overjoyed

madness1 · 30-03-2008, 05:31 PM

hi all after a really bad winter here on the coast i thought my yellow bellied slider turtles chunky and squirt were dead as i opted for a natural hibernation in their pond. but to my glad surprise they have popped up this morning and god they are huge now! this was the first natural hibernation i have done with them since they were babies. infact its the first ever hibernation they've had, so they've done well. i have had them since they were the size of a 50p coin which is now an unbeliveable 5 years ago! i am really happy they are ok, will post pics in next few weeks. was just wondering if anyone has any advice for me now that their first ever hibernation is over with?

yakface77 · 30-03-2008, 05:53 PM

Hiya,
well done for a successful hibernation. You are a braver man than me.
What size pond did you have, did they have a substrate like mud or earth to bury in ? Im interested as ill hopefully pluck up the courage to hib mine next year, naturally.

Well done again.
craig

madness1 · 30-03-2008, 06:05 PM

hi the pond is 5ft in length and at widest 4ft wide it is nearly 4ft deep and what i did was to put lager stones at bottom along with leaf litter witch sinks to bottom an fomrs mulch, they are quite hardy lil buggers my two have had a realy hard winter ponds frozen over loads this winter plus snow an all the rest but what i did for when it froze over was get a bit of drain pipe and helf submurged it to make a funnel but thats about it i dint feed them for 3 weeks before the big sleep and ive just feed them two large defrosted mice to get fat reserves up hope this helps

wildlifewarrior · 30-03-2008, 07:11 PM

glad to hear that everything went well. i used to do saturday work for a bloke that bred turtles in the west midlands and even he was too scared to do a natural hibernation, (chicken lol) great to hear they were ok.....i take it you will go over the whole stress and worry again next year lol

linda · 30-03-2008, 07:17 PM

congratulations on a very sucessful hibernation

yakface77 · 30-03-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madness1

hi the pond is 5ft in length and at widest 4ft wide it is nearly 4ft deep and what i did was to put lager stones at bottom along with leaf litter witch sinks to bottom an fomrs mulch, they are quite hardy lil buggers my two have had a realy hard winter ponds frozen over loads this winter plus snow an all the rest but what i did for when it froze over was get a bit of drain pipe and helf submurged it to make a funnel but thats about it i dint feed them for 3 weeks before the big sleep and ive just feed them two large defrosted mice to get fat reserves up hope this helps

Substrate seems very sensible, ill try using some leaves and sinking earth perhaps.

I was shocked to hear about the defrosted mice you fed

( please note this isnt a critisism

) i was under the impression the ybs should be vegetarians by now. My RES and Florida cooters are totally vegetarian now at ages 5+.
I used to feed worms and other meaty insecty bugs, never heard of mice though. Are they mostly vegetarian or 50/50

Im always learning by other keepers and am truly interested in this concept of fat storing after hibernation

madness1 · 30-03-2008, 07:57 PM

yep be goin threw all this again lol, the mice are only a one off to help them along otherise its fruit an veg stuff for them, but it is good to feed blood worm every few months m8 just to help get fat reserves up before the big sleep

they wont be gettin any more mice for a long wrile now, im hoping to bred them this year reading up on it as we speak want to get as much info as possible

yakface77 · 30-03-2008, 08:02 PM

Cheers m8,
Id love my cooters to mate, hopefully this year. im providing nice soil/gravel mix for gravid female to lay. also enough room for the business to occur. Always provided room for basking but never really enough to wander around and explore.

I feed mine on king british sticks and pellets, young ones on shrimp and pellets (fish type pellets) also enjoy weeds as well.

id love to see some pics of your pond mate
craig
p.s. whats your name

madness1 · 30-03-2008, 08:08 PM

heres some pics from last year

dont look so big in pics!!! the names mark by the way

madness1 · 30-03-2008, 08:15 PM

to the left is were they bask and hopefully they there eggs this year, still deciding if to let em hatch eggs there selfs as i have read up and the weather should be ok for this but still thinking on that one

30-03-2008, 05:31 PM	#1
madness1 Member Incubating Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: suffolk england Posts: 196	overjoyed hi all after a really bad winter here on the coast i thought my yellow bellied slider turtles chunky and squirt were dead as i opted for a natural hibernation in their pond. but to my glad surprise they have popped up this morning and god they are huge now! this was the first natural hibernation i have done with them since they were babies. infact its the first ever hibernation they've had, so they've done well. i have had them since they were the size of a 50p coin which is now an unbeliveable 5 years ago! i am really happy they are ok, will post pics in next few weeks. was just wondering if anyone has any advice for me now that their first ever hibernation is over with? __________________ 1,bosc moniter 1, kali king banded snake, 1,horsfeild tortoise. 2, cats 1, dog 2, greys tree frogs

30-03-2008, 05:53 PM	#2
yakface77 Member Hatched Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South West Wales Posts: 400	Hiya, well done for a successful hibernation. You are a braver man than me. What size pond did you have, did they have a substrate like mud or earth to bury in ? Im interested as ill hopefully pluck up the courage to hib mine next year, naturally. Well done again. craig __________________ 4.2.1 Testudo Hermanni B 2.1.0 Testudo Hermanni H 1.6.0 Testudo horsfeldii 1.1.2 Florida Cooter turtles 0.1.1 Red Eared Slider Turtle 0.1.0 Mississippi Map Turtle ********************************

30-03-2008, 06:05 PM	#3
madness1 Member Incubating Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: suffolk england Posts: 196	hi the pond is 5ft in length and at widest 4ft wide it is nearly 4ft deep and what i did was to put lager stones at bottom along with leaf litter witch sinks to bottom an fomrs mulch, they are quite hardy lil buggers my two have had a realy hard winter ponds frozen over loads this winter plus snow an all the rest but what i did for when it froze over was get a bit of drain pipe and helf submurged it to make a funnel but thats about it i dint feed them for 3 weeks before the big sleep and ive just feed them two large defrosted mice to get fat reserves up hope this helps __________________ 1,bosc moniter 1, kali king banded snake, 1,horsfeild tortoise. 2, cats 1, dog 2, greys tree frogs

30-03-2008, 07:57 PM	#7
madness1 Member Incubating Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: suffolk england Posts: 196	yep be goin threw all this again lol, the mice are only a one off to help them along otherise its fruit an veg stuff for them, but it is good to feed blood worm every few months m8 just to help get fat reserves up before the big sleep they wont be gettin any more mice for a long wrile now, im hoping to bred them this year reading up on it as we speak want to get as much info as possible __________________ 1,bosc moniter 1, kali king banded snake, 1,horsfeild tortoise. 2, cats 1, dog 2, greys tree frogs

30-03-2008, 08:02 PM	#8
yakface77 Member Hatched Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South West Wales Posts: 400	Cheers m8, Id love my cooters to mate, hopefully this year. im providing nice soil/gravel mix for gravid female to lay. also enough room for the business to occur. Always provided room for basking but never really enough to wander around and explore. I feed mine on king british sticks and pellets, young ones on shrimp and pellets (fish type pellets) also enjoy weeds as well. id love to see some pics of your pond mate craig p.s. whats your name __________________ 4.2.1 Testudo Hermanni B 2.1.0 Testudo Hermanni H 1.6.0 Testudo horsfeldii 1.1.2 Florida Cooter turtles 0.1.1 Red Eared Slider Turtle 0.1.0 Mississippi Map Turtle ********************************

30-03-2008, 07:11 PM	#4
wildlifewarrior Banned Adult Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: stokie for life Posts: 4,272	glad to hear that everything went well. i used to do saturday work for a bloke that bred turtles in the west midlands and even he was too scared to do a natural hibernation, (chicken lol) great to hear they were ok.....i take it you will go over the whole stress and worry again next year lol

30-03-2008, 07:17 PM	#5
linda Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: west midlands Posts: 17,134	congratulations on a very sucessful hibernation

30-03-2008, 08:08 PM	#9
madness1 Member Incubating Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: suffolk england Posts: 196	heres some pics from last year dont look so big in pics!!! the names mark by the way __________________ 1,bosc moniter 1, kali king banded snake, 1,horsfeild tortoise. 2, cats 1, dog 2, greys tree frogs

30-03-2008, 08:15 PM	#10
madness1 Member Incubating Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: suffolk england Posts: 196	to the left is were they bask and hopefully they there eggs this year, still deciding if to let em hatch eggs there selfs as i have read up and the weather should be ok for this but still thinking on that one __________________ 1,bosc moniter 1, kali king banded snake, 1,horsfeild tortoise. 2, cats 1, dog 2, greys tree frogs

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