Shelter - coldframe or wooden house?

roedeane · 25-06-2007, 11:08 AM

Some of you may have read about me getting my torts back from my mother recently - they have settled into 'my' garden very nicely, but I am now in the position to move to a bigger bungalow that has a huge south facing garden :P so am in the process of designing a new area for Sally and Henry(ietta). At the moment they have a coldframe and a shed available to go into. They have never gone into the shed and when I put them in the first few nights they were 'agitated' Should I still have a shed area for them in the new garden or is a coldframe enough shelter? Obviously I cannot add heat/light to a coldframe for the cooler days, but they haven't had this benefit for the last 50 years so would not be used to it.At the moment it is raining for days on end and they have not left the coldframe, but eat whatevers in there plus what I give them. Any advice/thoughts most welcome,Yvette

Pussygalore · 25-06-2007, 11:56 AM

mine have a dog kennel as well a a cold frame the kennels are insulated and have a heatlamp in them, although my 2 rehomer adults have never had a heat lamp before they love it on cold wet mornings, it warms them up and out they come for a nibble, they use the cold frames when its nice and warm, I,m hoping that with the use of the heat lamps which are just ordinary red heat bulbs nothing special about £5 each I will be able to keep them outside later in the autumn and make my adults hibernation a little bit shorter as by themselves they had previously going to sleep september right through till april/may which I think is far to long, personally I would aim for somekind of heating to use in the later months if not now they will hopefully have no extra uv lights if I can keep them outside longer but I can bring them in if I have to, I lined one of the kennels with carpet on the walls and cork floor tiles on the ceiling and floor the kennel was free from freecycle with just the one heat lamp the temp inside will get to 80-90 very quickly and then when I switch it off the temps stay up all day works a treat and they are all in and out all the time, the other kennel has tradition 2inch insulation which was on it already again free on freecycle both kennels are big about 3.5ft square and about the same high, the one we made was a big wooden crate and all we had to do was put a sheet on felt covered ply as the outer roof and a inner again of ply with the tiles stuck on the inside.

sandy · 25-06-2007, 07:01 PM

Some tortoises that have only had a garden to hide in without any extra heat, dont thrive if
heat is available. They prefer what they are used too. Others ajust well.
If they were my tortoises I would provide a coldframe as this give shelter and still allows
normal light levels they are used to. You could also provide a wooden shelter, they will tell you
which they prefer,<g>. If they settle well, then I would let them carry on doing what they have
been doing for the last fifty years. If they dont settle then maybe heat and light might help.
I have two own bred graecas that dont like being in the GH with heat lamps, both hibernated
outside last year. Each to their own.
Tortoises are quite good at telling you in their own way what they like and dislike, you just
have to watch them long enough.

Pussygalore · 25-06-2007, 08:46 PM

how long do you let yours hibernate sandy, the lady who had sid before us said he goes from about september through to nearly the end of April, hes 12 and TGI surely thats to long, I was worried about letting him do the same with me, another subject is that you in the kentfrecycle cafe? if so that was me on about the torts in there and getting sid chipped so his papers can be brought up to date, the cert than came with him only lasted a year and ran out in 96 I posted a scan of it a while back.

sandy · 26-06-2007, 07:01 PM

My tortoises dig down in my greenhouses, so they decide really. Once they are really slowing
down, I start to not feed, this can vary depending on the temps. Usually anytime from the end
of October to the end of November. Then they wake themselves up when the soil has warmed
up again. Usually March sometime.

25-06-2007, 11:08 AM	#1
roedeane Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Notts Posts: 67	Shelter - coldframe or wooden house? Some of you may have read about me getting my torts back from my mother recently - they have settled into 'my' garden very nicely, but I am now in the position to move to a bigger bungalow that has a huge south facing garden :P so am in the process of designing a new area for Sally and Henry(ietta). At the moment they have a coldframe and a shed available to go into. They have never gone into the shed and when I put them in the first few nights they were 'agitated' Should I still have a shed area for them in the new garden or is a coldframe enough shelter? Obviously I cannot add heat/light to a coldframe for the cooler days, but they haven't had this benefit for the last 50 years so would not be used to it.At the moment it is raining for days on end and they have not left the coldframe, but eat whatevers in there plus what I give them. Any advice/thoughts most welcome,Yvette

25-06-2007, 07:01 PM	#3
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	Some tortoises that have only had a garden to hide in without any extra heat, dont thrive if heat is available. They prefer what they are used too. Others ajust well. If they were my tortoises I would provide a coldframe as this give shelter and still allows normal light levels they are used to. You could also provide a wooden shelter, they will tell you which they prefer,<g>. If they settle well, then I would let them carry on doing what they have been doing for the last fifty years. If they dont settle then maybe heat and light might help. I have two own bred graecas that dont like being in the GH with heat lamps, both hibernated outside last year. Each to their own. Tortoises are quite good at telling you in their own way what they like and dislike, you just have to watch them long enough. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

26-06-2007, 07:01 PM	#5
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	My tortoises dig down in my greenhouses, so they decide really. Once they are really slowing down, I start to not feed, this can vary depending on the temps. Usually anytime from the end of October to the end of November. Then they wake themselves up when the soil has warmed up again. Usually March sometime. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

25-06-2007, 11:56 AM	#2
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	mine have a dog kennel as well a a cold frame the kennels are insulated and have a heatlamp in them, although my 2 rehomer adults have never had a heat lamp before they love it on cold wet mornings, it warms them up and out they come for a nibble, they use the cold frames when its nice and warm, I,m hoping that with the use of the heat lamps which are just ordinary red heat bulbs nothing special about £5 each I will be able to keep them outside later in the autumn and make my adults hibernation a little bit shorter as by themselves they had previously going to sleep september right through till april/may which I think is far to long, personally I would aim for somekind of heating to use in the later months if not now they will hopefully have no extra uv lights if I can keep them outside longer but I can bring them in if I have to, I lined one of the kennels with carpet on the walls and cork floor tiles on the ceiling and floor the kennel was free from freecycle with just the one heat lamp the temp inside will get to 80-90 very quickly and then when I switch it off the temps stay up all day works a treat and they are all in and out all the time, the other kennel has tradition 2inch insulation which was on it already again free on freecycle both kennels are big about 3.5ft square and about the same high, the one we made was a big wooden crate and all we had to do was put a sheet on felt covered ply as the outer roof and a inner again of ply with the tiles stuck on the inside.

25-06-2007, 08:46 PM	#4
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	how long do you let yours hibernate sandy, the lady who had sid before us said he goes from about september through to nearly the end of April, hes 12 and TGI surely thats to long, I was worried about letting him do the same with me, another subject is that you in the kentfrecycle cafe? if so that was me on about the torts in there and getting sid chipped so his papers can be brought up to date, the cert than came with him only lasted a year and ran out in 96 I posted a scan of it a while back.

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