What exactly are you feeding the tortoise? There is no problem with providing a constant supply of broad leafy weeds or just a handfull of grasses. This will allow the tortoise to forrage as it would in the wild and you would not have to worry about exessive weight gain.

I would offer a cuttlefish bone also, if he is greedy then he might like to chew on this.
I would not offer a constant supply of weeds but give him so weeds with big stalks like hedge mustard that he really has to chew on.

the problem is they arnt in the wild and we cannot give them as much exercise in a tortoise table.

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I'm tearing my hair out trying to find a reference that might help me find out how this number was derived...

Does this apply to a 12g tortoise as well as a 100kg tortoise? Does this apply to all species? Is this an average or should it be consistant throughout the year? Is less then this too little? Is more than this too much? Does temperature play a role in this? Does personality play a role in this?

Anyone???????

The only torts I have that has pyramiding is a rehomer who came to me like that. My elderly torts and all my other torts have perfectly smooth shell. My torts are actually outside most of the year so graze but when on table top like now they are fed twice a day due to the lighting shriviling food.

This is totally false. Quantity has absolutely nothing to do with form.

I can't think of a nicer way of saying this...

Ed i disagree i have a female ibera fed the right food a variety but fed too much as has a lumpy shell

Some babies i had, i fed too much (weeds) they started to show pyramiding.

We can go on and on. I have all the proof i need in the tortoises i own and my own obervations.

I also have a very deformed ibera fed that nast pellet stuff you say is go great and its in a awful state.

You can have your say im having mine!!!

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While that might be evidence to possibly support your point you really can't say that is proof.

You have to ask about or provide the environmental conditions under which those animals were kept to possibly eliminate those as a possible cause.

You can see in my posts that I've provided evidence that my points are on the mark. The difference with my evidence is that I've provided both diet and environmental conditions.

Explain to me why free range tortoises are usually the nicest looking animals even though they have access to unlimited graze?

You can have your say even if I think it is false in this case.

Ed free range tortoise have lots and lots of exercise they can have a bite of one plant then move to the next, tortoises in tortoise tables have there food placed in front of them not getting the excersie.

Lol god ed you do make me laugh

Evidence is not proof?? where did you get that from?

Ed your post on pellets how do you monitor what going on inside the tortoise? has this been tested for over 100 years to see the outcome? because this is how long a tortoise lives for?

You cannot say a pellet diet is good without it being testing for over 100 years!

But a natural diet of a variety of weeds has been successful because thats what tortoises eat in the wild
And dont give me that poo of the weeds found in the Uk are different that in the wild because lin king (think that her name- tlady) has been in the wild and produced a seed mixture that is full of plants found in the wild, like dandelions, hedgemustard!!!

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I had to admit that I aprtially agree with a man but I also I agree with Sarah too. I have a 130 year old Ibera who has only ever had a weed diet and lived outside and had nice long hibernations who has a lovely shell but I also have a rehomer that is 3 years old and kept in a viv and fed the wrong foods and has pyramiding. I never restrict diet in summer months and never had any of my own torts with health or shell problems.

Ed does have some good points

But from my obervations you can overfeed on a weed diet, i have proof in my tortoises that have slight pyramiding, i cut their food down and they are growing smooth.

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