Rehome Depression?

TexasCrush

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Joined
Jul 29, 2021
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4
Location (City and/or State)
Normangee Texas
Hey Tort Team!!
New to group and new Tortoise Tender.

I had a friend who’s Sulcata had outgrown her back yard. She asked if I would take him and was happy too.

I’ve had “Crush” for a week now. He lives in a fairly large fenced area with my two goats. He doesn’t appear he’s eating. I have a large saucer of water out just for him. There is plenty of grass and weeds in the enclosure. His “mom” brought Kale, Romaine, Carrots and Apples when they brought him. I’ve done home work as well and got a bale of Timothy Grass, a cuttlefish bone and cut grasses from our pasture for him.
We have soaked him four times in the last week…heat has been brutal here.
He cruises the fence line in the morning goes into the barn and sleeps all day then comes out around 6-7pm and does the same. He charges at my horse if she comes up to the fence to check him out. He also will chase the goats aroun.

Do they go through depression when they’re rehomed? He sucks into his shell when I try to talk to him, I move slowly; as not to scare him, I rub on his shell and this kid doesn’t seem to want anything to do with us. I am concerned about him not eating…

Thots please..I have scoured through all the threads prior to posting.

We’re in east Texas at the 16L Ranch.
Thanks in advance!
Lynda
 

wellington

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No fruit isn't be fed. Timothy hay isnt the most used or liked. Get orchard grass hay.
During the hottest part of the day they will hide out in cooler spots, so his roaming sounds normal.
As for being with goats, well, that could be a big stressed for a tort that wasn't raised with goats. They are solitary animals and he has goats intruding his territory.
 

Markw84

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Sacramento, CA (Central Valley)
Hey Tort Team!!
New to group and new Tortoise Tender.

I had a friend who’s Sulcata had outgrown her back yard. She asked if I would take him and was happy too.

I’ve had “Crush” for a week now. He lives in a fairly large fenced area with my two goats. He doesn’t appear he’s eating. I have a large saucer of water out just for him. There is plenty of grass and weeds in the enclosure. His “mom” brought Kale, Romaine, Carrots and Apples when they brought him. I’ve done home work as well and got a bale of Timothy Grass, a cuttlefish bone and cut grasses from our pasture for him.
We have soaked him four times in the last week…heat has been brutal here.
He cruises the fence line in the morning goes into the barn and sleeps all day then comes out around 6-7pm and does the same. He charges at my horse if she comes up to the fence to check him out. He also will chase the goats aroun.

Do they go through depression when they’re rehomed? He sucks into his shell when I try to talk to him, I move slowly; as not to scare him, I rub on his shell and this kid doesn’t seem to want anything to do with us. I am concerned about him not eating…

Thots please..I have scoured through all the threads prior to posting.

We’re in east Texas at the 16L Ranch.
Thanks in advance!
Lynda
Tortoises are very much creatures of routine. They have a territory and learn where everything is. That is where they live their lives. They don't want or like change. The learn where and when the best plants and flowers are. Where water is and when it should appear again. They know their favorite hides and where their burrow(s) is. Move them and they are lost. The older, the harder it is.

So your tortoise is certainly lost and cannot find anything it knows. It will take time to adjust. The heat will also cause the tortoise to retreat when temps are over 100° to find shelter and wait for cooler times. So with weather like that, they become active more in the morning and evening.

I wouldn't keep goats with the tortoise. I would five the tortoise it's own place. It will view others as interlopers needed to be driven off. If the tortoise is large enough, the goats should not harm the tortoise, but... Tortoises also love to eat mammal feces as anatural part of their diet. In captivity with the foods and possible medication given to livestock, I would not want a tortoise to have access to that.

Give the tortoise it's own territorty to adopt. Provide lots of weeds and bushes for natural cover and hides as well as food. Water frequently and let it "rain" a few times a day, especially in the heat. As temps cool down, be sure he has a warm night box to be able to stay 80° at nights. He will adjust.

Read the section on proper care of a sulcata and come back with any questions.
 

Yvonne G

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Clovis, CA
Hey Tort Team!!
New to group and new Tortoise Tender.

I had a friend who’s Sulcata had outgrown her back yard. She asked if I would take him and was happy too.

I’ve had “Crush” for a week now. He lives in a fairly large fenced area with my two goats. He doesn’t appear he’s eating. I have a large saucer of water out just for him. There is plenty of grass and weeds in the enclosure. His “mom” brought Kale, Romaine, Carrots and Apples when they brought him. I’ve done home work as well and got a bale of Timothy Grass, a cuttlefish bone and cut grasses from our pasture for him.
We have soaked him four times in the last week…heat has been brutal here.
He cruises the fence line in the morning goes into the barn and sleeps all day then comes out around 6-7pm and does the same. He charges at my horse if she comes up to the fence to check him out. He also will chase the goats aroun.

Do they go through depression when they’re rehomed? He sucks into his shell when I try to talk to him, I move slowly; as not to scare him, I rub on his shell and this kid doesn’t seem to want anything to do with us. I am concerned about him not eating…

Thots please..I have scoured through all the threads prior to posting.

We’re in east Texas at the 16L Ranch.
Thanks in advance!
Lynda
It's called relocation stress.
 

TexasCrush

New Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2021
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Normangee Texas
No fruit isn't be fed. Timothy hay isnt the most used or liked. Get orchard grass hay.
During the hottest part of the day they will hide out in cooler spots, so his roaming sounds normal.
As for being with goats, well, that could be a big stressed for a tort that wasn't raised with goats. They are solitary animals and he has goats intruding his territory.
Thank you so much. He came from a family with kids and small happy dogs, so he’s always had “people” around. My goats are FFA survivors and stay away from him. When Crush chases them they hop up on their spools…they leave him alone. It’s only been a week and the space he is in is 10x larger than what he had, he has his “spot” in the barn that he naps in. I will continue to monitor.

thank you…
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
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10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,550
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Thank you so much. He came from a family with kids and small happy dogs, so he’s always had “people” around. My goats are FFA survivors and stay away from him. When Crush chases them they hop up on their spools…they leave him alone. It’s only been a week and the space he is in is 10x larger than what he had, he has his “spot” in the barn that he naps in. I will continue to monitor.

thank you…
Crush chases them because he does not want them in his territory. Constant stress will cause a sick or dead tortoise. Markw84 is much more experienced then me, he has many years. Maybe he knows better?
 

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