Greenhouse?

[cherylahutch]

I need to sort out my outdoor enclosures for the summer, I've got a good size area which I fenced with a low fence planted out ect last year and it was really nice for them but now I have a 9 month Labrador who has eaten the fencing and destroyed the area.

So I was thinking would my little torts be happier in a greenhouse? Can then have one as there outside area or does it have to be open to the air etc the one I was thinking about has a window in the roof.

Anyone got any ideas how I could make them a safe area that the dog can't get into or destroy. He is huge so not going to be able to put a fence round he is really strong and a typical Labrador :0). Good job I love him lol

[TillyTortoise]

Greenhouses are good, but they heat up quickly in warm weather and don't allow UV through, so you still need an outdoor area really.

Could you not make something like this -




The photos belong to Karen (kazzabb), it's a brilliant enclosure, she might be on in a while to explain it

[Merlin M]

Wow that looks SO good!

[kazzabb]

Ha ha, now I've gone red
I had an old farmer man make the panels (they are aviary panels 6'x3') most had an integral door for easy access all areas £14 each. I had help laying the base onto our heavy clay soil. Imperative to get the right-angles true and the levels straight - I didn't first time round and all the panels I placed onto the base were going skewiff. Had to get hubby to help
The base was 9"x2" long planks put into the ground along their edge, with 4"x2" planks nailed across the top to form a ‘T’ or a lip to stop naughty torts escaping. Basically all the mesh panels are held together with black cable ties and it all gets dismantled every winter. The roof, still mesh panels, are at a slight slant towards the back, and on top panels, sides and back, I velcroed transparent corrugated sheets (from Wickes) like the ones used on conservatories. These stay on in the wind, but can be pulled off and stacked at one end in the summer - stops the enclosure floor from getting sodden. To be honest, the transparent sheets stay on pretty much all the time as the sun enters through the front mesh panels. At each end i've converted chicken houses (took the perching bars out as torts couldn't get used to them) The roof of each chicken house opens up from the top, so I can clean inside easily and each house has a tubular heater on thermostats for really cold nights. Because its dry in the enclosure I've got basking lamps hanging down. If it's really horizontal rain forecast I stick the same type of transparent sheets over the top half of the front of the enclosure (velcro again).

The chicken houses are good because they have a nesting box at the side, either for storage of stuff, or if I have to separate a tort, I just cut a doorway in the nesting box, put a hinge along the bottom of the cut out bit and onto the off-cut, and this acts as a ramp in the day and I close it at night. I partition the nest box off inside, though not all the way to the top, so the nest box shares the heat of the main bit of the tort house. Then I create a new enclosure off this nest box, with a bit of log roll and a spare mesh panel.

In the main enclosure I are some old broken paving slabs for their eating area and filled the rest of the enclosure with some topsoil/sand mix, gravel, large stones and grasses, oh and a few old tree stubs. Mine don't dig so you’d probably need to address that side of things. Torts seem to like it ok, but it's hard to tell as they don't say much.
I've put a couple more pictures on my profile of the enclosure now, without the panels, so you can see the base. Sorry it's a long posting,
Karen

[cherylahutch]

That's brilliant don't think I could make one tho hubby might have a go for me. Might have to be bricked wall or strong fence unless I could leave some of the roof off maybe.

[Lane]

Karen that is awwwwwsssooome!!!
I want it!! Come build me one

[lynnedit]

What about a greenhouse that opens to a chain link dog run? They come in various sizes. You could use wood planks at the base for a sight block.

Many of them are tall enough for you to be able to walk in, but should be able to keep your lab out.

[Suze65]

That is sooooo awesome , I want one too. That's the best tortoise enclosure I've ever seen.