Endangered Noms

One of the first things I do when I get into the rescue center every week is feed the turtles and the seals.  People tend to think that its just dropping some food into the tanks but its a bit more involved.

First thing is to get the meds tray.  All of the seals and turtles are on vitamins, some are on medications for one illness or another.  Each bottle belongs to a different seal or turtle.

Second feed is vitamin time

Next step is to set up the feed area.  Each "patient" in rehab has a feed chart.  On it lists what they can eat, how much, how often and what meds or vitamins are included with the feed.  The day of this feed the turtles were getting clams.  In the wild they eat a wide variety of things so other days they will get squid or lettuce.    To round out the supplies I grab scissors to cut up the food into turtle sized pieces and trays to carry the food to the little monsters.

Setup for a vitamin feed

I weigh out the clams based on each turtles chart and then check that the pills in their bottle match their charts.  

Clams and squid and vitamins, NOM!

The pills get stuffed inside the food so they take them with little interaction from us.  Once that's done we head to the tank.  The med food gets dropped in first then once they eat that the rest goes in.  I'll go back to the kitchen and note their eating habits (eating well, not eating, etc) then its rinse and repeat for 4 more turtle tanks and for the moment 5 seal tanks.  

Seal Feed

The turtles eat once a day while the seals eat four times a day.  Our seals eat herring usually, but now and again they get mackerel.  After the feed is off to do a large list of chores that one day I'll post.  But for now I have to get ready to head out and feed the turtles!