I'm building an outdoor enclosure for my redfoot yearlings, is it too cold at night here for them?
Michigan temperatures
- Thread starter compassrose26
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Looks like down to 62. How would I build a relatively small heated night box?
I am worried about a heat lamp getting wet. My enclosure doesn't have a lot of vertical room. Maybe I will just bring them in at night until it gets warmer
I'm in Chicago. I have family in Michigan. Both yours and our night temps are too cold and I have a 3 and 4 year old leopard and an older Russian and it's too cold for them.
What's the low end of the acceptable range?
Once the nights don't dip below 70's I will let them stay out in an enclosed night box. However, mine are older then yours. When my leopard was a yearling, he still spent the nights in the house and only went out during the day. He didn't live outside 24/7 until last year when he was two. Maybe @N2TORTS , Jeff can help with a good outside night time temp for yearling RF. He raises RF. Hopefully he will come on soon.
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BOO....... Hi ya Barb .. and OP ...
From my own experiences and dealing with my ADULT redfoot herds who are maintained year around outside (with heated hides of course)in So Cal. I would say anything below 65 is not safe and young /hatchling ages , even more delicate (a whole different ball game ) . Even with that statement, I do not like to let them fall into zones for any length of time below 70. The reason?
Rf’s are very subject to incurring RI infections with low heat and damp surroundings. Thus keeping body temps steady and well regulated ….along with constant high humidity, one can keep their redfoot , happy , healthy and “sick” free. It’s those radical swings and fine lines with humidity and heat that can cause problems. Now of course I have not written a book , nor 30 years of breeding redfoots...so maybe the "real pro's" will add to this . Plus I don't own a basement .....
Here is my outdoor setup .............they seem to like it ...
From my own experiences and dealing with my ADULT redfoot herds who are maintained year around outside (with heated hides of course)in So Cal. I would say anything below 65 is not safe and young /hatchling ages , even more delicate (a whole different ball game ) . Even with that statement, I do not like to let them fall into zones for any length of time below 70. The reason?
Rf’s are very subject to incurring RI infections with low heat and damp surroundings. Thus keeping body temps steady and well regulated ….along with constant high humidity, one can keep their redfoot , happy , healthy and “sick” free. It’s those radical swings and fine lines with humidity and heat that can cause problems. Now of course I have not written a book , nor 30 years of breeding redfoots...so maybe the "real pro's" will add to this . Plus I don't own a basement .....
Here is my outdoor setup .............they seem to like it ...
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@N2TORTS thanks that helps a lot!! Unfortunately I am in a rental house with my parents and can't do anything permanent, plus there are some crazy predators in Michigan so I think I'm going to do a plastic pool covered with wire mesh hardware cloth stuff and bring them in every night. I just want them to be able to be outdoors as much as possible without being in any danger! I don't mind bringing them in at night, I was just checking
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Excellent choice.....as I too bring every tort in Every night!....Not only for head count , but also a nightly check on each of the animals health.
Although with 40 torts or so .....it can be a busy task indeed.
I used to live in an area that worried me with night time predators.....with that in mind , I used lath wire (painted black) to keep the vermin's out , yet maintain a pleasant visual that didn't look like jail ....
I can't wait until I can make something like that. When I'm out of college and have my own place I want to have a big hoop house with a section for torts and a section for growing my own food. Two of my passions in one safe place!
