Outdoor enclosure advice please!

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tofuqueen

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I've been looking at lots of pictures and plans for outdoor enclosures, but to be honest, I'm feeling completly overwhelmed! :( I'm thinking of using cinderblocks for the boarder on three walls and use the brick foundation of my house as the 4th wall. It will probably be about 4ftX8ft for my one Russian tortoise. I'm not sure what to do about the digging... some people seem to have burried Hardward cloth under the entire enclosure, and others have only burried it around the perimeter. What's the easiest way to build a cover? I'm thinking of using 2"X3"X8' studs as a frame and then staple gunning more of that hardware cloth to the frame. Would this work? Is chicken wire okay for the cover? It's a lot cheaper than the hardware cloth and the cover will be stored in the shed when not in use. I live in Massachusetts, so there will be several winter months that the enclosure will not be used. I'm all set with how to set up the enclosure... I've ordered Russian Torotise Seeds and already have some hides and a shallow water dish ready to go... It's just getting the enclosure built! :rolleyes: Any one have some tips on how to do this quickly, relatively cheaply, and safely? Thanks for your advice!
 

Jacqui

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I went with chicken wire for the tops, BUT I knew that chances were low I would ever have a predator determined to get in with my tortoises. To me, with the fact your gonna make more a lid, where I did an over my head covering, the sturdier, firmer wire would be easier to work with, cleaner looking, not so rough, and able to support more weight. It seems to hold up better in my experince too. I would pay the extra money now and make a better job of it, if I were you.
 

Candy

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This is our enclosure that we had built for Dale to go outside in. Of course Dale is a Cherryhead and not a Russian so there is a difference. One thing is that Dale doesn't hibernate so he doesn't dig (lucky me). All he really does all day is hide :(. I do wish he would come out more often. Anyway hope this helps you dec.ide on what you want. :)



I always forget to tell people if you click on the picture twice it gets bigger.
 

chadk

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One easy and secure way is to start with a level spot and make sure you have good sun exposure. South facing is ideal. Think of a garden spot... I'm in WA, so similar challenges as you.

Cinder blocks are cheap and easy. You can do 3 sides and use your house for the 3rd if you want.

With cinder blocks in place, you can then fill with organic soil. Don't go all boring and flat. Add hills and valleys to explore. Dig holes and make mounds. Then ad rocks, plants, hides, etc. Substrate should be at least 6 inches deep. That allows them do dig, but the cinder block and compact soil down deep should keep them from digging out easily. If you are really paranoid, a foot or so of wire (chicken wire or other) layed around the perimeter should do. Then put the 6 inches of soil on that. But unless you just had really soft soil that was super easy to dig, I don't think you'd need it.

On top of the cinder block you can then add a border of cedar (or other) board planks. 8 to 12 inches wide and running the length of the cinder blocks.

For the roof, you can do one big piece with a simple wooden frame and staple hardwire cloth on it and maybe add hinges. Or make 2 or 3 frames so you can open one section at a time.

Just some thoughts...
 

Crazy1

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I have used both chicken wire and hardware cloth for tops for tort enclosures. I do like the look and studiness of the hardware cloth but if cost is an issue and Racoons are not them chicken wire would work fine. Just know you will need to place something in the corners to hold the top down or have it anchored somehow so nothing gets in and your Russian can't climb out.
 

tofuqueen

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These are great ideas! Thanks so much! I think I'm going to go with the cinder blocks and a wooden frame type top. A friend of mine who also has tortoises recommended putting down bricks for the bottom and then adding 6-8 inches of top soil on top of the bricks. That would save the time and energy of putting hardware cloth under the entire enclosure... but would water collect in the enclosure if there were bricks underneath? Mabye I'm over-thinking this! :)
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I am not understanding why you would add bricks or cloth to the bottom? Why not just leave the bottom the way it is, maybe add dirt for the hills. I used cinder blocks for Bob's pen then I pounded rebar into the bricks to keep them in place. I didn't bother trying to make his pen pretty, I went for functionality. There are some very beautiful enclosures in this section, TerryO's comes to mind right away.
 

way2gfy

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tofuqueen said:
These are great ideas! Thanks so much! I think I'm going to go with the cinder blocks and a wooden frame type top. A friend of mine who also has tortoises recommended putting down bricks for the bottom and then adding 6-8 inches of top soil on top of the bricks. That would save the time and energy of putting hardware cloth under the entire enclosure... but would water collect in the enclosure if there were bricks underneath? Mabye I'm over-thinking this! :)



I am in the same boat as you..... I totally want to make sure my tort will not be digging his way out. I am thinking about building a pen for my Desert Tortoise when it starts cooling off here so it will be ready for him after his hibernation period. I was thinking about putting chicken wire at the bottom of the entire pen with cinder blocks as the sides. But then I was thinking that if he digs right there at the edges of the blocks and "happens" to move the wire at all then he would have a get-out spot. So then I was thinking about wire on the bottom and up the sides and the blocks go along the inside of the wire for the walls. That way he would have to dig through the bricks first and then get the wire on the sides. But I was also thinking that is chicken wire ok and can they get their little paws hurt or stuck in the openings? Hmmm!

I think all blocks on the bottom sounds good too because he would have to dig through those to get out just like on the sides. There may not be a drainage issue because there will be a few small gaps in between the bricks...... but maybe someone else can answer for sure so we will both get some other goods ideas on this.

Have a great day!
 

Yvonne G

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I really don't think you need to add a brick floor to your pen. Tortoises usually don't dig "out", they dig to get cool. That is, they dig a burrow, going down and maybe left or right, but hardly ever do they go "up" after going down. Since you are going to be adding soil after you place the cinder blocks, my suggestion would be to first place down some chicken wire where you are going to place the cinder blocks. It only has to come out into the floor area about 6". Then place your cinder blocks and soil. If he digs down the side of the cinder block, he'll come to the chicken wire and won't be able to go further. They NEVER start in the middle of a pen and dig over to under the wall. They ALWAYS start digging down at the wall.

Yvonne
 

Nay

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Hi TofuQueen, I just saw your post and saw you are in MA. And then I put the Tofu in there. Are you near Amherst??\
Go to the enclosure section and you will get overwhelmed!! But in a good way, and you can get more ideas for what will work for you. Then you'll see something better and want to change it, and make it as plenty big as you can. Very few people stop at 1 tort!! Welcome
Na
 

tofuqueen

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Nay... I went to Umass Amherst for my undergrad studies... great place! Now I live more in the eastern part of the state. But I truely LOVE Amherst! I was just there last Friday for a visit! :) Okay... I'm so glad people are saying I shouldn't need to put anything down in the whole enclosure. I'll try just putting the wire down near the cinderblocks. I might be able to pull this off after all! LOL
 

Stephanie Logan

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I love the observation chairs set up to watch Dale if he ever appears! Hopefully he will appreciate the audience.:p

Candy said:
This is our enclosure that we had built for Dale to go outside in. Of course Dale is a Cherryhead and not a Russian so there is a difference. One thing is that Dale doesn't hibernate so he doesn't dig (lucky me). All he really does all day is hide :(. I do wish he would come out more often. Anyway hope this helps you dec.ide on what you want. :)
 

Nay

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Hi Sonja, How old is your little Pablo? Are you going to hibernate him this winter? I know what you mean about overwhelming, every time I look to fix up my outdoor enclosure, I want to change more things!!
Yes Umass, I went there also!Now I live right near it.
Nay
 

terracolson

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I was worried about my turtle climbing my fence or digging out.

So my fence goes 18 inches in the ground straight down. As slow as my russian digs i would find him before he turned to come up, if he ever did.
I placed bricks on the inside edge of the fence. Now that he doesnt see out that easily he doesnt try climbing.
His digging is only for his sleep hole at this time. Its his first summer out.

My box turtles dont try to climb either, but if they did we made a 6 inch hang over. So i am not sure how they will hang straight upside down then rotate over.
 

tofuqueen

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Nay,
I'm jealous you're so close to Umass! SOOO beautiful out there! Pablo is almost 2 years old. I don't think I'm going to hibernate him this year, since this is the first tortoise I've had. I'm still reading lots of info about it and trying to get all the basics down. I'm a teacher and I "rescued" Pablo from a student who "lost interest" in him after about 8 weeks! He was originally from a breeder, but for the 8 weeks he was with the student, he was eating pellets and didn't get a lot of exercise. I'm hoping there's no long term damage from those 2 months! He did have a heat lamp and I believe a UVB lamp... and he looks really good.... so hopefully we're in the clear! I contacted a vet earlier this week to set up an appointment to get him checked out, now that I've had him for about 6 weeks and he seems well adjusted. Hibernation is just too much right now! LOL! Maybe next winter! How about you? Do you hibernate yours?
 
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