outside enclosure

[Angi]

I want to make an outside enclosure for my young Desert Torts. Something they can excercise in and get some fresh air. I plan to use a large plastic deck box. It is going to take a lot of dirt to fill it. Where do I get clean dirt? What do I ask for, sand. soil or just dirt. I hate the idea or them being in dirt becase it seems dirty, but they want to dig. I want them to be healthy and happy. I will also have to make a lid to keep preditors out. Any ideas about how I should make the lid? I thought maybe with chicken or rabbit wire. I already have an old deck box.
Angi

 

[spikethebest]

go here...

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-13544.html

and here...

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-13514.html

 

[Tom]

I just use dirt from my own yard. I know its safe.

We need a pic and dimensions of your deck box to give good suggestions for a cover.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

OOOOoooh, a project!

Good luck on your enclosure and please post some photos of the results!

 

[Angi]

OOOOoooh, a project!

Good luck on your enclosure and please post some photos of the results!

---

I haven't been able to upload pictures to this site. I guess I will have to ask my teenage son to help me. Anyway the deck box is about 5' long an 2' wide. Maybe 3 feet deep. My tortoises are only about 7 months old (they were given to me by a nieghbor that was moving so I don't know exactly how old) so they are little. It would just be a place for them to play on a nice day. I live in Ramona CA. so the weather is pretty warm.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Rather then putting a lot of top soil in a big box can't you use 2X4's to make a box on your lawn? I can't remember what it's called but you would have walls but no bottom so they can graze if they are so inclined. You would have a lid that was mostly wire just for protection. I put my small tortoises out on the lawn that way. They graze and walk around and sleep and it's so much better then a big box filled with dirt...just an idea.


This is the start of my new box turtle enclosure outside, but I also have several more of these little fences that I connect together and put them in different spots around on my lawn and that creates a nice place for my small tortoises to graze around on the lawn. It's not real pretty like Terry's stuff, but they work for me and my tortoises. We are in the middle of a Pacific storm and my yard is pretty much flooded so I didn't want to go around and find my other fences, but I think you can get the idea from this picture of what I am talking about...I use these fences for little grazing spots...

 

[2Paisan]

Rather then putting a lot of top soil in a big box can't you use 2X4's to make a box on your lawn? I can't remember what it's called but you would have walls but no bottom so they can graze if they are so inclined. You would have a lid that was mostly wire just for protection. I put my small tortoises out on the lawn that way. They graze and walk around and sleep and it's so much better then a big box filled with dirt...just an idea.


This is the start of my new box turtle enclosure outside, but I also have several more of these little fences that I connect together and put them in different spots around on my lawn and that creates a nice place for my small tortoises to graze around on the lawn. It's not real pretty like Terry's stuff, but they work for me and my tortoises. We are in the middle of a Pacific storm and my yard is pretty much flooded so I didn't want to go around and find my other fences, but I think you can get the idea from this picture of what I am talking about...I use these fences for little grazing spots...

Ha ha ha Maggie, I was peeking around as we are working on both indoor and outdoor enclosures for frank right now and your yard looks like ours.....in a word WET....okay I am laughing today but we will see how I feel next week...this is supposed to go on and on. But the little fences helped us. Thanks!

Nancy