Weeds for sulcata tortoises can be a tasty and nutritious part of your sulcata’s diet. A sulcata’s diet should primarily be grasses, but it can include up to 10% weeds.
So when raising a sulcata, you may find yourself happy to find weeds in your yard. But, you may also find yourself questioning which weeds are safe because not all weeds are safe for tortoises to eat.
Common Weeds Safe for Tortoises
- Broad leaf plantain
- Cats ear
- Chickweed
- Clovers
- Dandelion
- Filaree
- Goat head weed
- Hawksbeard
- Hawksbit
- Hensbit
- Mallow
- Milk thistle
- Narrow leaf plantain
- Nettle
- Prickly sow thistle
- Small sow thistle
- Trefoil
Dried Weeds for Tortoises
If you find yourself lacking weeds in your yard or you can’t find a safe place to harvest, then offer dried weeds and leaves.
Sprinkle dried weeds on top of fresh grasses and greens. Or add them to tortoise pellets for more flavor, variety and nutrition.
On the other hand, if you find yourself with a surplus of weeds, dry them for the winter months. You can purchase a cheap food dehydrator to dry out batches of weeds. Store them in a resealable bag or container, and offer them during the winter months when fresh weeds and grasses may not thrive.
