cover for outdoor enclosure

GemJam · 22-02-2016, 09:30 PM

Hi everyone,

I've just moved and have a wonderful south facing garden, so as you can imagine I am very excited about creating my first outdoor enclosure for my little tort.

While I have been looking at the outdoor enclosure forum I have noticed that not a lot of people put any type of covering over their enclosures. My concern is that my enclosure is going to be about 60 foot away from my house, due to the location of a greenhouse and I want to ensure my little one is safe. I was thinking chicken wire or a sturdier mesh, however it is going to be a fair sized enclosure.

I spent this weekend digging a trench all the way down the side of the garden (phew that was a lot of hard work!!) to lay a power cable, so I will be able to have a house with heat and a thermostat. Do most people make their own house, or insulate a dog kennel?? Any suggestions? Ideally I would like to be able to lock her away at night.

There are so many different ideas and options I'm getting myself in a right muddle trying to decide what to do.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
GemJam

Ozric Jonathan · 22-02-2016, 10:57 PM

Hi Gemma. I do have mesh covers for my enclosures and I've not found a way of making it look good. Mesh painted black shows up less than lighter colours so I spray painted them black and that helped a bit.

Also my covers are a bit haphazard. This is partly because the height of the enclosure sides is not consistent. When I am making new enclosures I am going to be much more careful and make the height the same all the way round the perimeter which will make the covering side of it easier and neater.

With larger covers I end up with extra supports inside the enclosure i.e. not just at the edge. This is because the wood sags on longer lengths. Stopping sagging would mean much thicker wood which in turn casts more shade and makes the cover heavier and therefore more difficult to lift off.

I had a dog kennel at one point and I couldn't make it work well. There wasn't enough height for a decent basking lamp. Other people do make it work though.

Everyone's garden is different. All I can suggest is to look at as many of other people's as possible. Personally I think having electricity is great and well worth the expense in the long run.

Gordon · 23-02-2016, 07:39 AM

Hi as I am a landscape gardener I often come across this people work around what they have with a garden they have just got and sometimes it's so much easier to start again and put things where you want them not where the previous owner did.

So my advice is if it is at all possible MOVE the greenhouse to where it suits you its an easier job than you think.

vikki · 23-02-2016, 11:13 AM

I use a chicken wire cover which i can take on and off - this is mainly because we have two dogs but as the torts are still quite small i also worry about seagulls and magpies

emma_mcraf · 23-02-2016, 11:47 AM

I have strong mesh lids to prevent any predators. They are hinged and I have a hook on the wall and a bungee to hold it up when I'm putting them in/getting them out or planting/tidying in their enclosures.
Seagulls are a definite worry here.

GemJam · 23-02-2016, 01:50 PM

Gordon, I have considered moving the greenhouse but I would be concerned about locating my tort elsewhere in the garden. As the garden seems to get water clogged the closer to the house we get. It's current location drains well and I have two fences (pre-made tort enclosure walls) and as I said its near the garage, so I can have power for garage and tort house. It seemed the best location to me. Might have to research drainage options.

Emma, I think strong mesh is the way forward, my tort will be 3 this year and is still quite small. Can you post a pic of your set up?

Vikki, I'm worried about the birds too. have you got a pic of your enclosure?

Thanks guys. x

vikki · 23-02-2016, 01:59 PM

Hi Gemma,
Here is a picture of my enclosure, it is still a work in progress.
The shed has electric to it but will hopefully be putting a perspex window in to help warm it up without having to use heat lamps as much.
The mesh top you can see here is the temporary one (although does the job ok) until i find somebody with better carpentry skills than me to make a better one!!!!

emma_mcraf · 23-02-2016, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GemJam

Gordon, I have considered moving the greenhouse but I would be concerned about locating my tort elsewhere in the garden. As the garden seems to get water clogged the closer to the house we get. It's current location drains well and I have two fences (pre-made tort enclosure walls) and as I said its near the garage, so I can have power for garage and tort house. It seemed the best location to me. Might have to research drainage options.

Emma, I think strong mesh is the way forward, my tort will be 3 this year and is still quite small. Can you post a pic of your set up?

Vikki, I'm worried about the birds too. have you got a pic of your enclosure?

Thanks guys. x

I haven't many photos of my enclosures with the lids down as I tend to take pics of the torts with the lids up so I can get a better photo.
However this was my juvenile enclosure when Hugo, Oscar and Oliver were hatchlings and juveniles (before they became very male and needed splitting!) and I now use it as my quarantine outside enclosure. It looks VERY different now as it's had a few years to mature and the hebe is huge. The mesh is a bit more substantial than chicken wire and is worth it for the peace of mind the extra protection offers. As I have chickens in the garden too I have made the enclosures as secure as possible in case any nasty foxes come looking, but seagulls are a definite pest here so the small mesh holds its shape well and they couldn't get their beaks through if they tried. My other enclosures have similar hinged lids, the only difference is they're deeper and bigger. Hope it gives you an idea.

ClareandCo · 23-02-2016, 04:10 PM

We use fireguards - you can pick them up virtually brand new at car boots, eBay etc for very little money. Some are fixed to wooden battens and others, as in the case of one of the ponds, laid on top of metal beansticks. They can easily be "unhooked" into manageable sizes so that they can be opened/closed enabling stepping into the enclosure easy.

We have numerous foxes, rats and for a time neighbours' dogs coming into the garden.

GemJam · 23-02-2016, 07:00 PM

Wow thanks guys the pics are a great help. And fire guards are an excellent idea, I will keep an eye out.
Due to the size of my proposed enclosure I may have to have stakes in the middle of it to support any mesh I use as I reckon it is going to be about 2.5m by 3.5m at least. I want it to be as big as feasibly possible so Hettie has plenty of space to explore as she grows.

Ooooooh, so much planning to do. I've written a list of plants I want to put in there too. What do you guys have in yours?

22-02-2016, 09:30 PM	#1
GemJam Member Incubating Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 123	cover for outdoor enclosure Hi everyone, I've just moved and have a wonderful south facing garden, so as you can imagine I am very excited about creating my first outdoor enclosure for my little tort. While I have been looking at the outdoor enclosure forum I have noticed that not a lot of people put any type of covering over their enclosures. My concern is that my enclosure is going to be about 60 foot away from my house, due to the location of a greenhouse and I want to ensure my little one is safe. I was thinking chicken wire or a sturdier mesh, however it is going to be a fair sized enclosure. I spent this weekend digging a trench all the way down the side of the garden (phew that was a lot of hard work!!) to lay a power cable, so I will be able to have a house with heat and a thermostat. Do most people make their own house, or insulate a dog kennel?? Any suggestions? Ideally I would like to be able to lock her away at night. There are so many different ideas and options I'm getting myself in a right muddle trying to decide what to do. Thanks in advance for your advice. GemJam __________________ Gemma 1 Hermanns Tortoise - Hettie

22-02-2016, 10:57 PM	#2
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	Hi Gemma. I do have mesh covers for my enclosures and I've not found a way of making it look good. Mesh painted black shows up less than lighter colours so I spray painted them black and that helped a bit. Also my covers are a bit haphazard. This is partly because the height of the enclosure sides is not consistent. When I am making new enclosures I am going to be much more careful and make the height the same all the way round the perimeter which will make the covering side of it easier and neater. With larger covers I end up with extra supports inside the enclosure i.e. not just at the edge. This is because the wood sags on longer lengths. Stopping sagging would mean much thicker wood which in turn casts more shade and makes the cover heavier and therefore more difficult to lift off. I had a dog kennel at one point and I couldn't make it work well. There wasn't enough height for a decent basking lamp. Other people do make it work though. Everyone's garden is different. All I can suggest is to look at as many of other people's as possible. Personally I think having electricity is great and well worth the expense in the long run. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

23-02-2016, 11:47 AM	#5
emma_mcraf Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 11,365	I have strong mesh lids to prevent any predators. They are hinged and I have a hook on the wall and a bungee to hold it up when I'm putting them in/getting them out or planting/tidying in their enclosures. Seagulls are a definite worry here. __________________ Emma Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

23-02-2016, 01:50 PM	#6
GemJam Member Incubating Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 123	Gordon, I have considered moving the greenhouse but I would be concerned about locating my tort elsewhere in the garden. As the garden seems to get water clogged the closer to the house we get. It's current location drains well and I have two fences (pre-made tort enclosure walls) and as I said its near the garage, so I can have power for garage and tort house. It seemed the best location to me. Might have to research drainage options. Emma, I think strong mesh is the way forward, my tort will be 3 this year and is still quite small. Can you post a pic of your set up? Vikki, I'm worried about the birds too. have you got a pic of your enclosure? Thanks guys. x __________________ Gemma 1 Hermanns Tortoise - Hettie

23-02-2016, 07:00 PM	#10
GemJam Member Incubating Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Leicestershire, UK Posts: 123	Wow thanks guys the pics are a great help. And fire guards are an excellent idea, I will keep an eye out. Due to the size of my proposed enclosure I may have to have stakes in the middle of it to support any mesh I use as I reckon it is going to be about 2.5m by 3.5m at least. I want it to be as big as feasibly possible so Hettie has plenty of space to explore as she grows. Ooooooh, so much planning to do. I've written a list of plants I want to put in there too. What do you guys have in yours? __________________ Gemma 1 Hermanns Tortoise - Hettie

23-02-2016, 07:39 AM	#3
Gordon Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 5,675	Hi as I am a landscape gardener I often come across this people work around what they have with a garden they have just got and sometimes it's so much easier to start again and put things where you want them not where the previous owner did. So my advice is if it is at all possible MOVE the greenhouse to where it suits you its an easier job than you think.

23-02-2016, 11:13 AM	#4
vikki Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Gloucestershire Posts: 456	I use a chicken wire cover which i can take on and off - this is mainly because we have two dogs but as the torts are still quite small i also worry about seagulls and magpies

23-02-2016, 01:59 PM	#7
vikki Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Gloucestershire Posts: 456	Hi Gemma, Here is a picture of my enclosure, it is still a work in progress. The shed has electric to it but will hopefully be putting a perspex window in to help warm it up without having to use heat lamps as much. The mesh top you can see here is the temporary one (although does the job ok) until i find somebody with better carpentry skills than me to make a better one!!!!

23-02-2016, 04:10 PM	#9
ClareandCo Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,350	We use fireguards - you can pick them up virtually brand new at car boots, eBay etc for very little money. Some are fixed to wooden battens and others, as in the case of one of the ponds, laid on top of metal beansticks. They can easily be "unhooked" into manageable sizes so that they can be opened/closed enabling stepping into the enclosure easy. We have numerous foxes, rats and for a time neighbours' dogs coming into the garden.

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