desert tortoise soft shell

Question
I have three young desert tortoises acquired from a private individual.  No paperwork, but here in Arizona there is a one tortoise per person law, so he is forced to give any hatchlings away.  I acquired them about one year ago.  They have been outside since that time, on a patio through the winter, and now in a child pool in a partly sunny/partly shady area.  They have not grown much in the past year and their shells are approximately 3 to 4 inches long.  They have energy and roam.  I have seen them eating the the alfalfa shoots and cucumber plants, as well as grass and basil plants.  They have also eaten all new wildflower shoots I planted.  They share the enclosure with two box turtles, both of which are healthy.

Any idea why the shells have softened?

Any information is greatly appreciated!  I have provided my work email address as I expect you will not be responding until tomorrow.

Pamala

Answer
The shells probably softened because they are not getting enough calcium and/or too much phosphorous in their diet. Nothing you describe sounds especially nutritious for them. Alfalfa is good, but the shoots, for example, are not rich in nutrients. Remember- tortoises have different needs than Box Turtles do.

I am concerned that they have not grown a lot in a year. The should grow quite a bit for a while then slow down a bit.

There is not a lot of information here to help me out, and I am not an expert on Desert tortoises, so I would recommend the people at either http://www.tortoise.org or http://www.tortoiseforum.org

I wonder if 3 is too many for your situation. You might want to find a good home for some of them. I think the above sites can help with that as well- and help make sure it is all legal.