How to keep heated tortoise hut clean!

[janevicki]

Hi all,

I have made a plywood house for my black mountain torts (MEPs from Victor Morgan 2012).
I put in a kane heat mat hooked up to the hydrofarm thermostat. The torts love it.

We live in So Cal so it's not that cold here but the MEPs go right back into their heated hut when they are done with eating, drinking and soaking. They are pooping and peeing in their house like crazy. UGH!

I have a thick piece of plastic layed down with newspaper under the kane mat (not on top of kane mat). The newspaper is soaked with pee and poop. There is no way to do it all by raking. I have to open the box up at the top and pull out the kane mat and remove the filthy newspaper. Wipe down the kane mat, box and put in clean newspaper.

How are others cleaning the tort house? What can do to make the tort house more cleanable?

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your suggestions!

 

[jojay327]

I used to have the same problem. This year I built a new house and have a double door, one that I can walk into. The house is 4'high, that maybe unnecessary for a tortoise but it is so insulated that I don't foresee a problem. So far I love it, my son goes in there at night and Jessie loves the company. Good luck

 

[Tom]

Hi all,

I have made a plywood house for my black mountain torts (MEPs from Victor Morgan 2012).
I put in a kane heat mat hooked up to the hydrofarm thermostat. The torts love it.

We live in So Cal so it's not that cold here but the MEPs go right back into their heated hut when they are done with eating, drinking and soaking. They are pooping and peeing in their house like crazy. UGH!

I have a thick piece of plastic layed down with newspaper under the kane mat (not on top of kane mat). The newspaper is soaked with pee and poop. There is no way to do it all by raking. I have to open the box up at the top and pull out the kane mat and remove the filthy newspaper. Wipe down the kane mat, box and put in clean newspaper.

How are others cleaning the tort house? What can do to make the tort house more cleanable?

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your suggestions!

My females leopards make a mess like that. I keep a layer of dry dirt in there and simply scrape up the mud and poo as needed. I use either a flat nose shovel or a doggie pooper scoop with a metal scraper.

Soaking them more frequently outside the box, so they "do their business" in the soak water will buy you another day or two between cleaning, but that's getting more difficult as our weather cools toward winter. I just soak on the warm winter days, of which we have a plenty.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I lined the bottom of my plywood box with vinyl flooring tiles. The entire bottom and 6" up the wall is protected. I caulked the vinyl tile seams, too.
Then, I keep damp coco coir/husk on the bottom as a substrate. I have a kitty litter scooper near by and scoop out the potty messes as needed.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's why I made all my tortoise shelters sheds rather than boxes. I walk inside with the rake and just rake it all up and scoop it into the manure scoop.

Also, you're making the job harder than it needs to be. Get rid of newspaper. It's so easy to just take the pooper scooper and rake in there and pick up each poop. If you want something to absorb the pee, you can add substrate.

Here's what I use:



I bought it for about $5 at Orchard Supply Hardware, but I've see them at Lowe's and Home Depot too.

 

[janevicki]

Thank you Dear Forum Members! Every one has a great suggestions. This weekend I will be busy working on the tort hut, improving it with all your suggestions. YAY!

Joday327 Awesome Tort Hut!!! <3 Love it! Will work on a new hut next summer. No time for a new hut this winter, and when I do I will like to ask how you made your hut.

Tom, I'm going to put dirt in the hut and then recycle the dirt to the earthworm bin! Awesome!

Team G so brilliant using floor tiles. Are they the stick it on kind or the roll vinyl kind? I'll be heading to Home D this weekend because the plastic is getting holes.

Yvonne, yes no more stinky poopy newspaper. We actually have a blue scooper just like yours. We use ours for leaves! (Not any more LOL! )

Thank you All!