Daddykirbs Farm first outdoor enclosure

[daddykirbs]

This is not a finished project. We have only had our grown male sulcata for only a week and I am anxious to get him outside.

This is 24x24 feet and 16 inches tall.

I'll have more progress photos soon.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a good start, however, you know it's not big enough, right?

See how you can see daylight under the fence on the right side of the picture? That encourages a tortoise to dig in that spot. Take a shovel and push the dirt so you can't see daylight under the fence. You may need to do that all the way around.

Also, where is his hiding place?

It looks like you have a nice, big piece of property. You live out in the country?

 

[daddykirbs]

That's a good start, however, you know it's not big enough, right?

See how you can see daylight under the fence on the right side of the picture? That encourages a tortoise to dig in that spot. Take a shovel and push the dirt so you can't see daylight under the fence. You may need to do that all the way around.

Also, where is his hiding place?

It looks like you have a nice, big piece of property. You live out in the country?

What is "big enough"? How many square feet does one adult male sulcata need? Is there a formula? This is 576 Square Feet.

Yes we are out in a rural area. The daylight under the fence won't be there when finished. This is just he beginning. Jack is in there for a play spot right now. There will be a hide built, but I'm still trying to figure out the best design for that.

 

[Tom]

My 8" juveniles are housed in roughly 35x35". If "feels" small to me, but it works.

My adults are in a 7000 sq. ft. pen and they use every inch of it. It sometimes feels small to me, but I know that it is big enough. I intend to go larger in the future.

Here are some examples of how to make your night house. These are the result of many years of trial and error. A lot of though and design work went into these.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

Some enclosure pics:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-burrows.50846/

 

[daddykirbs]

My 8" juveniles are housed in roughly 35x35". If "feels" small to me, but it works.

My adults are in a 7000 sq. ft. pen and they use every inch of it. It sometimes feels small to me, but I know that it is big enough. I intend to go larger in the future.

Here are some examples of how to make your night house. These are the result of many years of trial and error. A lot of though and design work went into these.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

Some enclosure pics:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-burrows.50846/

How many adults share 7000SF?

 

[daddykirbs]

I'm willing to go bigger, but this pen will have to do for now. It is better than the little box he's in right now.

I bought some organic grass clover mix to put in there too.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

The enclosure fence that is ever so slightly angled to the outside, with one toe hold , and your tortoise will get over the boarder. It will be the hobby to occupy the hours of the days of the weeks. They can climb, not like a monkey, but like a tortoise, that means they know they have all the time it takes.

 

[daddykirbs]

The enclosure fence that is ever so slightly angled to the outside, with one toe hold , and your tortoise will get over the boarder. It will be the hobby to occupy the hours of the days of the weeks. They can climb, not like a monkey, but like a tortoise, that means they know they have all the time it takes.

Thank you. That slightly angled edge was straightened up when I added the 2x4 lip around the top. The lip will make it more straight, rigid and make it harder to get over. More pics coming soon.

 

[daddykirbs]

@Tom I noticed that you have multiple torts in one night box. Do you have a formula for size of floor per adult Sulcata?

 

[Tom]

How many adults share 7000SF?

3 females and one male. These guys are still young and small. The largest is only 50 pounds.

 

[Tom]

@Tom I noticed that you have multiple torts in one night box. Do you have a formula for size of floor per adult Sulcata?

Not really. Just whatever works for keeping the peace. If I find that one or two are being crowded out of the box, then I add another box, or move some to a new enclosure with their own box.

 

[daddykirbs]

@Tom Do Sulcatas return home at night like a cow or a chicken? If they were in the wild, would they range out over the acreage, then some "home to roost"?

... or, do you have to got out and convince them in to their hide every night?

 

[Yvonne G]

Most of them go 'home' in the early evening and stay there until morning.

 

[Tom]

@Tom Do Sulcatas return home at night like a cow or a chicken? If they were in the wild, would they range out over the acreage, then some "home to roost"?

... or, do you have to got out and convince them in to their hide every night?

Usually there is an initially "learning period" where you have to put them away every night. Usually within a few days they figure out where home is and seek it out in the evening. I've had it take as long as 2 months in rare cases. If this happens in your case, there are some tips I've figured out that will help.

One of the best ways to get them to use their new "home" is to put it where they want to retire every evening. Leave them outside all day on a warm spring or summer day and see where they park at nightfall. Usually they will get comfortable and keep going to the same spot every night. Put the night box in that spot and use blocks or logs or something like that to funnel them into the door.

All of my sulcatas put themselves away each night. My leopards are 50/50 in most cases.

 

[SGT Fish]

my 11 inch sulcata has a box in my kitchen that he knows to go to when i bring him in at night. He always goes straight there unless there is a snack in the way, then he eats and then goes back in. i usually leave some more food outside his box and he will wake up periodically and nibble and then go back in his box. I noticed he will always go to sleep next to our back steps up against the house before i bring him inside for the night. So i built him a heated house out of some cinderblocks and wood i had laying around and filled it with hay. he walked in there as soon as it started getting dark and will stay outside unless it gets too cold at night. im building him a proper insulated house but he is good for now.

 

[daddykirbs]

This enclosure is progressing along nicely. I'll have more pics up soon. The farm cats like hanging out in it too. Has anyone ever had a problem with cats mixed in with the torts?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

This enclosure is progressing along nicely. I'll have more pics up soon. The farm cats like hanging out in it too. Has anyone ever had a problem with cats mixed in with the torts?

Yes. Loud motion detectors scared them away.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't like that the cats use the substrate as a litter box. Other than that, my cats don't pay attention to the tortoises.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I don't like that the cats use the substrate as a litter box. Other than that, my cats don't pay attention to the tortoises.

My neighborhood cats used to crash with my tortoises whenever it was cold or raining., No problems with that, but they also pooped in there and my tortoises started eating the feral cat poop. It was then that I put an end to it and eventually walled up and put a roof on my primary pen.

 

[Gillian M]

This enclosure is progressing along nicely. I'll have more pics up soon. The farm cats like hanging out in it too. Has anyone ever had a problem with cats mixed in with the torts?

Can't wait to see the pics of the enclosure.

No, I've had my beloved tort for 4.5 years, and I have been thinking of a cat/kitten. However, I'm still hesitant: the cat/kitten could harm OLI, and I cannot even imagine that. I'd 'kill' the cat in such a case! I've done a lot of research but I didn't get anywhere.