Cheap outside enclosure on a budget of under £100

[CherryBrandy]

I think Daryn you did say you was joining it up with an on the grass outdoor pen, I took it as a home/house (mobile perhaps )attached to an outdoor pen. Good idea. Interesting though because I have read (wasn't the Daily Mail) rule of thumb 12" tort ideally should a 9ft by 9ft enclosure. But in same tortoise article it said the indoor tortoise table can be 2ft by 4ft. (probably for if overwintering is required and temporary - wasn't specific). I have had occasion to use my tortoise table/s and with my v mature TGG overwinter and he just wandered out basked , ate, pooped wandered back cooler end. Docile and calm. He has a big area outdoors. I can honestly say I have never heard such a racket in all my life from my Ibera - it was merciless - thump, bang, crash wallop - refused to eat , real attitude, sulking, trying to bite me. I don't even bother now I let him roam free in the conservatory, he has one free hanging heat emitter which he never used over winter or out of hibernation and was happy as larry. or so it seems. (bit like that joan Collins choccy advert). I agree there are the ideals, and exceptions to those rules.

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by Daryn

I would love to do it for a living. Thats why Im looking into making a secure den in fibreglass soon.

Got this photo this morning, looks like torte is loving it.

what is Torts name ? Bet your friends daughter well chuffed! CB

[Pussygalore]

the only time I ever tried my adult Ibera in a table the male went berserk, ramming everything and just went round and round destroying anything in his path, the female found a corner, faced it and refused to move, never again. After that we, like cheryl gave them the floor of the conservatory or greenhouse if they had to come in but with heated kennels they managed to stay outside untill the end of october begin november when they hibernated, they would still come outside but stopped eating by themselves end of september despite how sunny or warm it was, they'd wander around and sunbathe but that was it. Neither had ever been kept inside though so I suppose it would have been different if they'd grown up using a table the female was in her 40's and male 20 she was probably wild caught and bought from a petshop as an adult, the male was uk bred but had always lived in the garden.

[CherryBrandy]

Do you think its Ibera's !!? They are pretty mad sometimes. My others are so laid back but my Ibera is crazy mad. He will bury under my dog if she is laid down.
Interestingly my Ibera spent his first 7 years in a tortoise table before I adopted him which is why I wondered whether he was so mad about being put back. He is definitely uk bred though. CB

[Daryn]

Oh he will defo have a large penned run by next week so he can come and go as he pleases through the day, he is out every day wandering around now under supervision, crikey I wouldnt have a torte just stuck in an enclosure all the time.

[Daryn]

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

just one of the hatchlings that I used to sell, put it in there to show the size in a 3ft run to show why you don't need or want a big run for a baby. Turn your back for 5 mins and they will disappear like magic especially if the sun goes in, its amazing how strong they are and well able to dig through tough dry old grass they then go sideways just under the turf. We've spent many hours on hands and knees trying to find one, they never tried to dig down or out but the run did have to be on flat ground and I'd never have left them in there unattended for long. The best 'garden' we had for babies was an old butlers sink, planted with edibles and with a good framed wire cover, I knew they couldn't dig out of there and it was just the right size for tines to have some fun. I don't personally think that any tort can spend all year outside most either bring them in to overwinter or hibernate, it would always be cheaper to be inside than trying to heat something out, we did have our houses and shed heated but the torts hibernated for up to 20 weeks so the housing was fine for the periods either side of that. Sorry one more thing what is the size of the enclosure you've built? is it intended for the tort to adulthood? if not isn't it better to aim for something that will house an adult and simply portion of a section if its to big and will the tort have an actual run/enclosure or stay in there all the time. My adult Ibera were big, weighing around 2500 grams and around 12inches which to me means they need an area of at least 12ft preferably more if they are to have the room to wander and excersise enough to use up their food calories, yes they can 'survive' in less but is that living a decent life, in my opinium an adult needs the run of a garden where it can find its own food and hiding places etc. There will also be periods even days when the whole thing will have to be covered because of rain in which case it could become very humid even mouldy those days people often bring their tort back inside or if they have a heated house and a natural outside enclosure they will still come out as it won't become waterlogged, natural old ground drains well or at least mine did I think you'll find your friend will need an indoor table as well otherwise you might as well be using a viv if the house is covered for days and I'd be worried about the air getting stale if it is covered for long periods, you can't leave it part open because the whole thing will become water logged. Isn't it possible to replace the plastic 'windows' with wire to allow some circulation if its covered ?. Over the years we were fortunate to be able to try several housing methods and by far the best was the torts having a warm dry house with heating for cold/wet days and simple ouside access, as long as they could go and have a warm up they would come outside whatever the weather and we found that the best outside area was one using and old established area of ground not one dug up and replaced with soil etc and my torts never tried to dig out as I believe they neither needed or wanted to do as they could go into the house to warm up/sleep etc and thats what they did.

Mentioned the window last night and thats what we are going to do now, replace the window with mesh to allow better air flow so thats a great idea.

Im not sure if Ive described the whole thing properly so here I go..........

The enclosure is just a large dry house, rather than have a small den in a garden this is an extended den / house with a separate den inside it with a tube heater. The top will be hinged and be able to be propped up by next week and will only be down when the weather is poor/ cold/ wet etc so plenty air flow their although your idea of replacing the window with mesh will be added next week with the addition of being able to add the window back in place when its cold.

The tortoise will be able to come and go in the garden when it wants through the day, the housing was never intended for the torte to be locked in every day, Ive always maintained a tortoise should be outside in the natural light / sun as much as possible with the option of the torte being able to find a suitable shaded area when it needs to. We are going to pen of an area next week but in time the whole garden with be torte proofed so he can go where ever he wants, the garden is huge so this will take some time.

The design is similar to the one I use for my own, I opened the hatches 5am this morning so they can come and go into the garden when they want to.

I also have small warming areas dotted around the garden, we are adding these in my friends garden as well.

The torte garden will change over time as did mine and mine is still changing now.

I hope this explains things in a bit better detail. I hope no one thinks the torte is locked in the housing all the time as that would never happen, crikey I couldnt live with myself if I created something like that it would be like hell for the poor thing not being able to explore and stretch around a garden.

Believe me I know this family very well and I know torte will have a fantastic life with them, they have studied a full year before getting a torte and Im only up the road should they need me for any problems.

[Pussygalore]

thanks for explaining and sorry for getting it wrong, I didn't see an exit to the garden so I thought you'd made something like an outside tort table and that was going to be it. however it just shows how important it is to explain well when first making a post.

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

thanks for explaining and sorry for getting it wrong, I didn't see an exit to the garden so I thought you'd made something like an outside tort table and that was going to be it. however it just shows how important it is to explain well when first making a post.

yes I see what you mean now from the photo -it was mentioned at the very bottom of Daryn's first set of photograph's, but I can' talk I skim read and usually get most of it wrong or Im way behind everyone else! .

[Daryn]

you must have all thought I was sooooooooooooo cruel lol