Maggie T
Member
Good morning,
I’m getting ready to finally build an outdoor enclosure for my turts and torts. I’ve been debating and somewhat agonizing over this. So I’d recently built a catio with pvcs. It’s fairly sturdy in the shade. That gave me the idea to use pvc to build a frame to support the chicken wire I’ll be using for cover. But then I’d read that zip ties I was planning to use to hold down the chicken wire degrades over time under the heat of sun/uvs. I can use galvanized wire to secure it instead, but I’m wondering if pvc can withstand extended outdoor exposure, and how long? I was thinking with pvc, I wouldn’t have to worry about molding and sanding, painting and sealing as I would with wood. We’d been having some hot weather so i wasn’t able to work on the project. Thank goodness the weather’ll cooled down some this weekend, so I’m really eager to get it done. Besides, I have to stick to the deadline this weekend because I’m going to be having some visitors over the next several weeks. I’ve already purchased the pvc, and can see light at the end of the tunnel if I went with pvc. I just don’t want to install the pvc only to have to redo it with wood in a year. I may be moving in maybe 3-4 years. If it can last that long, then I’m fine with that. It’s just that I’m not sure I can finish the project by this weekend if I go with wood.
Btw, I’m only speaking of the frame. I’m building wood enclosures. While I’m here asking for advice, might as well ask about the enclosure itself. So I have 6 beings, 2 juvenile desert tortoises, 3 juvenile three-toed boxies and 1 adult box turtle. I don’t have a lot of space, so they’re all-except for 1 desert- are going to be in a space of 13’ x 16’, separated. My question is at what age can you tell the sex of box turtles. I’d like to keep my 3 baby boxies together in a 6x16 pen, but I’m not interested in breeding. If I separated them, they would each only have a 2x16’ pen. What should I do?
Your thoughts, suggestions, advice are much appreciated!
Sorry for being so wordy.
I’m getting ready to finally build an outdoor enclosure for my turts and torts. I’ve been debating and somewhat agonizing over this. So I’d recently built a catio with pvcs. It’s fairly sturdy in the shade. That gave me the idea to use pvc to build a frame to support the chicken wire I’ll be using for cover. But then I’d read that zip ties I was planning to use to hold down the chicken wire degrades over time under the heat of sun/uvs. I can use galvanized wire to secure it instead, but I’m wondering if pvc can withstand extended outdoor exposure, and how long? I was thinking with pvc, I wouldn’t have to worry about molding and sanding, painting and sealing as I would with wood. We’d been having some hot weather so i wasn’t able to work on the project. Thank goodness the weather’ll cooled down some this weekend, so I’m really eager to get it done. Besides, I have to stick to the deadline this weekend because I’m going to be having some visitors over the next several weeks. I’ve already purchased the pvc, and can see light at the end of the tunnel if I went with pvc. I just don’t want to install the pvc only to have to redo it with wood in a year. I may be moving in maybe 3-4 years. If it can last that long, then I’m fine with that. It’s just that I’m not sure I can finish the project by this weekend if I go with wood.
Btw, I’m only speaking of the frame. I’m building wood enclosures. While I’m here asking for advice, might as well ask about the enclosure itself. So I have 6 beings, 2 juvenile desert tortoises, 3 juvenile three-toed boxies and 1 adult box turtle. I don’t have a lot of space, so they’re all-except for 1 desert- are going to be in a space of 13’ x 16’, separated. My question is at what age can you tell the sex of box turtles. I’d like to keep my 3 baby boxies together in a 6x16 pen, but I’m not interested in breeding. If I separated them, they would each only have a 2x16’ pen. What should I do?
Your thoughts, suggestions, advice are much appreciated!
Sorry for being so wordy.