that one in paticular. Also I've started ordering online now a lot more, so I don't even need their discounts. Thanks for bringing that up, I guess I always knew it, but was in denial.

We no longer support our local reptiles stores becauase of their lack of proper care and collection of snake mites. We buy supplies online cheaper and animals from breeders. We buy our rodents frozen from breeders and occasionally when live are needed from one of our herp society members that breeds them.

Yeah, I seem to be moving more and more towards all online, or other fellow herpers/friends. Everything is cheaper, and I get better service. Also, I know most of them, and I know they treat their animals right.