I'm fairly new to this tortoise thing but I think we have finally got the lighting and feeding figured out. My question is what do you do when you go out of town for a couple of days? Do you always have to have someone watch them, or is there some kind of food you can put in to last a few days, can they go without food for a day or two?
Julie

They can go without food for a day or two or even three.

I don't go out of town, tho! LOL!

They can go without the food easily...and for most of them it would do them some good since most are overfed any how. The worry would be since it's winter the heating. What if your furnace breaks down or power goes off? I learned this the hard way years ago. It's best in winter to have somebody come in and just take a quick check on them.

I am lucky and have a good friend that comes and takes care of them. She actually enjoys coming and having the quiet escape from her kids and like to watch my guys eat. I don't worry so much about the food as I like her to check at night and make sure no one is upside down.

My lights are on timers so they go off and on themselves that way for the babies sake they get the accurate amount of light time needed, incase I get home late or something. But when I go out of town I have my mom come and check on them some days, and then my neighbor checks on them the other days, I would hate for something to happen since I have a few that flip and have yet to flip back over unless I do it. In the long run it is better to be safe then sorry.

When out of town I have a friend that check on them daily. I also had an egg sitter this last trip as I am incubating 3 eggs now. So one person to check the torts and one to sit(hehe) the eggs. That is how I feel most comfortable. I also got phone reports while on vac. They said so I wouldn't worry.

i think your torts will be fine for a couple of days. it might be a good idea to have someone cheak on them but if you cant get someone to do it they will probably be able to flip themselves back (mine do)

Thanks for all your input. I only recently saw one flip over so, yes now I am concerned about that. I will probably get someone to come in an check on them.