Alice and Winter Outings

waretrop

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So Alice is 43 pounds and 6 and 1/2 years old. She has lived in my kitchen last winter and in my hot tub room all summer. She has an area about 10 X 30 chain linked fence with grass and also a condo that she is not able to live in right now. Now she has a ramp from out kitchen to the hot tub room and an open door for her to go outside to graze a bit.


Her part of the kitchen with an extra layer of linoleum, training pads all over that.

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In kitchen

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If I don't let her to the hot tub room quickly this is what her kitchen looks like.

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There are not tape strips on the ramp for her to grab onto. Works well.

20161129_141639.jpg Part of her yard and part of her condo, not used yet

I see she goes into her copy machine cabinet to warm up, grabs a bite to eat, goes out for a small graze time and exercise and them back in to get warm. There is a small heater in the hot tub room when it is cold.

We are coming into Winter here in eastern Pa. I am hoping as it gets colder and colder her body becomes accustomed to to the cold temperatures and snow, and that she continues to come back into the house to get warm. My question is just how low can the temperature be outside?

In a little while her condo will be ready, It will have heaters and lights for her to keep warm during the day. I don't think I would let her stay outside in the condo all night. I will have to see.
 

wellington

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As long as she has access to a warm area that she can warm up to 95+ she can continue to have access to the outside. A designated tort area is safer for her then roaming the living quarters of the humans. Put the heater on a thermostat in her condo and have a basking light for her and let her come and go in and out as she pleases, locking her in at night.
 

waretrop

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If Alice ever comes into our living room I never take my eyes off her and it is always after she goes WEE
WEE. I have pine planks that it would drip down between and I would never get the smell out. LOL My house is not good for kids or tortoises.

Her condo is previously owned. It is very very heavy. It also was set up by an electrician. It even has a circuit breaker and place for an oil radiator. It has a thermostat and timer on the little breaker box outside the condo. Don't think I will get it painted this year but next spring it will be. I will put linoleum on the floor of the condo. I get it for $1.00 per s.f. with no seams. That seems to work great. I am thinking of getting the heat mats for the condo but I have to watch my electric usage and see what it will carry.

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The upside down wire shelves work great to stop them from digging under the chain link fence. I do leave her in there if I am working in the gardens on my 2.5 acres but if I go away from home I make her go back into the house. I actually have to lock the slider or she will pry it open.

Now see the Oak leaves and there are also some Pine needles? She has eaten a few of them. They go right through her. Is that ok? I have been keeping them rakes as much as possible but I still worry about the few hanging out there.

Thanks for you replies....
 

waretrop

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She loves to go inside the condo but doesn't stay in there long as it is cold. I will make a cave in there for her also when it is fully set up.
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When she is done with her hourly stroll, she comes into the house climbs into her printer cabinet to take a nap. After she digs in the corner for about 10 minutes she hangs one foot out the front and sleeps like a baby...
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I keep the doors shut when she is in the kitchen. She is not a quiet little thing, so if I am home I hear her come out of her cabinet, either eat or go to the door and scratch. I then let her out. It is not really safe for her to go in the hot tub or outside along yet.
 

Gillian M

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Alice is cute, though pyramided. Do you give her daily soaks in warm water?
 

waretrop

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She came to me like that. I compare pictures of when I first got her till now and it seems to have stopped. She gets showers at random. She hates them but she does have a swimming pool for summer use.

Alice is a cutie and smart as a whip.
 

waretrop

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Here she is in her pool last summer. I put a 4 inch solid cinder block on inside and outside and she comes and goes all day long.
 

HI Tortoise Rescue

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I suggest forgetting the linoleum, & simply coating the wood floor with a good epoxy paint, mixed with a little sand. It's pretty much impervious to anything a tortoise can do, just be sure to apply it an inch or two up the walls to catch fluids. Be sure any seams in the flooring are caulked if they're more than 1/4" or so, & it will last forever.

Ken
 

waretrop

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Ken, Why wouldn't you use linoleum? My chickens coop even has it with no seams. Alice is living on it not with no problems. I probably will use epoxy paint on the floor also. :)
 

HI Tortoise Rescue

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I happen to be a Chemical Engineer, & know how linoleum is made. The older stuff contains asbestos, & some of that is still found for sale today. But even new linoleum is made from polyvinyl chloride with plasticizers that are considered long-term health hazards. The stuff in between is made from materials such as solidified linseed oil, pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing. Chickens won't spend much time on it, but tortoises have no choice. Once epoxy paint dries, it will last a whole lot longer, is easier to clean up, & is free of compounds that can harm reptiles. And if you add some sand for traction, it will keep their nails filed down, too.

Ken
 

waretrop

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wellington said:
As long as she has access to a warm area that she can warm up to 95+ she can continue to have access to the outside. A designated tort area is safer for her then roaming the living quarters of the humans. Put the heater on a thermostat in her condo and have a basking light for her and let her come and go in and out as she pleases, locking her in at night.

Little Alice had a grand time playing in our first lite snow. She keeps going out in it and back in to get warmed up. I was so afraid to let her out last winter for I was still getting to know her and her needs at that time. She wanted out so bad them.

How I have been letting her out every day as our winter sets in and I am feeling good about it. She loves the freedom, big time. Now I will work on her condo even if I don't get it painted till spring. Our electric is the problem. I am running the greenhouse, Hot tub room with refrigerator, chickens, and pheasants on the nearest circuit and have to do some rearranging. We are going to do it...The rest of the work will be easy...and quick.

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waretrop

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So again I ask, there are dried oak leaves and some pine needles. Alice eats them and they go through her like orchard grass. It it ok if she eats it?
 

waretrop

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So today Little Alice is venturing out in 28 degree weather. She goes out, spends 10 minutes out there and then comes into the hot tub room. That may be a little warmer as I have a few plants in there that live with just a little heat at night. She will spend 10 minutes inside and goes right back out again. She seems to love it....guess she knows what's right for her...
 

waretrop

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I am having so much fun letting Alice go outside all this winter..I don't let her go out if it's hean 20 but if she wants to go I will let her go rain or shine...It's fun...She loves it...
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After her 15 minute outings she goes back into the kitchen and h=in her hide box to get warm. Then she is ready to go back out again....I just love it...She loves the exersize.
 

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