Encosure Concerns/Questions

[Seiryu]

So I havn't decided on the size. But after measuring the more "sunny" spots in the yard (Have a huge tree back there, which I wont be building under). It seems i'm either going with a 6x9feet or 5x10feet enclosure.

I wanted to ask in terms of animals. I have bunnies in my yard (2-3 litters probably just hit roughly a month old). So about 15-20 baby bunnies + their parents nearby.

I planned to just build the enclosure over the soil I have back there now with no bottom. Then I thought about the bunnies possibly digging underneath and getting inside. Not worried about hurting the tortoise, but decimating the plants.

Can I do this, or should it have a bottom? If it needs a bottom I plan to use 3 inch by 9 foot boards, that are seperate by like 2". This will let rain water drain right down through the enclosure and plant roots can go further down if needed as well.

To further explain I use a board, then 2 inches between the next board, then another board, then 2" in between. No animals should be able to get through. And Leopard don't dig, so I don't think he'd get out. Using 5-6" of soil.

 

[chadk]

I think you want to be careful of any digging from anything coming in or trying to get out. Better to deal with that now while you are ready to design and build...

I'm working on my plans now and have a few ideas. One is to dig a trench at least 6 inches down. Then put my wall 2 inch by 12inch high by 12 feet long (or so). Stacked 2 high. I'll refill the trench with rock and dirt that will discourage diggers.

The other idea i have is to dig out the entire pen down 2-4 inches and then lay down a base of chicken wire. Staple this to the bottom of the same board setup I noted above. Then fill in the pen with soil and gravel and rock and decorate\landscape how I want. Since the sides will be alsmost 2 feet tall, it will allow taller plants and decorations in there. I'll have a hinged lid that is essentially a 2x4 frame and hard wire cloth. It will have a mini-tort shed that is protected from rain and wind that will have a CHE for the cooler days.

Anyway, just some ramblings about ideas i'm mulling over. Hopefully I can get this done soon.

 

[Seiryu]

I think you want to be careful of any digging from anything coming in or trying to get out. Better to deal with that now while you are ready to design and build...

I'm working on my plans now and have a few ideas. One is to dig a trench at least 6 inches down. Then put my wall 2 inch by 12inch high by 12 feet long (or so). Stacked 2 high. I'll refill the trench with rock and dirt that will discourage diggers.

The other idea i have is to dig out the entire pen down 2-4 inches and then lay down a base of chicken wire. Staple this to the bottom of the same board setup I noted above. Then fill in the pen with soil and gravel and rock and decorate\landscape how I want. Since the sides will be alsmost 2 feet tall, it will allow taller plants and decorations in there. I'll have a hinged lid that is essentially a 2x4 frame and hard wire cloth. It will have a mini-tort shed that is protected from rain and wind that will have a CHE for the cooler days.

Anyway, just some ramblings about ideas i'm mulling over. Hopefully I can get this done soon.

I like the rock idea underneath. I may do the board thing still, but put gravel rocks filling the entire bottom. Hope that will work.

 

[chadk]

Just be sure to dig the trench deep enough. I had rats digging into my chicken coup (my cat eventually solved that issue for me) and I was amazed at how easily they could move softball size rocks and dig through the gravel and smaller rocks like nothing.

 

[Crazy1]

I have Greeks but when I built my 7 1/2 foot X 13 foot pen I dug down 12 inches put down chicken wire, then use cinderblock to line the enclosure like a wall, back filled it and placed my chainlink dog run on top. actually wired the bottom chicken wire to the sides of the dog run and then placed the plastic type roofing material 1 foot from the dirt up so they can't see out or stick their heads out. Nothing digs in Nothing digs out. I was afraid of gophers, as hatchlings can and often will go down a gopher hole, then you have really lost them. When I did my hatchling pen I built the pen and placed the hardware cloth on the bottom then built it up by filling the inside with several inches of dirt. I also used the hardware cloth for the top. Nothing in, nothing out.

I also built one square 8ftX8ft and found even the torts seemed to like the rectangle pens better (not sure why) they actually paced less. If you build square make sure you have stuff that breaks up the site line for them.

 

[Seiryu]

I have Greeks but when I built my 7 1/2 foot X 13 foot pen I dug down 12 inches put down chicken wire, then use cinderblock to line the enclosure like a wall, back filled it and placed my chainlink dog run on top. actually wired the bottom chicken wire to the sides of the dog run and then placed the plastic type roofing material 1 foot from the dirt up so they can't see out or stick their heads out. Nothing digs in Nothing digs out. I was afraid of gophers, as hatchlings can and often will go down a gopher hole, then you have really lost them. When I did my hatchling pen I built the pen and placed the hardware cloth on the bottom then built it up by filling the inside with several inches of dirt. I also used the hardware cloth for the top. Nothing in, nothing out.

I also built one square 8ftX8ft and found even the torts seemed to like the rectangle pens better (not sure why) they actually paced less. If you build square make sure you have stuff that breaks up the site line for them.

Lol so square pens is a no go eh. Ya I won't do square. It'd be too small like 5x5ft if I did that.

So it seems I will need a bottom of some sort then. At least I have until next year or even later to figure it out. I can always plant all the different plants in pots for him to eat until it's done. I dont think he'll outgrow his 75g tank (1.5ftx4ft) that has an "upstairs" anytime soon.

And I imagine his 1.5x1.5ft box to just take him outside for sun will be fine for a while too since they start soo small.

 

[Millerlite]

why not just dig the sides down a foot deep, thats what i did. If anything is going to dig under and out, you should be able to see them doing it if you check on them a lot.

 

[Seiryu]

I actually have a huge roll of hardware cloth I think i'm going to use for the bottom. It's what I used to build my Basilisk 3x2x3 ft enclosure to take them outside in for natural sun.