Country Sulcata moved to the city

mturtleb

New Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Stockton, CA
Hi...my Sulcata Zipzap and I are new here....question is, we moved from the country where my tort had 1/2 acre to roam and eat weeds and was doing well. She did not have good humidity before we got her, and we received some incorrect info the first few years we had her, so she is pyramided, but happy otherwise. Since moving here we have given her the backyard, which she now shares with the dogs (3 indoor small pups). My problem is she is tearing up the house and I'm afraid she is going to hurt herself trying to get in the back sliding door. I need to create an enclosure but she is about 23 inches now and I'm not sure what size will be best for her. I need the dogs to still be able to reach the grass which (what's left after grazing) is in the middle of the yard, so if I enclose her she would only have about 244 sq ft. Or I have to enclose and gate the entire grass area as well to increase to about 800 sq ft. I just don't know if this is enough room. Also....she will not eat the grassy hay we are purchasing and will only eat what is grown in ground...I have very little grass left. I don't mind giving her the yard, she is our family, but when we run out of grass she won't have food. She hates the ZooMed food, and I'm trying to entice her with grassy hay blend from the feed store by hiding a few pieces of zucchini in it, but she just walks back to the grass. Ideas? Pics of larger tortoise enclosures?
 

SULCY

Active Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2017
Messages
180
Location (City and/or State)
NEW YORK
What you can do is soak the hay before feeding it to her mine like it better that way.
 

daniellenc

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Jun 10, 2017
Messages
2,084
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Soaking the hay and also mixing it with Mazuri pellets, grocery store greens, and grass cultivated from areas other than your yard you know are not treated are the way to go In time she will adjust and you can rotate yard grazing areas giving one side time to grow back while you supplement and let her mow down the other half.
 

Stuart S.

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Tortoise Club
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Nov 29, 2016
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1,338
Location (City and/or State)
Paris, Texas
You can always purchase a variety of greens from the store which would be more expensive, but your Sulcata wills eat and casually mix the hay in with the greens. Good luck and keep us posted!
 

2wgasa

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5 Year Member
Joined
May 23, 2017
Messages
73
Location (City and/or State)
Carlsbad, CA
We have a relatively small yard especially compared to some described on the forum, which I envy but never going to happen here.

Not sure what the Zoomed food is but Bomber does eat the Mazuri M521 that everyone here recommends. He didn't go for any of the different hays I bought at pet store until found he will eat (likes? it smells tasty) Bermuda grass hay from local feed store that also happens to carry the correct Mazuri. They let me pick up whatever hay fell out of bales however the gas was costing more than the $18 per bale so I bought a bale, which I keep covered and pull out some fresh stuff every morning. He never passes up open hibiscus flowers or cactus (he has his own cactus plant, but I get paddles from a local store whenever passing by).

I have to leave my sliding doors open for one of my geriatric dogs who doesn't trust doggy doors. I restrict the opening so the dog can get through but not Bomber even when he tries one of his angle moves, which he practices everyday between fence and palm trees. I think Yvonne G recommended just using a 1x12 board, which was the best idea but my old dog will/can not step over it. Bomber doesn't bother to test the doors now.
 

mturtleb

New Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Stockton, CA
Thanks everyone! Zipzap is eating more hay with your suggestions! The watering of the hay helps, and I'm hiding the "treats" like zucchini inside it and cut very small so she has to eat the hay with it. The feed store said they can get the Mazuri M521 for me as well. Hoping to get an enclosure going, she knows we are in the house and hangs out at the sliding door all day long! Any specifics for the size of an enclosure?
 

SULCY

Active Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2017
Messages
180
Location (City and/or State)
NEW YORK
The bigger the better. I realize that you don't have much room but the larger you can make it the better
 

vladimir

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5 Year Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Messages
1,484
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
As big as you can possibly go. Can you post some pics of the areas you have as options for the enclosure? That might help with ideas.
 
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