Irwin's Summer Lodging...

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
As summer starts to wind down, I feel incredibly saddened by the fact that I will have to bring Irwin in when the weather turns cold. He has been out in my backyard - 24/7 - since approximately May 25, 2016. He ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT!!! We've had an extremely hot/rainy/muggy summer - perfect for him! I was a little reluctant at first - but I check on him daily - and he hasn't even tried to dig out of the fence! I made him a tort house using a dog house that I have that my lil dogs have never used. He did make his own burrow - right in the middle of my flower garden - but he has been using the house now. He's still growing leaps and bounds and seems pretty darn healthy to me! He is a little over 2 years and when I weighed him yesterday - he was 6lbs 80zs and 10 1/2 inches long!
I did order some tort seed and he was been munching on that all summer - along with some of my plants that are safe for him. I do still feed him pellets - but not daily like I used to; only about 3 times per week. He also gets treats of apple, banana and watermellon.
I'm posting some pictures of his house.


IMG_5015.JPG IMG_5017.JPG IMG_5019.JPG IMG_5021.JPG This is a view from my porch.IMG_5023.JPG This is Irwin's food I planted. He loves it.

IMG_5025.JPG This is the other part of the yard. He has access to everything! He dug a really big burrow right by the american flag....
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Oh - on the tort house - I lined it - sides and bottom - with a weather-proof tarp - then I put loads of dirt in it.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Aw, I love his house! Charlie's is green too. I think I need to personalize it with his name and a cute picture like Irwin's.
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Aw, I love his house! Charlie's is green too. I think I need to personalize it with his name and a cute picture like Irwin's.
It was a labor of love for sure! I traced that darn turtle then painted it! Same with his name.
You need to post a pic of Charlie and his house - I would LOVE TO SEE IT!!!
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Looking really nice there in Kansas. Nice lil shed. Same with our two year old Sully, he's been out all Summer long as well, and not looking forward to Winter :-(

What kind of indoor housing plans do you have for this Winter?
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
It was a labor of love for sure! I traced that darn turtle then painted it! Same with his name.
You need to post a pic of Charlie and his house - I would LOVE TO SEE IT!!!
This is a picture I took last year of Charlie and his "day" house. He has two houses. This one is in the yard just to provide him a little shelter. We built it partly to give him a hint as to where we would like him to dig if he is so inclined (away from any structures, pipes, etc.) He uses it sometimes and other times he likes lying in the hollow underneath that bush he is standing next to. You can't tell from the angle of this photo but he is long enough to fill the house completely sideways. He also has a "night" house that is heated but he only uses that when the weather starts to get cold.humid hide 8 20 2015 010.jpg
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Looking really nice there in Kansas. Nice lil shed. Same with our two year old Sully, he's been out all Summer long as well, and not looking forward to Winter :-(

What kind of indoor housing plans do you have for this Winter?
Well, I have spider plants galore, cactus, friendship plants, and aloe vera. I plan on bringing my 3 hibiscus plants and my shade coleus plants in as well. He will still get his Mazuri pellets as well. Here's some of the plants I have indoors for him. May be hard to see. But I put them in small containers and put in his indoor habitat. When he's done eating them, I rotate more in and replant in the container he ate from.... I also have live forever plants - which he really likes.



IMG_5028.JPG IMG_5030.JPG
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
This is a picture I took last year of Charlie and his "day" house. He has two houses. This one is in the yard just to provide him a little shelter. We built it partly to give him a hint as to where we would like him to dig if he is so inclined (away from any structures, pipes, etc.) He uses it sometimes and other times he likes lying in the hollow underneath that bush he is standing next to. You can't tell from the angle of this photo but he is long enough to fill the house completely sideways. He also has a "night" house that is heated but he only uses that when the weather starts to get cold.View attachment 183753
WOW - that's a sweet shed! Love the "shingles". I wish I could keep Irwin out year-round. I know - I'll move to California!!!! Anything up for sale in your neighborhood? Charlie and Irwin can become buddies :D:tort:
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Well, I have spider plants galore, cactus, friendship plants, and aloe vera. I plan on bringing my 3 hibiscus plants and my shade coleus plants in as well. He will still get his Mazuri pellets as well. Here's some of the plants I have indoors for him. May be hard to see. But I put them in small containers and put in his indoor habitat. When he's done eating them, I rotate more in and replant in the container he ate from.... I also have live forever plants - which he really likes.



View attachment 183756 View attachment 183757

Sorry, i was asking what your plans are for Irwin's winter house.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
WOW - that's a sweet shed! Love the "shingles". I wish I could keep Irwin out year-round. I know - I'll move to California!!!! Anything up for sale in your neighborhood? Charlie and Irwin can become buddies :D:tort:
Thank you! We had just finished repairing our roof and had some shingles left over.

There are always houses for sale around here. You don't get much for your money in California, though. I'm sure Charlie would love to have a buddy!
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Thank you! We had just finished repairing our roof and had some shingles left over.

There are always houses for sale around here. You don't get much for your money in California, though. I'm sure Charlie would love to have a buddy!
hmmm - now to find a J-O-B there! And convince my other half that California is where we need to be... for Irwin of course!!! lololololol
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Sorry, i was asking what your plans are for Irwin's winter house.
lol - PLANS - not PLANTS! Silly me!!! Yes - I have a 5 1/2 X 4 plexi glass habitat that my brother in law built. I would send a picture but he actually has it at his shop making some adjustments to it. We didn't factor in the humidity level when he built it and only used cocking to seal it - which did not work very well. So he made a metal frame and it's getting put on it. I may have some pictures on this site showing it. It looks like a big aquarium.
Problem is that he will outgrow it quickly - I think this might be the last year he can use it - which is a shame b/c my bro-in-law put a lot of time and effort in it....
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Some hope here for ya. When your sully is big enough, he can live outside even in the winter. Build him a shed, insulated and heated and he could still be allowed to go outside daily if he chooses. Lots of sulcatas go outside in the snow. As long as they have a heated area to go back to and warm up.
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Some hope here for ya. When your sully is big enough, he can live outside even in the winter. Build him a shed, insulated and heated and he could still be allowed to go outside daily if he chooses. Lots of sulcatas go outside in the snow. As long as they have a heated area to go back to and warm up.
My husband made the comment just last night that we needed to probably get a heated-type shed built because he wasn't going to be able to stay in the house too much longer.
Really - I did not know they could go out in the snow! So I should put a doggie door of some type on the shed so he can come and go?
My poor brother-in-law is going to be awful busy soon - cause I plan to use him to make Irwin's permanent home :)
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
My husband made the comment just last night that we needed to probably get a heated-type shed built because he wasn't going to be able to stay in the house too much longer.
Really - I did not know they could go out in the snow! So I should put a doggie door of some type on the shed so he can come and go?
My poor brother-in-law is going to be awful busy soon - cause I plan to use him to make Irwin's permanent home :)
You want to be able to lock him up inside at night. For the day, open the door but have rubber strips that over lap hanging in front of the door opening. It helps keep heat in and wind/cold out during the day when the door is opened. If you made a low ceiling shed, well insulated, even the floor, it wouldn't take much to heat it. The rubber strips should be heavy more like the rubber liners people use sometimes at entry ways.
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
GREAT INFORMATION!!! Thanks! Do I also need to put sun-lamps in? That's kinda scary to me - might start a fire...
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
GREAT INFORMATION!!! Thanks! Do I also need to put sun-lamps in? That's kinda scary to me - might start a fire...
You'll need to put in heaters, but not lamps. Once they get past a certain size, the lamps concentrate too much heat in one spot. @Tom recommended a heating panel for the top and pig blankets for the floor.
This is what I got for the ceiling: http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels I got the 80 watt but you might need something stronger since it gets colder where you are.
This is for the floor: http://www.qcsupply.com/250222-stanfield-heat-mat-24-36.html

You hook all your devices up to a thermostat so they come on when it gets too cold.
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
AWESOME. How big is your shed? Is it a low ceiling? I'm thinking that's the way to go. Kansas doesn't get a ton of snow....but it does get cold.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
AWESOME. How big is your shed? Is it a low ceiling? I'm thinking that's the way to go. Kansas doesn't get a ton of snow....but it does get cold.
It's got a low ceiling; I think it's 30 inches tall. Tom recommended 4 x 4 foot. We put it on the patio and thought 4 x 4 would take up too much room so I made it 3 x 4. Now I wish I hadn't skimped on size as he has to shimmy to get in. You might want to go even bigger. Make sure the roof lifts up so you can clean it easily. Charlie loves leaving me presents in his!
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
It's got a low ceiling; I think it's 30 inches tall. Tom recommended 4 x 4 foot. We put it on the patio and thought 4 x 4 would take up too much room so I made it 3 x 4. Now I wish I hadn't skimped on size as he has to shimmy to get in. You might want to go even bigger. Make sure the roof lifts up so you can clean it easily. Charlie loves leaving me presents in his!
You don't have to do it tonight - but can you post a picture? I'm more of a visual gal.... would like to be able to show my brother-in-law.
 
Top