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Hand Feeding Lettuce

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:54 pm
by Sora
Hey, I was just wondering... I've begun hand-feeding(kinda late, but so far so good), and I was wondering. Is there a specific way to hand-feed lettuce to your turt? Because with her other food, I just rest it in my palm and leave my hand just underneath the surface and she scoops it up and swims away, but when I put lettuce there, she doesn't take to it right away and when she does, she practically swallows it whole like she's scared. :/ . I feed her Ice Berg Lettuce and cut it up into rectangular strips, so that its easier to eat, but should I be cutting it smaller? Maybe the size compared to her other food is weirding her out?

Thanks in Advance :)

Re: Hand Feeding Lettuce

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:04 pm
by Kurtni
Sora wrote:Hey, I was just wondering... I've begun hand-feeding(kinda late, but so far so good), and I was wondering. Is there a specific way to hand-feed lettuce to your turt? Because with her other food, I just rest it in my palm and leave my hand just underneath the surface and she scoops it up and swims away, but when I put lettuce there, she doesn't take to it right away and when she does, she practically swallows it whole like she's scared. :/ . I feed her Ice Berg Lettuce and cut it up into rectangular strips, so that its easier to eat, but should I be cutting it smaller? Maybe the size compared to her other food is weirding her out?

Thanks in Advance :)

Iceburg lettuce isn't really good for turtles, it doesn't have any nutrients. Maybe she's just a health nut xD (Green Leaf lettuce or romaine would be better)

I doubt she's scared of it, but if she has to work for her lettuce and tear it into smaller pieces with her claws there isn't anything wrong with that- it's enrichment.

Re: Hand Feeding Lettuce

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:33 pm
by Sora
Thanks Kurtni for the info and the quick reply :lol: . I knew that Romaine or Green Leaf lettuce is the preferred choice and is even stated on the website, but I figured that all lettuce has to have some nutrition.

Well, I did alittle research, and what I found out makes me feel alittle silly :oops: , turns out I was only half right: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce .

It seems that, although Iceberg lettuce is full of Vitamins and protein and not much fat, Romaine and Butter Head/Leaf Lettuce seems to contain more Vitamin A and protien at the cost of being alittle bitter(to us atleast).

Time for another trip to the grocery store :P