Our Grandkids help with our Galapagos

[Markw84]

A few of our grandchildren seem to really have the interest in our tortoises and love to help when they come stay at our new Galapagos Farm.

Our granddaughter Emma is helping today along with a friend of hers. Both love to help and the help is welcome! Here they are putting back some of the 2023 hatchlings after their soak. These Galapagos are between 6 and 9 weeks old now.


A few weeks ago one of the Grandsons spent 3 days at our place. Gavin really loves to stay over and will keep busy most all day helping with chores from feeding, bringing in and out, letting them out in the morning opening the night houses, etc, etc. He is really interested in tortoises and looks like a future tortoise keeper. Here he is greeting some of the larger tortoises as he let them out that morning.




We often throw out some opuntia pads in the morning to supplement their diet, but mostly they all simply graze all day on the pasture. That is 95% of their diet.



Even the one-year olds graze almost exclusively in a temporary enclosure I can move around in adjacent pastures.



As the sun get higher and temperatures rise, they all do seek shade.



I do run the sprinklers on them and let it rain for several hours during the hot days. Then they all come out of the shade and graze. It's amazing how much the walk around and travel during the course of a day in these large pastures.

 

[wellington]

Nice that you have some young ones growing into tortoise fanatics. Hopefully they stick with it and take over when the time comes.

Just wondering, did you do another pond at this new place or is it mostly all about the Gallops now. Always loved your ponds.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Very nice to see

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

My kids are so interested and helpful as well. Adds even more joy to tortoise keeping knowing the next generation will be happy to take over!

 

[Markw84]

Nice that you have some young ones growing into tortoise fanatics. Hopefully they stick with it and take over when the time comes.

Just wondering, did you do another pond at this new place or is it mostly all about the Gallops now. Always loved your ponds.

A large pond is in the works. So much to do I have to prioritize projects and getting everyone set up and settled in was first. The aquatics are in temporary 8 foot round stock tanks and doing well. Looking forward to having a large more farm-style pond. I'm planning on setting it up so I irrigate some of the pastures from the pond and then refill from the well so cycling fresh water into the pond constantly.

 

[wellington]

A large pond is in the works. So much to do I have to prioritize projects and getting everyone set up and settled in was first. The aquatics are in temporary 8 foot round stock tanks and doing well. Looking forward to having a large more farm-style pond. I'm planning on setting it up so I irrigate some of the pastures from the pond and then refill from the well so cycling fresh water into the pond constantly.

Love the irrigate and refill idea, nice! Can't wait to see it.

 

[jsheffield]

A few of our grandchildren seem to really have the interest in our tortoises and love to help when they come stay at our new Galapagos Farm.

Our granddaughter Emma is helping today along with a friend of hers. Both love to help and the help is welcome! Here they are putting back some of the 2023 hatchlings after their soak. These Galapagos are between 6 and 9 weeks old now.
View attachment 358885

A few weeks ago one of the Grandsons spent 3 days at our place. Gavin really loves to stay over and will keep busy most all day helping with chores from feeding, bringing in and out, letting them out in the morning opening the night houses, etc, etc. He is really interested in tortoises and looks like a future tortoise keeper. Here he is greeting some of the larger tortoises as he let them out that morning.

View attachment 358887
View attachment 358888

We often throw out some opuntia pads in the morning to supplement their diet, but mostly they all simply graze all day on the pasture. That is 95% of their diet.

View attachment 358890

Even the one-year olds graze almost exclusively in a temporary enclosure I can move around in adjacent pastures.

View attachment 358891

As the sun get higher and temperatures rise, they all do seek shade.

View attachment 358892

I do run the sprinklers on them and let it rain for several hours during the hot days. Then they all come out of the shade and graze. It's amazing how much the walk around and travel during the course of a day in these large pastures.

View attachment 358893
View attachment 358895

I love the pics and the story!

When I was just starting out, with my first tortoise, I asked my son to help with soaking and feeding the hatchling when I had to be away for a couple of days once in a while.

When I got back from one of my trips, he wandered downstairs one morning while I was enjoying a second cup of coffee, and I heard some singing coming up the stairs a few minutes later... it turned out that he'd made up a bathtime song for Darwin.

Now, years later, I'm a bit more confident about the welfare of my torts when I'm away, since their enclosures have shown themselves to hold humidity pretty well, and the heat and lighting works like clockwork (which I guess it is).

My son is working tons of hours every week, keeping a schedule that varies day to day, so I didn't want to ask him when I went away on a housesit recently, but he offered and convinced me that he truly wanted to help me, and help them.

It's a wonderful thing, children loving animals and enjoying spending time servicing their needs... I think it's how compassion grows.

Jamie

 

[wellington]

I love the pics and the story!

When I was just starting out, with my first tortoise, I asked my son to help with soaking and feeding the hatchling when I had to be away for a couple of days once in a while.

When I got back from one of my trips, he wandered downstairs one morning while I was enjoying a second cup of coffee, and I heard some singing coming up the stairs a few minutes later... it turned out that he'd made up a bathtime song for Darwin.

Now, years later, I'm a bit more confident about the welfare of my torts when I'm away, since their enclosures have shown themselves to hold humidity pretty well, and the heat and lighting works like clockwork (which I guess it is).

My son is working tons of hours every week, keeping a schedule that varies day to day, so I didn't want to ask him when I went away on a housesit recently, but he offered and convinced me that he truly wanted to help me, and help them.

It's a wonderful thing, children loving animals and enjoying spending time servicing their needs... I think it's how compassion grows.

Jamie

Cherish the love and help your kids/grand kids give. My one and only son, although will help out when needed, isn't thrilled about it. Does what needs to be done, no more. I appreciate it. He did get his animal jeans from his dad, who had no animals ever, until he came into my life. Where I have had all kinds of animals since I was born.

 

[Sarah2020]

A few of our grandchildren seem to really have the interest in our tortoises and love to help when they come stay at our new Galapagos Farm.

Our granddaughter Emma is helping today along with a friend of hers. Both love to help and the help is welcome! Here they are putting back some of the 2023 hatchlings after their soak. These Galapagos are between 6 and 9 weeks old now.
View attachment 358885

A few weeks ago one of the Grandsons spent 3 days at our place. Gavin really loves to stay over and will keep busy most all day helping with chores from feeding, bringing in and out, letting them out in the morning opening the night houses, etc, etc. He is really interested in tortoises and looks like a future tortoise keeper. Here he is greeting some of the larger tortoises as he let them out that morning.

View attachment 358887
View attachment 358888

We often throw out some opuntia pads in the morning to supplement their diet, but mostly they all simply graze all day on the pasture. That is 95% of their diet.

View attachment 358890

Even the one-year olds graze almost exclusively in a temporary enclosure I can move around in adjacent pastures.

View attachment 358891

As the sun get higher and temperatures rise, they all do seek shade.

View attachment 358892

I do run the sprinklers on them and let it rain for several hours during the hot days. Then they all come out of the shade and graze. It's amazing how much the walk around and travel during the course of a day in these large pastures.

View attachment 358893
View attachment 358895

Incredible to see... black dots everywhere! Keep us posted please.

 

[Yvonne G]

Can you share with us what the Alliance is all about and what happens to and with the tortoises going forward?

 

[Markw84]

Can you share with us what the Alliance is all about and what happens to and with the tortoises going forward?

Perhaps a new post on the Galapagos Tortoise Alliance is in order. One I will update regularly. There is a huge struggle between the need for anonymity/security and the desire to share and educate. I have now chosen to do the latter and risk the former. Let me put a post together in the next day or so.

 

[JeffR]

A few of our grandchildren seem to really have the interest in our tortoises and love to help when they come stay at our new Galapagos Farm.

Our granddaughter Emma is helping today along with a friend of hers. Both love to help and the help is welcome! Here they are putting back some of the 2023 hatchlings after their soak. These Galapagos are between 6 and 9 weeks old now.
View attachment 358885

A few weeks ago one of the Grandsons spent 3 days at our place. Gavin really loves to stay over and will keep busy most all day helping with chores from feeding, bringing in and out, letting them out in the morning opening the night houses, etc, etc. He is really interested in tortoises and looks like a future tortoise keeper. Here he is greeting some of the larger tortoises as he let them out that morning.

View attachment 358887
View attachment 358888

We often throw out some opuntia pads in the morning to supplement their diet, but mostly they all simply graze all day on the pasture. That is 95% of their diet.

View attachment 358890

Even the one-year olds graze almost exclusively in a temporary enclosure I can move around in adjacent pastures.

View attachment 358891

As the sun get higher and temperatures rise, they all do seek shade.

View attachment 358892

I do run the sprinklers on them and let it rain for several hours during the hot days. Then they all come out of the shade and graze. It's amazing how much the walk around and travel during the course of a day in these large pastures.

View attachment 358893
View attachment 358895

Mark awesome to see the big ones getting settled in! What sort of grass seed did you use? Are you planting clover or alfalfa as well?

 

[tortgiant]

Perhaps a new post on the Galapagos Tortoise Alliance is in order. One I will update regularly. There is a huge struggle between the need for anonymity/security and the desire to share and educate. I have now chosen to do the latter and risk the former. Let me put a post together in the next day or so.

I agree there is a fine line between keeping safe and conservation education to saving the species. Looking forward to another update woon.

With few purebred bloodlines of the various species about it is important to try and create as many breeding colonies of correct species into their correct species' breeding groups.