Recent content by MoreCowbellAz

  1. M

    Orchard Grass Hay for DT, stems and all?

    Maybe I need to refine my approach there with the chopped up cactus, I was cognizant of that PSA article (seems logical), but since I don't have a food processor I cut it up into very small pieces about 2mm or less. Still too large? I could invest in a food processor, or the grating idea (I...
  2. M

    Orchard Grass Hay for DT, stems and all?

    What is a good vendor that would have "correct" orchard grass hay that I could compare to? It's not that expensive, if I have to toss what I got that's ok, he wouldn't be eating that much of it either way. I got Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay, in the package it looked similar to what I've seen in...
  3. M

    Orchard Grass Hay for DT, stems and all?

    Well now you've got me wondering. This is definitely not just blades of grass.
  4. M

    Orchard Grass Hay for DT, stems and all?

    Ok very good to know, thanks. I thought orchard grass hay was common for DT's.........see as much as I try to absorb all this info I still get it wrong sometimes lol. I'll mix it in rather than give him it to him straight. He does get opuntia at least 3 times a week, more if he's in the...
  5. M

    Orchard Grass Hay for DT, stems and all?

    I've long given my 4 year old DT lots of fresh grasses, grassland pellets, etc., all of which he loves, but only now am starting with orchard grass hay. I chopped some up yesterday into maybe 3mm pieces, dampened, and he loved it all by itself. Even with orchard grass hay, I noticed there's...
  6. M

    1st Brumation Rpt - Meet Charlie

    Hi folks - A quick FYI update regarding Charlie's weight, if you recall in my first post he was 819g going into brumation, 776 coming out. I weighed him again about a week or so ago, and he was back to 820g. I'm guessing that's a combination of restoring some fat supplies as well as being...
  7. M

    1st Brumation Rpt - Meet Charlie

    Thanks folks. I wanted to post my experience in hopes maybe it helped out other folks down the road, everyone's specific situation is different and I don't claim to be a expert. Most everything I know I know gleaned from this web site and applied it to my particulars, sometimes with some...
  8. M

    1st Brumation Rpt - Meet Charlie

    Meet Charlie. This was his 4th winter but it's the first time I brumated him, the previous 3 winters I kept him up and active.; the first couple years I wanted to be sure he was healthy (he was a rescue and in rough shape, see pic of tiny tortoise) and last year I was just plain scared and felt...
  9. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    Yep I’m waiting for her to start slowing down and then start decreasing her food, 2 weeks without at the end. One thing that I haven’t figured out with my fridge is humidity. Inside the box it’s pretty high, like 50-60%, whereas outside the hibernation box it’s like 30%. And I have no idea how...
  10. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    Update on the fridge prep for hibernation, I’ve been able to get the temp variance to about a 4 degree swing, 50-54 for the most part, that’s inside the hibernation box (wireless sensor). Sometimes my thermometer may drift a degree on either end for a couple mins but that’s prob just...
  11. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    Btw how big it your tort? I'll post pics when I get a moment in the next day or so, you can see my setup.
  12. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    Thanks, helpful info, as are the pics. I think I'm making progress, temps were a little more stable overnight. I think part of the problem is the hibernation box is on the large side (13x11) which means that's a good portion of the overall fridge space that just air space (prob 50%) which of...
  13. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    Still working on stabilizing temps even tho I have a lot of water bottles in there. the fridge itself seems like a quality unit, I’m tracking the temps and it definitely corresponds to the compressor on/off cycle. When you say put “stuff” around it, do you mean putting some small water bottles...
  14. M

    Substrate for Hibernating DT (first time)

    What I meant was the box was a tighter squeeze in the fridge than I expected, plenty big for the DT, perhaps unnecessarily so, that’s my question. Or it’s OCD kicking in.
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