TortoiseForum.org

Hi all, 2 questions:
Radishes and/ or mushrooms(the ones we can eat of course!)
Does anyone feed their torts them? Oh yes also what about Bock choy? (The chinese cabbage)
2) I have been on this forum for a few months and have not heard of anyone having concerns about racoons? I live in Mass. met a gentleman years and years ago that had a 37 yr old tort(not sure what kind, never met it) but it always was outside in his beautiful back yard. It was found on top of his bird cages, eaten from the inside(YUK) I never forgot that, and when I started with mine outside, we rigged up some electric fencing around the top.
Anyone here had problems?
Na

I have racoons, opossum, coyotes, eagles and hawks that frequent my yard almost daily. Well, not all of them every day but at least one will. So for my enclosures I built them as if they were there 24/7. I am not taking any chances because if you do...it's dinnertime!

off topic, but... chucky, where in S. Oregon do you live? i spent a summer working in Crater Lake Natl Park and I miss that area so much. Oregon is such a beautiful state

I have the occasional hawk, opossum, skunk and neighbors told me we had Raccoons a year ago but I never saw them. Not to mention cats lots of cats. My neighbor has 12 inside ones but feeds the whole neighborhood.
The smaller torts are completely enclosed top, sides, underground. I’m Taking no chances. The large DT’s have no top but seem to be doing fine. When awake. I live in a city- But you never know, they are fairly big guys and seem to stand their own and even chase my dog around. But my dogs patrol the yard and pretty much let me know if something isn't right, and I listen to them.

I do not feed my torts radishes, mushrooms or bok choy.
I have read that mushrooms are on the poison plant list and bok choy is one of those use rarely if at all foods, but I don't remember reading anything about radishes. I personally just don't like them and I often make myself salads from what my torts eat. I know but if its good enough for them why not. At least I have an idea of what their food tastes like.

Here are some lists of poison plants as well as some lists of edible plants.

http://www.tortoise.org/general/poisonp.html
http://www.sdturtle.org/Plants%20that%20Poison.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/pdf/plantlists.doc
http://africantortoise.com/toxic_plants_and_flowers.htm
http://www.turtlestuff.com/avoidthese.html
http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Diet.htm

we've got crazy racoons and hawks. the racoons don't mind breaking into my garage, and i can't chase them out! they're stubborn and mean.

as for the hawks... oh my lordy, my kids were playing out in the yard and a hawk swooped down and grabbed a wild rabbit right out of the yard! yes with a bunch of kids running around!

I feed mushrooms mainly to the hingebacks. Just about any type I can get my hands on.

We have had a serious problem this summer with the coons eating chickens. Once we put a cover over them also, the problems stopped. I sat several nights out in the coop with the chickens and the coons always came back. Nothing scared them. Would run out, yelling and screaming, chasing them and in 15-30 mins later they were right back. Think my neighbors thought I was battier than usual that week.

Thanks for all the replys. I have certainly had my own issue with a coon. Went on vacation and my 2 hand raised peacocks, and all of my poor little bantys were killed. My friend buried them all before we got home. She missed one little dead hen and I wired it inside a trap. Caught the little bugger. I did let him go(far away) My pen was enclosed with a top, because when they ran free before I had a fox come and try to wipe me out. But I hadn't wired the top to the side and there was enough of the gap to let someone in.
I was just curious because no one's outdoor pictures have ,what I saw to be racoon proof. Even the latest Leopard book by Richard Fife, all his enclosures are about 18 inches high.
Thanks Na

Well, here's my redfoot enclosure for the daytime. I still take them in at night due to the cold.



And here's my turtle enclosure..I call it Fort Knox Pond

man i wish you could come to my house and build something like your redfoot enclosure for me!

The enclosure is really easy to build. The 4 sides are 2 x 12 and then the tops are regular 2 x 4. Get some 1/4" cloth screen and you're set.

I protect my torts the same as poultry. Hot wire about 6" off ground and then 18" to 24" up (to keep coons and possums out) and bird netting (the kind to protect fruit trees) across top to keep raptors out. Don't have a problem with coyotes or stray dogs ( I have a donkey and sheepdog patroling property) but the hot wire works for them too.

wow those enclosures look great!!!