Redfoot Enclosure

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Candy

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Yesterday we went and spent 2 1/2 hours at lowes getting Dales enclosure. It is a dog run and we got it for a very good price because it was the last one way up on the shelf and the box was torn open. We also got a misting system and some plants. My husband was so ready to go home and so was I. Today when he got home from work I asked him to show me how big it will be so he put the bottom together and WOW! I couldn't picture it before but it's big (7 1/2 x 13 ft.). Now here's Dale (my son's Cherryhead) only 6 inches long I was almost laughing after I pictured him in there. My husband didn't think it would be cost effective to build a wood enclosure because of the humidity factor he thought the steel would be better. Anyway we just might split the dog run and put my Cockatiels on one side and Dale on the other with a divider in the middle so he doesn't get any bird poop.(Although my husband keeps telling me that theres got to be birds in Brazil where Cherryheads live). I can't answer that one for him. Well we have until May to get it finished. Oh if anyone can answer this question for me I'd appreciate it. On one of the enclosures that I saw on here (it was a dog run also) they had only put the chicken wire up to about 4 feet does anyone know why and why you wouldn't do it all the way to the top of the dog run? Thanks. :p Candy
 

Crazy1

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I would not use Chicken wire where the tort could get its head or limbs tangled in it. Above that it would be fine to use as a top on the run if you would like to. Here is a link to a dog run (71/2 X 13 feet pen I completed for my greeks. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-3040.html I used the plastic type rippled stuff they use on shed roofs (don't know what it's called) but just punched a couple of holes in it with a paper punch and used wire ties. Worked great on the bottom so they can't see out or climb up it. And you can make it as high as you want. Might work for you?
Oh and birds do live in Brazil where Cherryheads are from. But having them in a pen with your tort only concentrates the poo in that area. In Brazil some of the poo is stopped by leaves and eaten by other animals and bugs. Not so in a small 7 1/2 X 13 foot pen compaired to the size of the forests in Brazil. ;)
 

galvinkaos

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Crazy1 said:
I used the plastic type rippled stuff they use on shed roofs (don't know what it's called) .......

Corrugated paneling. It comes in colored and clear plastic and it also comes in aluminum. :D

Dawna
 

Crazy1

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Thats it thanks Dawna, couldn't think of what they called it, but that is exactly it I Just happened to pick the green.
 

Candy

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The reasoning for the chicken wire was to keep opossums and fruit rats out. Although my husband again thinks that I'm being over protective of Dale. He's only 6 inches and we've never taken care of a tortoise before so I don't know what to do. Some of the people on this site said to use chicken wire, but there's a lot of enclosures that aren't even really enclosed on her. I'm wondering how they keep other animals away from their tortoises or maybe their tortoises are bigger than Dale. I'm wondering if my husbands right and because we own 4 cats and 2 dogs that should be protection enough to keep things out of the backyard away from Dale. I know that the opossums and squirrels come in our backyard because we have an avocado tree and they love it. He's still so little to me. What is your take on this? And thanks for the information about the birds I'll pass it on to my husband who thinks that I'm obsessed with this tortoise. :D Candy
 

Yvonne G

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Little animals such as oppossum, rat and mice have very flexible skeletal systems. I once put a mother opossum and her 6 babies inside one of those kitty condos. The bar spacing was 1". The next morning the mom and all her babies were gone and the doors to the condo were still clipped closed. There were no wide spaces in the bars, meaning she and her little ones squeezed out through the 1" bar space. I really don't see how they can squeeze their skull thinner than it is, but they did it. My point is, if a little rodent or night time visitor wants inside your tortoise yard, they'll probably find a way inside. You just need to pick up any un-eaten food every night so there isn't any smell to attract those type of vermin. Racoons and maybe opossum will eat turtles and tortoises, so if they are a problem in your area it might be a good idea to keep the tortoise in a box inside every night and put it out in the morning.

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galvinkaos

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Candy, the rats come after the avocados too. A rodent can enter through a hole the size of a dime. Use hardware cloth not chicken wire. 1/8th or 1/4th inch max. It is what we use to exclude rodents and seal openings in structures. Chicken wire is like leaving the door open for them. No challenge whatsoever. Raccoons and possums will shred chicken wire. I have seen them tear holes in wood shake roofs to get inside attics we had sealed them out of. (OOps their pups were inside) They are very strong and mean. A secure box or container or indoors at night is the safest. Also keeping fruit (avocadoes, etc) off the ground will discourage the critters from coming down. They will climb up looking for the food.

Dawna
 

Crazy1

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Candy, I know we are talking wild animals here but I wanted to make the point that you must be careful with the avocado tree. The leaves and fruit should not be fed, fruit carries too much fat and could cause extreme diarrhea and the leaves are toxic. So wrapping you enclosure in hardware cloth isn't a bad idea at all to keep critters out as well as leaves. I had a opossum on my fence last fall while the torts were still outside. My Pomeranian Kept barking until I came outside to see what the problem was. Then I felt like I might have to save the pom ;) But he did keep it out of the yard.
 

Candy

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Yes I had heard something about avocados and tortoises, but I didn't think the fruit would give them diarrhea. My tree is huge (about 55 years old) and we were going to put the dog run slightly under it, now I have to think again. So are you saying that they can never be fed avocado? Poor tortoises my tree produces great tasting avocados. I'm curious about what hardware cloth is and where would we buy it from can you tell me? My husband was originally looking at the cloth at lowes for the garden to keep the sun out, but I know that opossums and raccoons would just chew through it. Candy
 

Yvonne G

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Hardware cloth is a galvanized metal fencing type material. It is welded squares about 1/2 inch and you can cut it with tin-snips. Stronger than chicken wire.

Yvonne
 

Meg90

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I fed my Greek avocado once. I thought I killed him.

You can see this thread: Nigel Seems Ill...please help! If you want to know more.

He was sick for over four days after only have a QUARTER of a small avocado. I will never feed it to him again. I wouldn't suggest you try and see if Dale has the constitution for it. What happened with Nigel nearly scared me to death.
 

galvinkaos

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emysemys said:
Hardware cloth is a galvanized metal fencing type material. It is welded squares about 1/2 inch and you can cut it with tin-snips. Stronger than chicken wire.

Yvonne

Nichols Lumber off the 10 fwy/east of the 605 (Baldwin Park) sells it by the large roll shrink wrapped in plastic (can't remember how many feet, maybe 6 or 10). It come in 1/4th, 1/8th inch holes and finer mesh too. We use the smallest holes sometimes to keep wasps/bees out of attic vents. 1/4th works for rodents. And it does take tin snips to cut it.

Dawna
 
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