Do I need a cover for enclosure?

[burnt toast]

We spent the weekend making a bigger, hopefully better outside hutch with run for my hermans & it took ages making two seperate frames with cage mesh to cover them.

I now have to make a complete new outside setup for my Marginated. She is nearly 3 & approx 12cm / 320 grams, the thing is I visited a lady's house yesterday & all her hermans were in an enclosure with no netting/cover the tiniest was born July last year so is still small. She has never had a problem & has nothing underneath to stop them digging out either. I have really stressed trying to think ahead to prevent any potential problems, so my question is:
Do I need to cover her enclosure? (We have a magpies nest in our garden) what do you think would you put a cover?
Or am I just being overprotective?
(I dont leave them out overnight, its only for day time use)

[Pussygalore]

I suppose apart from the size of the tort it also depends on whether you are around or not, if you don't want to put wire on the top what about garden or pond netting that would deter birds but not animals etc or trampolene netting thats a bit stronger, its up to you.

[helen1]

I would have to say...a lot depends...in my case the enclosures are so heavily planted that any bird would have trouble swooping in.....no room for wing span, plus the tortoise you hvae is quite heavy for a bird....in reality it is all down to you...

[NATURALIS]

my advise would be to always cover young torts,a fox a cat,could also take them

[Beverley]

I would cover them for another year or two yet, especially if Magpies are nearby, it won't take long to do and better safe than sorry

[TortBabe]

I have to say I would cover too, just for peace of mind, better safe than sorry

[EquestrianBabe]

Would advise you to cover x

[linda]

i had a tortoise lifted from the enclosure and found it in the garden

i never saw what lifted it luckily the tort was fine

but immediately covered all enclosures with fruit netting

this is high so we can still walk about inside enclosures

[burnt toast]

Right better to be safe than sorry then I guess. Thanks for all the replies

[yuna1971]

Sorry just to add my 2pence...Its a no brainer as far as I can see - cover the enclosure. Would you want to take that risk - hence, the posts on here of dog attacks etc. Also neighbours cats, birds etc. Just my opinion, no way would I chance Lily with anything with an open top. xx Good luck Burno.