Building an outside enclosure questions

[Ceirdwyn]

Hopefully we will be getting a tortoise in a couple of months. My husband is going to build a raised bed type area for it to have outside. Currently everything is paved with a few plant pots on it, so it will have to be free standing on the flags. I have a few questions that I'm not sure about before we start, so any advice would be great, thanks!
Do you think 150cm x 90cm (5' x3') will be big enough for a young Horsfield? There's not a lot of room to go bigger.
And if we make it 45cm deep, and half fill it with topsoil and sand mix, that will be roughly 9" of soil to dig in and 9" of wood above to keep him from wandering off, does that sound ok?
Also to line it or not? Raised bed liners will help keep the soil in, but I think I read somewhere that they are a risk, torts could eat the plastic? If we don't use a liner, do we use something else, or will the soil stay put?
And last question; Can I paint the wood with standard outdoor wood paint, or is there a chance of the tortoise eating
Thanks for any advice.

[CherryBrandy]

Ceirdwyn, it does depend on the size of the Horsfield of course but a hatchling or young juvenile will be fine in 5ft by 3ft for years to come - girls grow much bigger than boys generally so if a girl it will be too small after a time. Rule of thumb use to be for every 12 inch of tortoise 9 ft by 9 ft minimum so you would have years. Personally I would lay chicken wire underneath. My Horsfields have buried much further than 9", one dug under a railway sleeper once about 3 ft down and I didn't find him for a week because I wasnt looking the other side! Some TK's don't like chicken wire but Horsfields will dig through plastic - unlikely to eat it. And wood paint - stain colours ? are ok. I have used them for years, CB

[CherryBrandy]

And you don't have to spend masses...cheap old 2nd hand hutch and spruce it up with wood stain... then fill the inside with shingle leading onto an outdoor area. This would be far too big for a hatchling - but I take the roof part off and place straight onto the grass for my tiny torts. Cost about a £5 all in plus paint.
Horfields don't do well completely on grass and they can dig through it unlike any other tortoise.



Entire shingle area has chicken wire underneath it - inside greenhouse too. Never underestimate a Horsfield !

[Ceirdwyn]

Chicken wire is a good idea, thanks, and it sounds like that size will be fine for now. For paint I was thinking of something like the Cuprinol Garden Shades, it's water based and low VOC, so I think it should be fine, obviously I'll look at the labels before I buy.

[Jan W]

My horsfields pulled apart plastic and membrane, so I am not going to use it again.

Have a search on the site, there have been some great photographs posted on outdoor enclosures.

[CherryBrandy]

I think we crossed posts Ceirdwyn - posted some photos above - all cuprinol and not had a problem with any tortoises or guinea pigs for that matter ! except Banjo has been painted unintentionally !

Originally Posted by Ceirdwyn

Chicken wire is a good idea, thanks, and it sounds like that size will be fine for now. For paint I was thinking of something like the Cuprinol Garden Shades, it's water based and low VOC, so I think it should be fine, obviously I'll look at the labels before I buy.