# New hatchling care



## swatsx (Mar 9, 2017)

What if anything special do you do with your new hatchling tortoises? I mean besides feed, soak, and general care? At what age do you sell them? Do you feed any specific medication or anything? I'm looking for info specific to Russian tortoises. Friends of mine breed dogs so I know they get shots, and deworming meds. I use to breed fish and I did nothing so I'm lost


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## Tom (Mar 9, 2017)

Here is what I do:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/

Key elements are:
Daily soaks.
Warm temps.
Relatively high humidity.
Very wide variety of the right foods literally from day 1. *NOT* romaine and spring mix!!!
At least a week or two in the brooder box before going into an enclosure with substrate. I go 3-4 weeks in some cases.
Damp substrate and a humid hide box once they move into an enclosure.
Short daily sunning excursions of no more than an hour for hatchlings, and progressively more as they gain size. Babies should *NOT* be left outside all day.


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## swatsx (Mar 12, 2017)

How big of an enclosure should say Russian tortoise babies be in? I have a couple 50 gallon tank 36x18 foot print. I also have a 120 48x24 foot print.


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## swatsx (Mar 17, 2017)

Bump


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## GBtortoises (Mar 25, 2017)

Once out of the egg I place them in a container of moistened sphagnum moss in an incubator that is approximately the same temperature as the incubator that they came out of. Basically a brooder. They remain in the brooder for 2-3 days depending to allow there yolk sacs to be fully absorbed and for their shells to begin to flatten out a bit more. The increased moisture within the moss allows this to better take place. They are then placed into a regular enclosure which is an approximately 16" x 26" x 5" plastic sweater box. This contains about 2" of organic soil that is semi moist (not wet). They have a basking light at one corner and a UVB fluorescent tube running the length of the enclosure. The basking light has a flat piece of slate under it to act as heat sink and give the tortoises a spot to warm up and get completely dry. At the opposite end of the enclosure is two hide areas, one is a flower pot cut in half to act as an arched hide area. The second is a piece of 4" plastic corrugated pipe, cut in half that is basically a tunnel. In the middle is a shallow water dish, sunken so that the rim is at substrate level for easy access. The same for the food dish and a small container of powdered calcium carbonate. The basking temperature directly under the light at the slates surface is 90-100 degrees. The ambient air temperature is 72-78 degrees. The ambient air humidity during the daytime is 50-65%, at night 65-75%. Night time temperature is 62-65 degrees. The enclosure gets sprayed twice, sometimes three times daily and the entire substrate gets saturated and churned about every 7-10 days. They're fed a greatly varied diet of dark, leafy greens with about 20% vegetables. The vegetables are fed once weekly. Also once a week they're fed soaked and softened mazuri mixed in with the greens once a week. They should have as much exposure to sunlight, real or artificial, as possible. They aren't necessarily going to bask in it all day and should have cover from it as well, but should have access to it as much as possible. Once spring comes where I live, all tortoises, babies and adults go out for the summer 24/7 until late fall.


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## Jodie (Mar 25, 2017)

My method is very similar to Tom's. My enclosure after the brooder box is a semi closed chamber. I converted a table by placing cement mixing tubs in it. I put 1 to 4 babies in each tub. Each enclosure has a water dish. The substrate is coco coir about 4 inches deep. I keep it moist. It has a cold frame covered in plastic. I open it during the day. 60 to 70 percent humidity. Basking area via MVB about 100F. Low temp 75F. I don't sell them for several months to ensure a good start.


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