Ideas for new pen?

[andrew71888]

Does any one have any good ideas for a tortoise pen. I have two Sulcata tortoises so they are going to need somne room and i dont care how long it has to be i have the room. Plz give me some ideas i am stuck. Thanks

 

[N2TORTS]

Sure Andrew,
I think tortoise and building things 24/7 I have tons of ideas. But first you will need to consider some things.
Whats your budget...How much local resources are available... do you want a permenant structure/yard. ....things like that . Remember Sully's get big....and can reek havoc on your home and yard. But are simply amazing to watch. Check out some of the other posts. There has been tons of great info on this topic latley. Give me a shout if ya need any help.
JD

 

[Stephanie Logan]

I have looked and looked and for some reason cannot find several good posts about Sulcata-sized enclosures, so I'm passing the buck, so to speak. Send a Private Message (PM) to Roachman26, or Yvonne (emysemys) or to Maggie (maggie3fan) and you will get some photos of nice Sulcata enclosures, and possibly some bonus photos of Sulcata sheds, Sulcata perimeter patrol, Sulcata grazing habits, and of course: Sulcata poop (they're famous for it)!

 

[Yvonne G]

The bigger the better. I have half of my very large front yard set aside for the desert tortoises and the other half for Dudley, the sulcata. Dudley's total yard is around 32' x 72'. Then that is divided into three pastures that I rotate him through on a weekly basis. Two are allowed to grow (watered and fertilized) while he is on the third.

He's getting big enough now that 1/3 of the large area is not enough and I'm going to have to divide it into halves instead. By the end of one week he has eaten the grass down almost to the dirt. It takes a long time for it to rebound when it is eaten so short.

Dudley weighs upward of 100lbs. One of these days I'll take him to Petsmart and weigh him on their scale.

Do a search for "Roachman" and take a look at the VERY large area that he has for his sulcatas.

I took this picture just now. Dudley is on the small square to the right of the picture. Its winter and the Bermuda grass is dormant, but there are winter weeds and grasses growing. Notice what the grass inside the small square pen looks like and compare that to the grass in the pen to the left, the pen he's NOT on:

This is just another shot of the overall yard:

And here's a picture of the duplex he's in. Right now, he's in the one on the left, and I haven't opened his door yet this a.m.:

 

[andrew71888]

Well its just a inoor pen i already got a nice utdoor pen for there size so preators wont hurt but indoor i am stuck on...... would like a nice pen for both of them so they can roam around. My budget is really willing to pay anything just below 100. So any good ideas? And please dont feel shy. And emysemys NICE OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE!!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think that if it's an indoor enclosure you are looking for then you need to build a rectangular box as big as your space inside will allow. We can't tell you much more then that, I don't think...a big rectangular box...ta da!...Must be too late at night for me...hahaha

 

[TortieGal]

Some people take a nice sized bookcase and take the shelves out then line it with a shower curtain so you can keep the substrate moist and not hurt the wood. I think I'm going to do this for Herman next.

 

[chadk]

Yep, I find cheap book cases on CL that would be perfect to turn into a tort table.

Look for something in the size you want (measure the space it will go - as big as possible). Something like 3x5 would be great.

Find one with adjustable shelves. At least 10-12 inches deep. Solid back (not open or that light flimsy stuff).

 

[DAC8671]

hehehee, I like the size of the pooper scooper Yvonne!

 

[andrew71888]

Thx yall, this really helped

 

[Yvonne G]

hehehee, I like the size of the pooper scooper Yvonne!

Funny what people notice in your pictures! If you'll also take note of the fence to the right of that pooper scooper. I had to nail up a board on the inside of the 4x4's because Dudley's activity up against the fence was causing the nails on the planks to come out.

 

[Scooter]

Yvonne, I love your weather vane where did you get it?

 

[Yvonne G]

I designed it and we had several of them made to sell to club members. Some guy I knew who did metal work made them. Been too many years to remember who he was.