Advice on outdoor housing

[becciwales]

They'd probably be better as they wouldn't get stressed by seeing through the mesh sides and trying to get out. Extending it would be great too.

Did you look at the raised flower bed idea? I've seen people using those too x

[lonelylayla]

Hi Given the age of your new tortoises, I would imagine that they are probably spur thighed tortoise (photos will help identify) which means they could well be quite big. If that's the case, they will want as large a space as possible and may well need to be kept separate. Your nature garden sounds wonderful and you mention you have a shed - are they in the same location? If so, you could perhaps board off a section of your shed for the tort to go in and out. Given the price and the size of the premade runs you are looking at, you might want to think perhaps about enclosing an area with building blocks? Laid on the flat, two/three high, you could create moveable walls, could even paint them with masonry paint to "pretty them up" Am thinking it would be cheaper

[becciwales]

Originally Posted by lonelylayla

Hi Given the age of your new tortoises, I would imagine that they are probably spur thighed tortoise (photos will help identify) which means they could well be quite big. If that's the case, they will want as large a space as possible and may well need to be kept separate. Your nature garden sounds wonderful and you mention you have a shed - are they in the same location? If so, you could perhaps board off a section of your shed for the tort to go in and out. Given the price and the size of the premade runs you are looking at, you might want to think perhaps about enclosing an area with building blocks? Laid on the flat, two/three high, you could create moveable walls, could even paint them with masonry paint to "pretty them up" Am thinking it would be cheaper

I told you someone who had more experience would help
Sounds awesome x

[burnt toast]

To be honest I feel those runs would be too restrictive and particularly unfair to tort who have been used to roaming a whole garden. Lynns idea is a good one, about the breeze blocks. I think your mainly looking at a boundary and can hopefully unilize what housing you have, the one you describe8 x 3 would do fine particularly if you need to half it? As you are on a budget can you get an old window or door or a couple? Companies who replace windows generally throw these away, so worth asking. You can lay them flat across top of their boundary/ enclosure. This would act like a coldframe offering them a dry war,m up area that they will soon learn to appreciate.

As for plants to avoid, groundsell, foxglove, dafodils and things grown from a bulb are not good for torts with some being poisonus. As a general rule ooder torts will generally avoid whats bad for them. A good website to help you is tortoisetable.org.

Males advances to females are greatest straight after hibernation. And then affected by temperatures, heat=randy if they have had no heat they have probably been not warm enough to be a problem.

[Cali]

Originally Posted by lonelylayla

Hi Given the age of your new tortoises, I would imagine that they are probably spur thighed tortoise (photos will help identify) which means they could well be quite big. If that's the case, they will want as large a space as possible and may well need to be kept separate. Your nature garden sounds wonderful and you mention you have a shed - are they in the same location? If so, you could perhaps board off a section of your shed for the tort to go in and out. Given the price and the size of the premade runs you are looking at, you might want to think perhaps about enclosing an area with building blocks? Laid on the flat, two/three high, you could create moveable walls, could even paint them with masonry paint to "pretty them up" Am thinking it would be cheaper

Thank you for all the advice, I really appreciate it! Sorry I keep coming back with more questions but I want to do it right and despite lots of animal experience I have no experience with tortoises.

Ok, there is no shed there (the chickens have it) but I have an old small animal kennel thing (similar to what some people were using in the pictures) I used to use as a Laying box that could be cleaned up. I'm not too keen on building blocks- they'll look a bit out of place. I could use some log roll to make a bigger run though. I was thinking it needed a lid, but I guess they havent had one before and are too big to be in much danger from birds. We do have an occasional fox though. Would I need t dig the log roll in to stop them digging out or can I just use the pins and have it sat on the surface of the ground? Would 20cm be high enough or should I aim a bit higher? I guess the big one's shell is about 25cm across lengthwise.

[Suze65]

Log roll is ideal, that way you can make the pen to the size you want, get the highest you can buy if they are big torts, a small animal kennel or old chick coop will also be ideal. Sounds good, keep asking we are here to help. Do have a look at the tortoise table site it really is good to help with safer plants and food.
Lynn you did make me giggle at this early hour " hot- randy" aren't most males like that!

If you do get foxy visitors then I would make a mesh lid.

[Pussygalore]

there's a lot of difference between having the run of the garden and being confined, the torts would have had hiding/safe places before and wouldn't have sat out in the open as much as people think. If confined then they won't have this choice for protection so you will have to provide it, mine always got shut in at night and would put themselves to bed, they had the floor of a shed, split into 2 as I had a male and female and two entrances to the shed with lift up ramps as the door. We had foxes and i wouldn't have left them outside over night, I used boards for my 'fences' decking is cheap and 2 high is tall enough for most 1 high might be scaleable. As has been said the biggest area you can give them is needed otherwise they will just prowl around the fancing trying to get out, they have never know being restricted and the housing is needed because they won't be able to find sufficient shelter themselves, i would plan on keeping them apart as again the female won't have the space to hide from the male or if you don't have the room for that then even consider finding a home for one of them, my two only went together for mating. As for hibernation I wouldn't worry about that untill nearer next winter as there's a lot more than simply putting them in a box, get them settled in and then ask on a different thread.

[Pussygalore]

sorry one more thing are you sure they are the same species? it seems unusual for a male of the same to damage the shell of the female as they are normally built to withstand the males ramming. Also I assume there must have been eggs most years if the same species?, some species are a lot rougher than others and if with another species can damage the shells, do you know what they are?.

[lonelylayla]

Originally Posted by Cali

Ok, there is no shed there (the chickens have it) but I have an old small animal kennel thing (similar to what some people were using in the pictures) I used to use as a Laying box that could be cleaned up. I'm not too keen on building blocks- they'll look a bit out of place. I could use some log roll to make a bigger run though. I was thinking it needed a lid, but I guess they havent had one before and are too big to be in much danger from birds. We do have an occasional fox though. Would I need t dig the log roll in to stop them digging out or can I just use the pins and have it sat on the surface of the ground? Would 20cm be high enough or should I aim a bit higher? I guess the big one's shell is about 25cm across lengthwise.

Sounds like you have two big torts on your hands Two of mine are of a similar size - I would go for 30cm (12") lo roll - mine will stand on extended hind legs to try and climb over things I would think the pins should be fine so long as you have enough Animal kennel thing sounds good, disinfect out and recycle Need to watch out for foxes and badgers - I do a "round" at night, check chickens & torts OK and safely away etc - does mean I rarely leave home So looking forward to the photos

[lonelylayla]

Me again Thought it might help if I put a few pics on of what I have done for my lot - mix of greenhouses, fence panels, blocks, cut down fence panels etc






Hope that helps you come up with your own plans for tortoise heaven Possibly someone can add a few pics of a log roll garden ?