- Joined
- Jul 30, 2013
- Messages
- 436
Hi all,
So, need some advice or a home remedy idea or.....? I've got three Aldabra tortoises; Uncle Bri is 5 years old and my two little ones are approx 18 months. On rare occasion I take Uncle Bri on an outing and so I spent time on a portable enclosure for him. Almost like a portable playpen for children. I have folding/hinged plywood walls that surround a 4'x6 industrial plastic tray. I have then laid rubber egg crate mats in the bottom so that pee would drain through.
The thing is that no matter what, once Uncle Bri is placed in it, he begins to poop and pee - for seemingly HOURS. I cannot believe how much poo and pee he can hold!!! What I am trying to do is be able to bring Uncle Bri to the local grade schools on occasion to show and teach the kids. Uncle Bri is approaching 60 pounds and when he was younger and smaller his poop was not a big problem. At this size his poop is a problem. The sheer volume makes it impossible to bring him there.
What I am hoping is for a way to "encourage" him to do this before hand. It must be the new environment or anxiety that make him release everything. I could put him in the pen the day before and just let me go to town, but then he's sitting in it all day. When i give him a good soak, he rarely poops in the bath, so that does not seem to be a solution.
I don't know that taking him out to the kids is a great idea for him, but i'd really like to share him. It's been one of my goals since i got him and he's a pretty cool character and i think he can handle it.
Any thoughts would be welcome!
Thanks
Ben
So, need some advice or a home remedy idea or.....? I've got three Aldabra tortoises; Uncle Bri is 5 years old and my two little ones are approx 18 months. On rare occasion I take Uncle Bri on an outing and so I spent time on a portable enclosure for him. Almost like a portable playpen for children. I have folding/hinged plywood walls that surround a 4'x6 industrial plastic tray. I have then laid rubber egg crate mats in the bottom so that pee would drain through.
The thing is that no matter what, once Uncle Bri is placed in it, he begins to poop and pee - for seemingly HOURS. I cannot believe how much poo and pee he can hold!!! What I am trying to do is be able to bring Uncle Bri to the local grade schools on occasion to show and teach the kids. Uncle Bri is approaching 60 pounds and when he was younger and smaller his poop was not a big problem. At this size his poop is a problem. The sheer volume makes it impossible to bring him there.
What I am hoping is for a way to "encourage" him to do this before hand. It must be the new environment or anxiety that make him release everything. I could put him in the pen the day before and just let me go to town, but then he's sitting in it all day. When i give him a good soak, he rarely poops in the bath, so that does not seem to be a solution.
I don't know that taking him out to the kids is a great idea for him, but i'd really like to share him. It's been one of my goals since i got him and he's a pretty cool character and i think he can handle it.
Any thoughts would be welcome!
Thanks
Ben