Crush

[Barrysulcata]

Hi
Looking good
Just be careful with all those stones as he grows as he might do what mine does pick them up and eat them arghhhh

 

[Connie L]

Hi
Looking good
Just be careful with all those stones as he grows as he might do what mine does pick them up and eat them arghhhh

One of our dogs did that for a bit when she was a pup. So glad she quit it. Will definitely keep that in mind. When we clear that area we'll remove all of that. Can use it in other spots in our yard that could use more anyways. Used to have a pool in the yard (and no grass, all rock) and when we had it removed we moved all that rock to some bare spots in the front yard. Easy enough to do (unless its over 100 outside) lol

 

[Barrysulcata]

Hi crush is looking great
Keep up good work never stops as I'm always doing bit and pieces mine is a right sod he sees a stone is head down and if ur not quick enough it's gone

 

[Connie L]

Hi crush is looking great
Keep up good work never stops as I'm always doing bit and pieces mine is a right sod he sees a stone is head down and if ur not quick enough it's gone

Thanks Barry. We are trying. I'm up and out there early just after sunrise and once it starts to cool in the evening. Its about the only time its bearable to do any yard work right now. Days are slowly getting shorter so it'll get easier. Ive lived in the great white north for many years and would rather bear this intense heat for awhile then months of bitter cold/snow. Not really missing it.

Lil Crush has been pretty active this morning. The past 4 hours Ive seen him out exploring more then usual. Before today its been once in the morning and once in the evening.

 

[Barrysulcata]

Yeh I'm in uk plenty of rain

 

[Lilyloveslettuse]

Dehydration Issue: Wash the romaine leaves and prickly pear before you feed them, but don't dry it. He/she will get the water she needs that way I'm so glad you are feeding your tort all of that healthy food! So many torts nowadays are eating processed garbage

 

[Connie L]

Dehydration Issue: Wash the romaine leaves and prickly pear before you feed them, but don't dry it. He/she will get the water she needs that way I'm so glad you are feeding your tort all of that healthy food! So many torts nowadays are eating processed garbage

I'm putting the prickley pear in my Ninja and chopping it fine - mixing just a little of it with a handful of fresh bermuda grass. If I give it to him/her any other way he/she will eat the prickley pear up first then walk away from the grass. Same with the romaine but not giving that daily. Trying to make sure its getting mostly grass and anything else just as a little treat. Past two days all I gotta do is go out in the morning, shuffle my feet in the rocks abit and it comes right out and looks up at me lol I'm getting it closer and closer to where it needs to (at the size it is now) cross to get to the grass itself. Hubby is gonna see to making a little bridge (with edges so it cant tumble off) this weekend. That river rock makes me nervous. Im afraid it'll wind up on it's back in it... too small and clumsy trying to get across it. Gotta block that off too.

 

[Tom]

My plan is to rip that huge cactus and the small one out of that area and flatten the area (from outside both of the yuccas). Surround the area with a 4 ft high pool fence with boards around the bottom until he is so big he cant get thru the openings. Build him a house (with heat for the winter) in the corner, A grassy area, mud pit area and more plants that are tort safe. I can grow some things in pots on the patio as well. The controls and everything for our sprinkler system are just to the left of that area. We can hook up another line with a mister and put it on a different schedule then the lawn is. Should help solve a lot of the issues. Having 2 dogs (who in one week have learned to leave him alone) and a 2 year old grandson who spends a lot of time here I want him in his own space. We also have a workshop that we leave the door open to during the day and there are too many dangers in there for him as he gets more mobile. He is in a better space then he was a week ago and its going to get better.

Sounds like a pretty good plan.

I would leave the big cactus. It looks cool and offers shade.

You are smart to fence off the dogs. Never trust them. Its a toss up between dogs and dehydration as the number one tortoise killer. Everyone who has a tortoise chewed up was sure that their loving, friendly dog would never do such a thing. They will.

The tortoise will need a visual when it gets bigger too, so the boards around the bottom should stay, even when he grows some.

 

[Connie L]

Sounds like a pretty good plan.

I would leave the big cactus. It looks cool and offers shade.

You are smart to fence off the dogs. Never trust them. Its a toss up between dogs and dehydration as the number one tortoise killer. Everyone who has a tortoise chewed up was sure that their loving, friendly dog would never do such a thing. They will.

The tortoise will need a visual when it gets bigger too, so the boards around the bottom should stay, even when he grows some.

I gotta find out exactly what cactus that is first. If its a San Pedro it's gotta go. The cactus itself and the fruit that falls from it wouldn't be good. I'm not really sure what it is. I'm enforcing a "no being up the tort's butt" rule with the dogs and keeping a good watch when I hear them go out the doggy door. Older dog ignores it but the younger one wants to follow it and I don't want her playfully nosing it over onto it's back. She's gotton so she goes out, does her business in the yard then sits on the patio to watch instead of trailing it. But yep, cannot just trust she will always do that. Getting the poop outa the grass quickly too.

Good to know about the visual - thanks!

 

[Connie L]

Did some googling its definitely a cereus cactus. Now to see if it has mescaline in it like the san pedro does.

 

[Connie L]

Found these blocks at Home Depot for $2.87. They made it very easy to put up a quick barrier. Can be stacked and rebar pounded thru the hole in the top. The boards are 2x6's. Has me thinking we could do that that large area alot sooner.

 

[Connie L]

So long as it's safe for the tort to eat from the cereus I'll leave the cactus there. That means the cactus itself, the flowers that bloom this time of year and the fruit. Took this earlier this morning before the flower closed up. Flower is larger then the tortoise is. Only 3 blooms last night. About 2 weeks ago it was covered with at least 50 of them every evening.

 

[Tom]

I have that cactus here too, but not in a tortoise pen. I've never tried to feed the cactus or blooms to my tortoises. I'm also curious to find out if its toxic.

In any case, you can encircle the bottom with a ring of slumpstone block stacked two high and staggered to keep the tortoise out if it, but still allow the cactus to remain.

 

[Connie L]

I have that cactus here too, but not in a tortoise pen. I've never tried to feed the cactus or blooms to my tortoises. I'm also curious to find out if its toxic.

In any case, you can encircle the bottom with a ring of slumpstone block stacked two high and staggered to keep the tortoise out if it, but still allow the cactus to remain.

Until I know for sure I won't chance it either. We'll trim all the low lying pieces and surround it. Been meaning to trim the low ones anyways. Only cactus I've given is prickly pear. We have some aloe too.

 

[Connie L]

Just gave it a good soak. It's urates are looking really good. Not gritty or clumpy at all.

 

[cmacusa3]

Love the enthusiasm! Keep up the good work!

 

[Connie L]

Love the enthusiasm! Keep up the good work!

Thanks! Ive learned a lot the past week.

 

[Connie L]

Crush is running around a lot this morning. Put a pile of grass and chopped prickly pear out earlier. Ate that . Has been wandering around eating more. At 5 inches how much food do they eat in a day? I'm wondering volume. Just so I'm making sure he's getting enough. One cup? Two cups? More?

I started putting its food right in the lawn. Figured that way when it's done eating what I give it, it can roam around the lawn for a while and eat some more if he's still hungry

 

[Tom]

Crush is running around a lot this morning. Put a pile of grass and chopped prickly pear out earlier. Ate that . Has been wandering around eating more. At 5 inches how much food do they eat in a day? I'm wondering volume. Just so I'm making sure he's getting enough. One cup? Two cups? More?

I started putting its food right in the lawn. Figured that way when it's done eating what I give it, it can roam around the lawn for a while and eat some more if he's still hungry

They are grazers, and I think they should be able to eat as much of the right foods as they want. Grass, weeds and leaves or the "right" foods. Soon, it will be time to introduce dry grass hay, but that is for another day...

Be very careful that he doesn't overheat in your extremely hot climate. When they run around a lot, like what you are describing, sometimes its because they are frantically searching for a place to cool down. And no, they are not always smart enough to just go get in their burrow. There is no harm in sprinklers, misters, shade cloth and soaks, even if it seems like it might not be needed. Anytime the temperature is above the high 90's (nearly every day for you…) he is in the danger zone.

 

[Connie L]

He comes out around 6am when it's in the mid 80s. It's been staying below 90 for a few hours in the mornings for a few days now. I've been getting him into the lawn and then a 20 minute soak. When it gets around 90 he has been going into his hide and I don't see him again until the sun starts to set. This morning it was more exploring and stopping to eat here and there. "Running" was maybe a poor choice of words. He would explore, eat for abit, go in his hide. I had gotten used to him going in and staying there. Wasn't horrid hot this morning so he came out several times.