Since the purchase of our first tortoises in Texas (our leopards) I have been racking my brain trying to visualize how I was going to effectively construct a safe, secure, and functional outdoor enclosure. I have several issues that I have not been able to "think through". I will not have to put together an outdoor enclosure until Spring, however, I'm a planner! lol
My property is the one highlighted in green. Approximately 15-acres +/-.
All current fences are highlighted in green. It is a mixture of horse/pipe-fencing with welded wire field fence ontop (to keep the dogs from going out in the pasture), barbed wire (all fencing for the "pasture"), and chain link (the fence at the back of the house). Also, the barn in the back does not exist anymore, so I "greened" it out. The silver structure to the North-East of the house is a hay barn (currently full of hay). It is roughly 30'x30' and we have plans to elongate this building to 40'x50'. It will be demolished and rebuilt.
My Issues:
1. Looking at the aerial view, the neighbors to the right are a "young couple". In reality, they are older than Katie and I, however, that's not saying much. We have not had a good relationship thus far with this couple. They have been nothing but courteous, however, they allow their animals to remain on my property for weeks at a time after their horses destroy sections of fencing that I have to maintain, even though they both work from home. They did call me whenever I had a guy come out to demolish the barn in the back to alert me that someone was on my property.
2. There are stray dogs in the "neighborhood". The majority have disappeared in the last few months, however, the one who persists is a large, intact male pitbull.
3. I have 6 dogs.
4. I want to ensure security as I am completely jaded and have had far too many things I've worked hard for disappear.
With that in mind, my major concern is where I put the enclosures. Then I want to ensure security from maurading/my dogs and people with sticky-fingers.
My brain hurts, lol.
My property is the one highlighted in green. Approximately 15-acres +/-.
All current fences are highlighted in green. It is a mixture of horse/pipe-fencing with welded wire field fence ontop (to keep the dogs from going out in the pasture), barbed wire (all fencing for the "pasture"), and chain link (the fence at the back of the house). Also, the barn in the back does not exist anymore, so I "greened" it out. The silver structure to the North-East of the house is a hay barn (currently full of hay). It is roughly 30'x30' and we have plans to elongate this building to 40'x50'. It will be demolished and rebuilt.
My Issues:
1. Looking at the aerial view, the neighbors to the right are a "young couple". In reality, they are older than Katie and I, however, that's not saying much. We have not had a good relationship thus far with this couple. They have been nothing but courteous, however, they allow their animals to remain on my property for weeks at a time after their horses destroy sections of fencing that I have to maintain, even though they both work from home. They did call me whenever I had a guy come out to demolish the barn in the back to alert me that someone was on my property.
2. There are stray dogs in the "neighborhood". The majority have disappeared in the last few months, however, the one who persists is a large, intact male pitbull.
3. I have 6 dogs.
4. I want to ensure security as I am completely jaded and have had far too many things I've worked hard for disappear.
With that in mind, my major concern is where I put the enclosures. Then I want to ensure security from maurading/my dogs and people with sticky-fingers.
My brain hurts, lol.
