WeedyDragons
New Member
I am new to the forum and this is my first post!
I have wanted a group of Sulcata for nearly 15 years. I am now nearly 30 and finally in a position with house, stability, finances etc to undertake ownership of these guys (I think it is called "adulting"). I am new to tortoise ownership, however I am not new to animal husbandry. I own a sizable fish business and my background is in aquaculture, animal husbandry is my livelihood.
I wanted to post my plan of attack for these guys and get some feedback, and if there are any glaring mistakes or things I am overlooking please let me know! I am aware this is an expensive undertaking and a life long commitment.
I will be acquiring a group of 6-8 Sudanese locale Sulcatas in 4-6 weeks, I am simply in love with these animals. They will be hatchlings. I have read through every thread on here over the last year or so and understand the logic and application behind the closed box/wet method. Accordingly, I have an 8' x 4' closed box ready for the hatchlings and will have no problem maintaining the temp and humidity requirements.
I live in the Willamette valley of Oregon (aka the grass seed capitol of the world), so while fresh grass year round will be no problem, the climate itself does not allow for year round outdoor housing. I do have plenty of land available for the nice months. My plan is to build a 1000 sq ft shed/greenhouse, with radiant heat flooring, as well as a natural gas heater to maintain appropriate heat and humidity year round. The animals will have access to 1/2 acre plus of grass year round. Now the questions:
1. The tortoise yard/pen has not (as far as I know) been sprayed with pesticides/herbicides in the past several years. HOWEVER, there is very little clover and no broad leaf weeds in the turf, which does make me wonder if the previous owners applied any chemicals. Should I remove the top 12" of dirt to be sure, or will a year under my control with no herbicide application be ok?
2. I would "like" to let the animals burrow during the summer months, during the winter the ground will likely be too wet for this to occur. The soil here is fairly clay heavy, as it was historically a flood plain. Should I import several dump truck loads worth of sand to mix into the soil?
3. There will be free range chickens adjacent to (not mixed in) the tortoise compound, do I need to worry about Coccidiosis transmission or any other zoonotics? I have been trying to find en excuse to kill the chickens as they wake me up early every morning, but my wife seems to like them...
4. The UV index during the winter months here in Oregon is very low, frequently 1-2 on the cloudy/rainy days. The roof of the structure will be comprised of 3mil greenhouse paneling that allows UVB to pass through, but will this be enough for the animals during the winter months or should I supply supplemental UVB lighting during the winter months?
I am an organic gardener and will be able to supply my critters with all the herbicide/pesticide free grass, clover etc they need. Additionally, I will be growing cacti from their natural range in my greenhouse to supplement their diet.
Are there any factors I may be overlooking that need to be addressed? I am fully aware of the size, longevity and commitment required to maintain these guys. As I said, I have waited over a decade to get these animals as I am fully aware this will be an expensive, life long undertaking.
I have been lurking here for quite a while, and I look forward to some input. I am all ears and appreciate any help!
Thanks,
Colby
I have wanted a group of Sulcata for nearly 15 years. I am now nearly 30 and finally in a position with house, stability, finances etc to undertake ownership of these guys (I think it is called "adulting"). I am new to tortoise ownership, however I am not new to animal husbandry. I own a sizable fish business and my background is in aquaculture, animal husbandry is my livelihood.
I wanted to post my plan of attack for these guys and get some feedback, and if there are any glaring mistakes or things I am overlooking please let me know! I am aware this is an expensive undertaking and a life long commitment.
I will be acquiring a group of 6-8 Sudanese locale Sulcatas in 4-6 weeks, I am simply in love with these animals. They will be hatchlings. I have read through every thread on here over the last year or so and understand the logic and application behind the closed box/wet method. Accordingly, I have an 8' x 4' closed box ready for the hatchlings and will have no problem maintaining the temp and humidity requirements.
I live in the Willamette valley of Oregon (aka the grass seed capitol of the world), so while fresh grass year round will be no problem, the climate itself does not allow for year round outdoor housing. I do have plenty of land available for the nice months. My plan is to build a 1000 sq ft shed/greenhouse, with radiant heat flooring, as well as a natural gas heater to maintain appropriate heat and humidity year round. The animals will have access to 1/2 acre plus of grass year round. Now the questions:
1. The tortoise yard/pen has not (as far as I know) been sprayed with pesticides/herbicides in the past several years. HOWEVER, there is very little clover and no broad leaf weeds in the turf, which does make me wonder if the previous owners applied any chemicals. Should I remove the top 12" of dirt to be sure, or will a year under my control with no herbicide application be ok?
2. I would "like" to let the animals burrow during the summer months, during the winter the ground will likely be too wet for this to occur. The soil here is fairly clay heavy, as it was historically a flood plain. Should I import several dump truck loads worth of sand to mix into the soil?
3. There will be free range chickens adjacent to (not mixed in) the tortoise compound, do I need to worry about Coccidiosis transmission or any other zoonotics? I have been trying to find en excuse to kill the chickens as they wake me up early every morning, but my wife seems to like them...
4. The UV index during the winter months here in Oregon is very low, frequently 1-2 on the cloudy/rainy days. The roof of the structure will be comprised of 3mil greenhouse paneling that allows UVB to pass through, but will this be enough for the animals during the winter months or should I supply supplemental UVB lighting during the winter months?
I am an organic gardener and will be able to supply my critters with all the herbicide/pesticide free grass, clover etc they need. Additionally, I will be growing cacti from their natural range in my greenhouse to supplement their diet.
Are there any factors I may be overlooking that need to be addressed? I am fully aware of the size, longevity and commitment required to maintain these guys. As I said, I have waited over a decade to get these animals as I am fully aware this will be an expensive, life long undertaking.
I have been lurking here for quite a while, and I look forward to some input. I am all ears and appreciate any help!
Thanks,
Colby