Russian torts please help

Tortface

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I have two russian torts CJ n FIN....CJ not eating, wont lay under heat lamp...if i take him out he will eat by hand feeding n loves it outside... which he is every other day for about n hr, n then gets a soak for about 15 min....FIN is super active. Any ideas what could be wrong w CJ. They are housed separately
 

wellington

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If they are adults they shoukd be outside every day all day in the warm months. Bring them in only at night if you don't have a shed or night box for them. If he eats and acts normal outside, he probably is depressed/unhappy being inside.
 

Tortface

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If they are adults they shoukd be outside every day all day in the warm months. Bring them in only at night if you don't have a shed or night box for them. If he eats and acts normal outside, he probably is depressed/unhappy being inside.
Thanks! Makes sense, but i do not have a covered area for them, and do have predators around..fox, hawks..so i literally sit out w them for their safety. Also bcuz they fight i take them out at separate times. Here is their outside pen
 

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wellington

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I would put a brick divider down the middle so they can be outside at the same time. Then drape some chicken wire over it. Also putting in some tall plants will give them more cover. You could even attach some bells or cans with pebbles in them to the chicken wire to help ward off predictor. However, the chicken wire will ward off any bird and most likely the fox would hunt closer to evening. Make the enclosure bigger if you can.
 

Tortface

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I would put a brick divider down the middle so they can be outside at the same time. Then drape some chicken wire over it. Also putting in some tall plants will give them more cover. You could even attach some bells or cans with pebbles in them to the chicken wire to help ward off predictor. However, the chicken wire will ward off any bird and most likely the fox would hunt closer to evening. Make the enclosure bigger if you can.
Thanx so much...will definitely get him out more and longer periods..will also try something w the chkn wire. When i got them hadnt been outside so is good to see them enjoying it. Your ideas are very helpful, thnx for responding. Do you have russians?
 

Tortface

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Sorry, i guess i posted w a russian tort question, so would make sense that you DO have russians!
 

wellington

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Sorry, i guess i posted w a russian tort question, so would make sense that you DO have russians!
I do have a Russian but not everyone that can help
you will have Russians. After years of being a member and reading many threads and post you learn a lot about a lot of species and those you don't have.
 

MrMarg&me

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I do have a Russian but not everyone that can help
you will have Russians. After years of being a member and reading many threads and post you learn a lot about a lot of species and those you don't have.
Yes very true. Also currently I care for three, three toed box turtles. But in 2003 I cared for a Russian tortoise. Then again in 2008 I was given another Russian. In 2003 I found a California Desert Toroise on a perpendicular street. All these tortoises went to different homes. So although I currently have only boxies I have experience with other species. Never underestimate the value of this forum. It is excellent. I have learned sooo much about proper husbandry from this forum. I wish I had been able to apply it all those years ago.
 

Tortface

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Absolutely have learned everything from the tort forum! I have had
Yes very true. Also currently I care for three, three toed box turtles. But in 2003 I cared for a Russian tortoise. Then again in 2008 I was given another Russian. In 2003 I found a California Desert Toroise on a perpendicular street. All these tortoises went to different homes. So although I currently have only boxies I have experience with other species. Never underestimate the value of this forum. It is excellent. I have learned sooo much about proper husbandry from this forum. I wish I had been able to apply it all those years ago.
 

Tortface

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Have learned so much from the tort forum. My torts are adopted from my grandson who became a busy teen and didnt have time to care for them as well as he had been. At first i was afraid to even pick them up...now i cant imagine NOT having them..love them so much, such little personalities.
 

Tortface

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Yes very true. Also currently I care for three, three toed box turtles. But in 2003 I cared for a Russian tortoise. Then again in 2008 I was given another Russian. In 2003 I found a California Desert Toroise on a perpendicular street. All these tortoises went to different homes. So although I currently have only boxies I have experience with other species. Never underestimate the value of this forum. It is excellent. I have learned sooo much about proper husbandry from this forum. I wish I had been able to apply it all those years ago.
 

Tortface

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What do you think about having vet trim the beak on my tort? Cj’s gets long...keep a cuttle bone in his food dish, also rocks around...my other torts looks fine but Cj’s looking too long..watched video on how I could do it but freaks me out as I wouldn’t want to hurt him
 

Tortface

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Thanx so much...will definitely get him out more and longer periods..will also try something w the chkn wire. When i got them hadnt been outside so is good to see them enjoying it. Your ideas are very helpful, thnx for responding. Do you have russians?
 

Tortface

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I hav started process of making outdoor pen larger and to divide it. Its close to house so i dont feel they will be threatened by predators but bcuz im their ‘mom’ i still worry. My husband will put up chkn wire for top so i dont have to be out with them all the time, so means they can be out much longer. CJ still slow, not eating much unless hand fed...n in his hut alot..going to hav his beak trimmed by vet next week..thnx again!!
 

RosemaryDW

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You might consider deer wire rather than chicken wire, if you are strongly concerned about predators.
 

Tortface

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You might consider deer wire rather than chicken wire, if you are strongly concerned about predators.
Thanks, we have fox n hawks around...i dont think fox would come as close to the house as the torts pen is...but hawks I’ve seen take birds out of my neighbors feeder. Thnx for the input
 

Tortface

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I do have a Russian but not everyone that can help
you will have Russians. After years of being a member and reading many threads and post you learn a lot about a lot of species and those you don't have.
Is regular top soil ok to mix w coco coir for my russian torts?
 

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