Lids for outdoor pens

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Levi the Leopard

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I have sectioned off another area of my back yard to be the future outdoor pen for a Russian tortoise. It is rectangle in shape but doesn't have 90degree corners. It's 17' feet long, 7' wide on one end and 4' wide at the other end.

I am still weighing my options about a lid. Whether I'll have one and leave the tort out full time (most likely) or if I'll keep it open and bring the tortoise in at night.

Has anyone ever built a lid for an outdoor enclosure that size??
I see people with 4x8 and 3x5 but 17'x7'/4'??

I am curiou to know if any others out there have built pen lids for enclosures this size or larger.
I have google image searched and searched this forum for examples to the point that my neck hurts!!

If anyone has any examples I'd love to see them.

Thanks!
 

Momof4

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I love your question. I can't wait to see what others are doing.
 

CtTortoiseMom

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Is the outdoor enclosure built? If so can you post a pic. I think I have an idea.


I guess a pic wouldn't matter. My idea is large weighted fishing net. You might even need two. I do not cover my large outdoor enclosures for my adult Leo or sulcata but I do use one for my yearling Leo and my husband used wood and chicken wire to make it but it is not as big as you describe so it may be combersone to get on.
 

wellington

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I don't have a pic. However, I would use hardware fabric. The fencing that has little squares in it. It comes in different gaged wire for sturdiness.
 

Levi the Leopard

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I'm familiar with the wire you are referring to...

Its the size the lid would have to be that is throwing me of on the "how to" if i go that route..

Ideally i want a lid..I'm just over whelmed by the thought of covering a big space like that.

I'll get some pics up and see if any of you can come up with ideas
 

Cowboy_Ken

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My Russian tort outdoor pen is large like that. I don't cover it. I bring them in at night. They are however, great climbers so watch your corners. I put a piece of board across them so they can't climb out.


Them being the corners.
 

abclements

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The only thing i can think of is making a couple wooden frames that are maybe 5 or 6 by 7/4 and driving stakes into the ground, so when you put it on it will stay. Hopefully this makes sense to you cuz it makes sense in my head, but then i read it back and i wouldnt understabd what im saying lol
 

dabayliss

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I am planning a similar pen; 8ft wide, 32ft long. The idea is to build a set of 8x4ft lids and line them along the length of the pen. Alternate lids would be screwed down.

Idea being - each lid is 8x4 (relatively tractable) - haven't decided whether to hinge them yet.
 

Moozillion

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Great thread. I'm starting to think about starting the outdoor enclosure for my Hermann's. We have both rat and raccoon problems, so it'll need to be lidded. I was thinking of using 4 screen doors for the lid. (I don't know how much plain screen doors cost- could be too pricey). Obviously there would have to be a board or beam down the center for the hinged sides. But at least I could latch them all well. I may reinforce with hardware cloth.


I really like the idea of the 8 x4 sections- I would probably hinge all of mine just because I want to be SURE I can get to her quickly and easily if I need to.
 

pdrobber

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I used wood to create a frame, then attached hardware cloth to it. A hinge would be a great idea, but I just remove the whole thing.
 

lynnedit

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If you want to make it secure at night, it depends on what you have in your area. Raccoons? then use hardware wire (aka hardware cloth). If you are just worried about birds during the day, then bird netting. Etc.

Bird netting would be easy to set up with a PVC frame, which you could fashion in any shape. Even a walk in. They make those garden clips to snap on and hold the netting in place.

Hardware cloth would take a frame. Dividing it into smaller sections might help make it more manageable.
Heather, will you be able to access your enclosure from both sides? Or is is against a fence or house?
 

Levi the Leopard

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The entire pen is accessible from all 4 sides.
Its on my to do list to get some pictures up!...
My goal is for the Russian to be outside, full time, all year. I'd want night time protection from raccoons or cats or anything.

I like the idea of making separate lid sections. Then i can remove them when i sit out there (i love to watch my tort for hours and not through a screen) and put them back when I'm not there..

Let me get some pics taken and uploaded tomorrow then i can get some better ideas from you all.

I've also been toying with the idea of making my current 20'x6' for the Russian and using the 17'pen for my Leopard instead.

Oh and corners covered will be an absolute!

Thanks everyone for ideas. Sometimes you just get suck and need others perspective...
 

Levi the Leopard

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Would a night house that locks work instead of an entire lid?
At dusk i could make sure it was safe in the house and then open the door in the morning?

Would the house have to be heated for Russians?
 

Levi the Leopard

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Here is the 20x6 pen normally used for my leopard.

The wall was 4 rows of brick stacked but we decided to finally mortar them and make it a solid brick planter wall. It adds a little more height and is secure.
2v1n1o4.jpg

2n8yfww.jpg


Since this pen is still under construction I set up a temporary pen so my leopard can get some sun and some grazing in the new 17'x7' area.

I framed it for now with some scrap wood beams and 2x4's nailed together. I, too am a wood collector ;)
aemu5g.jpg

vwu046.jpg

You can see the pen has 3 sides that are lined with concrete walkways. The 4th side is just against a rock path.
I just recently set this up and am still working on removing the previous sod mesh and little rocks.
Once its all cleared and I build the actual frame, I'll add some more dirt and begin growing my grasses, weeds and other seeds/plants.

The 20' pen gets great sun in spring and summer. It barely gets any sun in fall and NO sun in winter.
I'm thinking this could be the Russian pen instead? Since that species brumates. If I make a secure house for the tortoise to be locked in at night would that work instead of an entire pen cover? Would I want to make it so that eventually when the tortoise brumates outside naturally, its burrow could be in this house so it's protected?

Then I could turn the 17' pen into one for leopard since it has great sun all year long. He still comes in at night and when I'm not home so I could leave it lid-less for now.

Thoughts?

Oh and the river rock around the water dish.. I plan to lay some of the mortar mix and set the rock into it so none can be pulled up and swallowed. I kept having the water dishes overgrown with weeds so I'm hoping the rocks around the water dish will help prevent that and look nice at the same time. I may just do the concrete and rock to make a mini natural pond..we'll see..
 

Melly-n-shorty

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I have a 3' by 9' that I made one big lid for... I wish after I built it that I had broken it up into 2 lids to make it easier to open and close... I made mine using a PVC frame and bird netting to make it light weight. the bird netting has wide enough openings to let in all the good sun rays.
 

RedfootsRule

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The problem with doors is weight...I would need a diagram of how your enclosure is shaped to tell you how to do it. But anyways, your going to need large doors. Doors always require 2x2...But 2x2 warps so badly, that you have to be ridiculously exact in how your door fits into your frame, and when it gets wet, the wood swells, after awhile it warps...You get the idea.
You think the solution is 2x4s...They don't warp. But then you have a door that weighs about 50 pounds. Its really up to you, and how much difficultly you want in opening it. You can do one out of 2x2, and put 20 cross-braces in, it still warps, and then it still scrapes. It becomes difficult to close, after a time. And the ability to do this in itself relies on rather difficult carpentry, so 2x2 becomes hard to work with.
What are you trying to keep out? Racconns? Then you need metal wire, at least 14 gauge. Chicken wire, bird netting...They shred right through it.
Now, PVC doors could be an interesting thing to try....Put cross-braces of 2x4s across the cage and anchoror a PVC frame to that....Perhaps you could secure the wire to it with zip-ties, or something of the sort.
I have a 12x6 enclosure that is enclosed, I might be able to get some pictures later.
 

Melly-n-shorty

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yea I only had birds and cats to keep out so the bird net was enough but for more persistent critters wire is always better. PVC if you get the thicker walled stuff and glue it properly is easy to work with if you dont have a lot of tools and it is pretty strong especially for how light it is. not super pretty though lol.
 

lynnedit

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Peter makes a good point about wood warping. That said, I live in the PNW, so we do have our moisture. :p
I used PVC for doors to one outside enclosure, but we only have to worry about a small dog and possibly large birds.

You could build a hide in the short end, then frame off the rest. The hide could be insulated and in your area, probably just have a dirt base.
I would put a cross beam down the middle the long way (2x6"?), which might need at least one support. A concrete block (even a short row) or stacked pavers would work. Also, the cross piece could be wider if needed. Nice little shade area.
Then have 2 (or 3?) lids on each side, hinged to the cross piece, thus they lift up to the middle.
I used 1"x2" cedar for my frame. I know, I know, wimpy. :rolleyes:
But it was easy to work with and fashion non square frame lids with. Mine are 4' long, with one cross piece for stability. I did stain them 2x with Behr waterproof outdoor stain.
I then attached hardware cloth with U hooks to the underside of the frame. No reason not to attach it to the top, though. U hooks were tedious, so I like Laurie's idea of using screws with big washers. The hardware cloth helps to stabilize the frames.
So far they have not warped, but I can also hold them in place with hasps, so that helps hold them down.
 
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